The UCD Governing Authority has appointed Professor Andrew J Deeks as the new UCD President.
Professor Deeks will take over the position in January 2014 when Doctor Hugh Brady steps down in December of this year following 10 years as President of the university.
Professor Deeks currently holds the position of Pro Vice Chancellor of Science in Durham University.
This is the first time in the history of UCD that an external candidate has been appointed president of UCD.
The appointment follows on from an application procedure that began a number of months ago by the Governing Authority. The process was delayed as a major legal complication arose due to changes in the pension laws.
Professor Deeks was born in the UK in 1963 and emigrated with his family to Perth at the age of six. He graduated from the University of Western Australia (UWA) with a First Class Honors in Civil Engineering in 1984. Professor Deeks held the position as Head of the School of Civil & Resource Engineering at UWA for five years from 2004-2009. He moved to Durham University to take up his current position in 2009.
This will be UCD’s 9th President since its foundation in 1854 by John Henry Newman.
~ Ronan Coveney
