University of Brighton appoints next Vice-Chancellor

Professor Whitehead is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of South Wales. She held the same role at London Metropolitan University and was Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean at the University of the West of England. Her career in higher education began as a lecturer in Law at the University of Sunderland where she had previously studied as both an undergraduate and postgraduate. She is a qualified legal practitioner in the UK and has also passed the New York Bar exam.

Responding to her appointment, Professor Whitehead said:

“I am delighted to be appointed as Vice-Chancellor at the University of Brighton. I am looking forward to working with staff, students and external partners to build on the university’s significant successes to date and to deliver the next stage of the university’s evolution.  

“Like many other sectors, the higher education sector is facing significant financial challenges. Whilst we will need to be brave and tackle these challenges together, I also see enormous opportunity for Brighton to grow and differentiate itself.

“I am absolutely committed to ensuring that our university continues to change lives, to deliver impact, and to use its power to make a positive difference in the world. I don’t think there is anywhere better to do this than at the University of Brighton.”

Ben White, Chair of the Board of Governors at the University of Brighton, said:

“After a search process that has drawn interest from a high-quality field of candidates, we are delighted to have appointed Professor Donna Whitehead as the next Vice-Chancellor at the University of Brighton.

“The Appointment Panel and Board of Governors unanimously agreed that Donna was the outstanding candidate to take on this role. She is an authentic leader with a clear vision for the university, a strong affinity with its values and mission, and a firm belief in the power of education to unlock potential and shape futures.”

Professor Whitehead has a strong track record of delivering significant improvements to teaching quality, student experience and graduate outcomes. She has also led programmes and launched initiatives to increase engagement with business and generate additional research income. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and acts as a mentor for a range of senior leaders working in Higher Education and other sectors.

Professor Whitehead was appointed after an extensive search process that began earlier this year and has involved widespread stakeholder engagement across the University community. She succeeds Professor Debra Humphris CBE, who brought forward her planned retirement for personal reasons this summer having led the University of Brighton as Vice-Chancellor since 2015.

Under Professor Humphris’ leadership the University of Brighton cemented its reputation as a place where students from all backgrounds can achieve their full potential, with outstanding results in terms of graduate employability and career prospects.

Brighton is in the top third of universities for graduate earnings, with more than eighty per cent of graduates in highly skilled roles fifteen months after completing their studies. Each year, around 5,000 Brighton students move into the world of work, including 1,000 who go into health and social care roles in the NHS.

Earlier this year, the university was awarded a Silver Award in the national Teaching Excellence Framework in recognition of the high quality of its teaching and student outcomes. And in September, the university rose by 16 places in this year’s The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide and by 46 places over the last four years.