The University of Stirling has appointed Professor Alistair Jump as Dean of its Faculty of Natural Sciences.
A plant ecologist focussing on environmental change interactions, Professor Jump joined the University in 2008, and has been acting as Interim Dean since February 2021.
Professor Alistair Jump
Professor Jump said: “It has been another year of very rapid change for our students and staff and I’m really proud of everything our community has achieved together.
“I’m excited to now lead the Faculty of Natural Sciences into the future. We are ideally placed to contribute knowledge and solutions to the major issues of the decades ahead, not least those created by the interacting climate, biodiversity and health and wellbeing crises.
“These challenges require collaborative solutions and I look forward to working with staff and students across the Faculty, the wider University and beyond, to deliver the learning, research and broad engagement needed to make a difference for us all.”
Meeting the changing needs of people and planet
Professor Sir Gerry McCormac, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Stirling, said: “We are very pleased to appoint Professor Jump as Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
“He brings strong leadership and direction to the Faculty, as well as an interdisciplinary approach to research, which is increasingly important in the complex world we live in.
“Stirling’s Faculty of Natural Sciences has an international reputation for its teaching and ground-breaking research, from our world-leading Institute of Aquaculture and the major projects under way as part of Scotland’s International Environment Centre, to the transnational education work of Computing Science and Maths and the important contributions of Psychology to our understanding of health, ageing and wellbeing.
“The Faculty of Natural Sciences is pivotal in our mission to be the difference in the world: to connect, innovate and transform to meet the changing needs of people and planet, and we are delighted to have Professor Jump at the helm.”
World-leading research and teaching
Stirling’s Faculty of Natural Sciences is home to around 153 academics, with research and teaching covering subjects from environmental geography to sustainable food production systems, health psychology and artificial intelligence.
The Faculty has received a number of top course rankings, including 1st in Scotland for Biology (National Student Survey 2021), 2nd in Scotland for Psychology (National Student Survey 2021) and 2nd in Scotland for Mathematics (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022).