Professor Ian Campbell
Ian has been a Pro-Vice-Chancellor since January 2008 and is currently responsible for the Student Experience and Staff Development portfolios.
For the past three years Ian’s main focus has been on enhancing the student experience in its broadest sense including all aspects of both ‘education’ and ‘campus life’. During this time Ian has successfully developed and implemented the University Learning and Teaching strategy and has driven forward key developments to campus life for the benefit of all students, contributing to Brunel’s success in the National Student Survey in recent years. Ian also oversees all aspects of staff development including: leadership and management development; the staff development programme; professional development in academic practise programme for new lecturers; and appraisal.
Previously Ian has been responsible for the External Relations portfolio. This role was wide ranging and included: community engagement, working closely with the local community including local residents, the London Borough of Hillingdon, schools and business; promoting the University as an ambassador locally, regionally, nationally and internationally; and leading on special events including graduation. Within this portfolio, Ian led the development and successful implementation between 2008 and 2012 of the University’s strategy to maximise the impact of the Olympic and Paralympic Games coming to London in 2012 (Brunel 2012 Programmes). The strategy comprised of five work programmes: Academic; Sport Facilities and Services; Community Development; Business Engagement; and External Communications. All of these programmes delivered objectives linked to the strategic imperatives of the University.
Ian joined Brunel in 2005 having gained significant commercial experience. He had been promoted to Head of Business Development for a leading performance consultancy company, and grew new business by 30% as a result of his ability to build relationships with senior executives in industry. At Brunel, Ian was promoted to PVC following a successful period as Deputy Head of School, leading the Sport Sciences Department and directing Sport and Recreation Services. As Head of Sport Sciences, he led strategic developments including the establishment of two Research Centres and the appointment of world-leading researchers and staff, as well as leading the successful RAE2008 submission for sport-related studies. Ian also developed the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum and enhanced the student experience and the external profile of the area through running research conferences and seminars.
Ian’s research expertise is in the area of applied physiology. Ian gained his PhD from Loughborough University in 1992 and his work has focused on the physiology of the spinal cord injured athlete. He has an international reputation in this area and has given invited presentations in the USA, China, Europe and the UK. He also serves as a reviewer to a number of prestigious journals. His work has attracted external funding and he has several successful PhD completions in this field of study. The work, and that of his PhD students, has attracted national awards and media coverage. As a result of his research expertise he led a team providing sport science support to wheelchair racing for two Paralympic Games, and was part of the Great Britain Paralympic support team in the year 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
Professionally Ian has been involved with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) in the UK since 1994, and was elected Chair of the Association in September 2011. Additionally he has acted as an external examiner at institutions for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses and has been an external assessor for numerous external validations, as well as sitting as an external advisor on interview panels at institutions. Ian is currently Institutional Reviewer for the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and, in the past, was a Subject Specialist Reviewer, as well as acting as an external consultant to institutions preparing for Subject Review.
Ian holds a number of other external roles including: trustee and Chair of the main grants committee for Hillingdon Community Trust; trustee of Hillingdon Partnership Trust; School governor at Isleworth and Syon School; and a Board member of PODIUM, the Further and Higher Education Unit for the London 2012 Games.
