The Pro-Rector (Educational Quality) Rees Rawlings and Deputy Rector Leszek Borysiewicz are both leaving their positions at Imperial College after many years looking after the welfare of students.
Professor Rees Rawlings joined Imperial as an undergraduate in the Department of Metallurgy (now Materials) in 1961, and in his own words "Never left". He was awarded his PhD in 1967, and stayed in the department as a lecturer. Over the years he moved up within the department, becoming Pro-Rector in 1999. He leaves Imperial after 46 years this week to enjoy his retirement.
Deputy Rector Leszek Borysiewicz will leave Imperial this week to head the UK Medical Research Council (MRC). He is expected to take charge of their £460 million annual budget, which looks set to be increased after a government decision later this year. Borysiewicz, who was knighted in 2001, is known for developing a vaccine against papilloma virus, a cause of cervical cancer. At Imperial, he will be remembered for being the driving force behind the PhD pay rise, and also investigating the possibility of a science park at Wye, which was ultimately never realised.
There has been some concern that the Deputy Rector position filled by Leszek Borysiewicz will not be replaced, although the new Pro-Rector (Education) will take over some of the roles. It is unknown if this will have any bearing on student welfare in the long term.
Also leaving this week are Dame Julia Higgins, Principal of Engineering, and Richard Martin, Deputy Faculty Operating Officer of Engineering.
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