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3 Mar 2009 13:51:15
Professor Les Ebdon, Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours List.
Professor Ebdon is one of the best known Vice Chancellors across the country and is one of only a small select number of people who receive this prestigious award each year. It is in recognition of his outstanding contribution and service to higher education.
He said: “I was shocked, surprised and delighted when I received the letter. It has been such a pleasure working at the University of Bedfordshire. When I arrived at the then University of Luton, it had been through a difficult time. But there is a great group of staff and we worked together to turn it around and take it forward to become the University of Bedfordshire.
“Since then, we haven’t looked back. We have seen a phenomenal growth in the number of applications to the University, as well as a growth in reputation. This is all down to the efforts of staff and students.”
The University in the last five years has grown significantly in both size and reputation under Professor Ebdon’s leadership. The merger with the Bedford campus of DMU, which led to the formation of the University of Bedfordshire, has established this University as one of the country’s leading access universities and amongst the most diverse in the country.
The University of Bedfordshire has shot up the national league tables, not least with a recent 25-position leap for research activity, according to the Times Higher Education. The Sunday Times also recently referred to the University of Bedfordshire as being ‘sprinkled with stardust’.
Professor Ebdon has also become prominent in national circles in higher education during this time. He chairs the Million+ group of universities and Universities UK’s Student Experience Policy Committee. In 2007 the Prime Minister appointed him to the National Council for Education Excellence.
He said: “It has been such a pleasure to serve nationally on the NCEE on the invitation of the Prime Minister and to chair Million+, a well as the Association of Universities in the East of England and UUK’s Student Experience Policy Committee.”
His academic achievements are also numerous and date back to when he took his first degree and PhD at Imperial College, London. After lectureships at Makerere University, Kampala and Sheffield Hallam University, he joined the University of Plymouth in 1981 as Reader in Analytical Chemistry.
Promoted to a personal chair in 1986, he was appointed Head of Environmental Sciences in 1989. In the same year, he was appointed Deputy Director and became Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) in 1992, a position he held until his appointment as Vice Chancellor at the University of Luton (now Bedfordshire) in September 2003.
As an internationally recognised expert on environmental analytical chemistry, Professor Ebdon’s contributions to the development of sensors and inductively coupled plasmas have increased our understanding of the behaviour and importance of trace elements in the environment and our food. This work has led to more than 270 publications and several awards. He has been plenary lecturer at conferences on six continents and has been a member or chair of various scientific committees, including those of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Government Boards and European Union working groups. He serves or has served on the editorial boards of 10 international journals and has chaired both the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Publications Board and the Strategy and Resources Board.
In 1986 Professor Ebdon was the Royal Society of Chemistry, Analytical Division, Schools’ Lecturer and later in that same year was awarded the 13th SAC Silver Medal by the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 1995 the American Microchemical Society awarded him the Benedetti-Pichler medal for outstanding contributions to microchemistry. During his time at the University of Plymouth chemistry research at the University was transformed. As Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) he was responsible for the rapid growth of research and played a leading role in establishing the Tamar Science Park as the first Science Park in the South West and in the establishment of the first undergraduate medical school in a post-92 university, ie the Peninsula Medical School.
Latest news» 2009» February» Queen's honour for Bedfordshire's varsity boss
