New Vice-Chancellor takes office

Professor Debra Humphris joins the university from Imperial College in London, where she held the positions of Pro Rector (Education) and Vice Provost (Education) since 2012.

In three years she effected real change in the college’s position on teaching and learning, having developed and implemented the college’s first education and student strategy which emphasised enhancing the student experience and the importance of graduate employability.

As Brighton’s Vice-Chancellor she will be responsible for the leadership and management of the university within the policies laid down by the Board of Governors, including its 21,000 students studying at five campuses across Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings.

She was drawn to the post of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Brighton because of the emphasis it places on equality, access and inclusion. As an openly LGBT senior leader, she is strongly committed to inclusion and was Chair of the Imperial College Equality and Diversity Committee, leading change in the college’s work on gender equality, sexism and organisational culture.

Professor Humphris originally qualified as a Registered Nurse and spent 20 years in the NHS including working as a Senior Research Fellow at the South Thames Regional Health Authority and at St George’s Hospital Medical School in London. She earned her doctorate on the implementation of policy into clinical practice in 1999 and from 2000-2012,  she worked at the University of Southampton, progressing through a number of director roles, including director of the Healthcare Innovation Unit, to Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) and was involved in reforming the undergraduate curriculum. During her time at Southampton, she was appointed Professor of Health Care Development.

In all of her roles, Professor Humphris has championed the quality of the student experience and is a member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s National Student Survey Advisory Group. She has also chaired the Enhancing the London Student Experience Network and believes the student experience begins when a student applies to university, graduates and beyond.  

Professor Humphris, who takes over the post of Vice-Chancellor from Professor Julian Crampton, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have the privilege to become the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton. This is a successful institution with a very exciting future and I look forward to working with students, the Students’ Union and with staff as we work together to develop our future plans.”