![\"Two](\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54107741185_b9d6f9d726_z.jpg\")
<\/a>Two talks, about 30 years apart.<\/p><\/div>\n
I joined Imperial as a young lecturer in Physics on 1st November 1995 and have travelled a long road since then, moving to the Department of Life Sciences a few years later, reaching the rank of professor in 2007, and shifting from structural biology research to work on the management (and culture!) of universities and science when I began writing my Reciprocal Space blog in 2008. I took on new roles at the university: Director of Undergraduate Studies in my department from 2011-15; the university’s first Associate Provost for EDI from 2017-2023; and latterly a College Consul. Outside Imperial I helped to co-found the campaign group Science is Vital and served as vice-chair from 2010-18, joined the board of CaSE from 2012-18, and was chair of DORA from 2017-23.<\/p>\n
Such skeletal lists reveal little of the story of my last 29 years. Nor do they have anything to say of the great number of friends and colleagues who provided such depth and colour to the tale.<\/p>\n
One day perhaps I will be in the mood to add more meat to my story, but right now I can’t quite grasp how I feel. I’ve said my goodbyes and told people I am relaxed about the next chapter (which will be devoted to caring responsibilities and my part-time role at RoRI<\/a>), but I in truth I don’t really know what it will be like to no longer be an integral part of an institution that has been such an integral part of my life.<\/p>\n All I know today is that I wanted to mark the occasion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today is my last day at Imperial College London. It marks the completion of exactly 29 years as a member of staff. I joined Imperial as a young lecturer in Physics on 1st November 1995 and have travelled a long … Continue reading