University news

Professor Jim Hough of the College of Science & Engineering has assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA).

SUPA is a research pool and alliance of physics departments from eight Scottish universities

Prof Hough will lead the organisation through its second funding phase and will oversee the investment of £48m in research leaders, infrastructure and the worldwide SUPA Prize Studentship competition.

Prof Hough said: “I am greatly honoured to have been appointed CEO of SUPA. It is an organisation that brings together the best physics minds in Scotland to ensure the country is at the forefront of physics research worldwide.

“The collaboration has been very successful to date and during my tenure as CEO I hope to lead SUPA to even greater success.”

Prof Hough is a Fellow of the Royal Societies of London and Edinburgh, a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council and of the Physical Engineering and Science Committee of the European Science Foundation.

He has 40 years’ experience of building the UK’s position in the field of Gravitational Wave detection, for which is the international spokesperson. He has also chaired the studentship and fellowship programmes of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

By adopting a united and coherent approach to staffing strategy, research training, research initiatives and funding opportunities SUPA enhances Scotland’s strongest physics research areas and helps it to become a world leader in physics.

Major research themes undertaken by SUPA include physics, life sciences, energy, astronomy, condensed matter and materials physics, nuclear and plasma physics and photonics.

For more information about SUPA visit www.supa.ac.uk

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For more information contact Stuart Forsyth in the University of Glasgow Media Relations Office on 0141 330 4831 or email stuart.forsyth@glasgow.ac.uk

First published: 4 May 2011