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09 May 2022

Professor Rachel Mills appointed Senior Vice President (Academic) at King's

Professor Rachel Mills has been appointed Senior Vice President (Academic) and is set to join King’s in August.

An image of Professor Rachel Mills on a blurred background

Professor Rachel Mills has today been announced as Senior Vice President (Academic) at King’s College London. She will join the university in August from the University of Sussex where she is currently Provost.

A leading oceanographer, Rachel completed her PhD and postdoctoral work at the University of Cambridge and joined the University of Southampton, holding a number of leadership roles there, including Associate Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Science and Mathematics and Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, and Executive Dean, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, before joining the University of Sussex. Her research has examined the chemistry of the deep seafloor and its impact on life in the sea, leading research expeditions using submersibles and remotely operated vehicles to deep, unexplored parts of the ocean.

At King’s, Rachel will lead the academic activities of its nine faculties linking together education and research ambitions across the university. Drawing on the strength of interdisciplinary collaboration across King’s, Rachel will be responsible for shaping its academic vision, while supporting external impact and partnerships.

I created this new role to enhance alignment with our strategy across all our faculties and am delighted that Professor Mills will be joining King’s in the summer. With a distinguished academic and university leadership background, I look forward to working with her to drive forward our academic vision and strategy for the university, building on the excellence and strength we have across our nine faculties and in the interdisciplinary nature of our research and education

Professor Shitij Kapur, President & Principal of King’s College London

I am excited to be joining King’s, which is a university that is making a real difference in London, the UK and across the globe. This new role will help deliver the King’s vision and I look forward to working with the leadership team and wider community of students, staff and beyond to make this happen”, says Professor Rachel Mills. She adds, “I bring a wide range of experience from my roles in Sussex and Southampton and have built some fantastic teams in both Universities that have delivered real impact, often at the interfaces between very different areas. I’m ready to do the same at King’s and very much look forward to starting in August

Professor Rachel Mills