Professor Mike Swanston has been appointed to the Vice-Principalship of the University of Abertay Dundee, with effect from April.

He takes over from Professor Jim McGoldrick, who has completed two three-year terms in the post, the maximum possible for one period of tenure. The post of Vice-Principal is a three-year appointment which rotates among the Professoriate of the University.

Professor Swanston (54) has worked at Abertay since 1972, and before his new appointment was Depute Principal (Academic Development) and Head of the School of Social & Health Sciences. He has overseen the development of the School into the largest component of Abertay, providing undergraduate and postgraduate courses in economics, psychology, sociology, nursing and health, sport and sport coaching, sociology and tourism.

Originally from Bristol, Mike studied Natural Science at Cambridge University and received his doctorate from Dundee University. He become Professor of Psychology at Abertay in 1995, crowning a long and distinguished research career. His research achievements include authoring or contributing to numerous books, research papers and conference presentations, mainly in his special areas of interest: visual perception and the psychology of pain.

He currently chairs the Research Committee, the Research Degrees Committee and the Ethics Committee at Abertay, and represents the University on the Modern Universities Research Group and the Universities Scotland Research and Commercialisation Committee. He is also on the Council of the Al-Maktoum Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies.

Professor Bernard King, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Abertay, welcomed the appointment, saying:

"Mike's strengths in research and academic management will be of immense value to the University as we continue to make progress in developing both our research activities and our focus on the quality of the learning experience at Abertay".

"We all wish him well in his new post, and we thank Jim McGoldrick for the many contributions he has made as Vice-Principal to steering the University through the stresses and strains of the huge changes that have taken place over the past few years."

Outside the University, Professor Swanston holds a number of posts including Vice-Chair of the Board of Management of Elmwood College in Cupar, and director of the Dundee Ice Arena. Until very recently, he also chaired the Fife and Tayside Wider Access Forum.

Mike is married with three children and one grandaughter, and lives in Carnoustie. In his spare time, he is a keen golfer and has served as Captain of the Dalhousie Club when the Open was held in Carnoustie.