University appoints Senior Vice-Principal

Professor O’Neill will join the University on 1 October, 2021, from Keele University, where he is currently Pro Vice-Chancellor for Planning and Advancement, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and a Professor of Political Theory.

Professor Iain Gillespie, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University, said, ‘In the search to appoint a Senior Vice-Principal we were looking for an exceptional academic leader who embraces our strong values and sense of place. I am confident Shane will provide those qualities, after emerging from a strong and diverse pool of candidates.

‘As Senior Vice-Principal, Shane will be a key member of our University Executive Group and will lead a broad and important portfolio, including line managing our Deans and ensuring the University’s strategic priorities are implemented successfully across our Schools.

‘My thanks go to Professor Julian Blow, who has held the role of Interim Vice-Principal (Academic Planning and Performance) and to Professor Inke Näthke, who has covered the role of Interim Dean of the School of Life Sciences. Both have done a great job over these past few months, in very challenging circumstances.

‘Julian will resume as Dean of the School of Life Sciences after Shane has joined us, and Inke will continue as Interim Dean until that time.’

Professor O’Neill did his doctoral studies at the University of Glasgow, after completing his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at University College Dublin.

His first academic post was as a Lecturer in the Department of Government at Manchester University before joining Queen’s University Belfast in 1994. At Queen’s he became Professor of Political Theory in 2002 and was a Head of School from 2001 to 2009. Twice in those years he was asked to lead colleagues in creating newly expanded, multidisciplinary Schools. During his years as Dean of Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s (2009 to 2015), he also undertook a range of formal University leadership roles including that of University Envoy to the Americas.

Professor O’Neill was Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania in 2004/5 and has held Visiting Professorships at Hong Kong University, Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia and Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.