Biography: Professor Keith Burnett, CBE, FRS, Vice-Chancellor

Professor Keith Burnett became Vice-Chancellor of the University on 1 October 2007. He is an eminent scientist with an outstanding leadership track record. Before moving to Sheffield, Professor Burnett was Head of the Division of Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences at the University of Oxford. Prior to that he was Chairman of Physics at Oxford, where he enjoyed a successful career of almost 20 years.

His academic career started in Colorado, United States, as a research associate at the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, he went on to become an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Professor Burnett was a Lecturer in the Physics Department at Imperial College for four years before returning to Oxford in 1987 as a university Lecturer in Physics & Fellow of St John´s College.

Memberships

Professor Burnett was awarded a CBE for contributions to the scientific community in 2004 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2001.

His research is in the area of ultra cold atomic physics. Since arriving in Sheffield, Professor Burnett has become a member of Universities UK, Yorkshire Universities and the Russell Group. He is Director of Worldwide Universities Network and Sheffield University Enterprises Limited. He is also a Director of Graduate Prospects Ltd, the Higher Education Careers Service Unit and a member of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Personal

Married with two children, his personal interests include Chinese language and culture.