By KAMLESH ARYA
The University of Fiji announces the arrival of the new Vice-Chancellor Prof. Richard Kevin Coll who assumed his office on 3 February 2014.
PROFESSOR RICHARD COLL
Professor Coll hails from University of Waikato, Hamilton New Zealand where he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning). He has to his credit PhD in Chemistry from University of Canterbury (Christchurch) and EdD in science education from Curtin University of Technology (Perth). His professional Career began in 1987 as research associate at DSIR Ilam Research Centre.
Professor Coll joined the academia in 1990 as lecturer in Chemistry at the University of the South Pacific, became research fellow at Massey University (Palmerston North) and returned to UPS in 1993 as a lecturer and consultant in chemistry. He joined the University of Waikato in 1995 as a lecturer in chemistry and rose through the academic ranks to full professorship in 2011.
Professor Coll has a wide ranging administrative experiences as Laboratory Manager, Associate Dean of school of Science and Technology, Director of Cooperative Education Unit, Chairman of New Zealand Vice-Chancellor’s Committee – Standing Committee on graduate employment and Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor at University of Waikato. At the University of Waikato Professor Coll has been chair of : the Academic Programmes Committee, the Teaching Quality Committee, Education Technology Committee, Health and Safety Committee, Centre for science and Technology, Education, Research, Human Ethics Committee and the Library Committee to name a few. He also held membership of various professional committees at University of Waikato.
Professor Coll has published or co-published numerous journal articles in the area of science with particular focus in the field of chemistry.
Professor Coll was born in Greymouth, New Zealand and is married to a Fijian– Sandhya Coll nee Appana who hails from the garden island of Taveuni.
The University of Fiji welcomes Professor Coll on Board at the start of the 2014 academic year as its new Vice-Chancellor.