ANU DVCRI Professor Keith Nugent to step down January 2024

After what will be a five-year term at The Australian National University (ANU), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation), Professor Keith Nugent, will step down from the role in January 2024. 

Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said that Professor Nugent has brought a wealth of experience to his role since he joined ANU at the beginning of 2019.  

"Keith's academic career scaled the heights of twice being an ARC Federation Fellow, an ARC Centre of Excellence Director and a Laureate Professor in physics at the University of Melbourne. He has served as Director of the Australian Synchrotron to help see it through a difficult time in its history," Professor Schmidt said. 

"He brought the vital perspective of a world-class researcher to his leadership role here at ANU, as well as the critical experience of a research leader following a six-year stint as DVCR at La Trobe University in Melbourne. 

"I thank Keith for his leadership and collegiality over the past four-and-a-half years and wish him well in the next phase of his career." 

Professor Nugent was appointed to a Professorship in physics at the University of Melbourne at just 34 years of age and was elected to the Australian Academy of Science seven years later, along with receiving many other awards for research and innovation.  

He graduated with a PhD in Laser Physics from ANU in 1985, and said that having completed secondary school in Batlow, country NSW, coming to ANU, a high-quality university that wasn't in a big city, was important to him. 

"After graduating I spent the bulk of my career in Melbourne, so it was wonderful to have the opportunity to come back to ANU as DVCRI. Being able to lead the research activities at Australia's leading research-intensive university has been an absolute privilege," he said. 

Since 2019, apart from helping ANU navigate its way through the pandemic, hailstorms and smoke, Professor Nugent has overseen the implementation of the new ANU PhD as well as new capabilities, systems and policies that have enabled significant growth and diversification in research income (increasing ANU research income to $408m in 2022 from $335m in 2019) and helped cement ANU as a great partner with which to commercialise new ideas.  

"It has been a pleasure to have contributed to helping ANU adapt to the modern patterns of research funding, and in helping to diversify research income, ensuring the excellent ideas at ANU are translated effectively," Professor Nugent said.  

"I'm pleased to have articulated clear research targets for the university that are driving performance and to have supported up-and-coming researchers at ANU by putting in place systems that provide guidance on research expectations and help boost their careers." 

Professor Emma Schultz, Associate Dean (Research), College of Business and Economics, thanked Professor Nugent for his research leadership during an exceptionally challenging few years for the University. 

"Leadership is not about being distant and unapproachable; it's about being accessible and engaging," Professor Schultz said. 

"Throughout his tenure as DVCRI, Keith has made himself available and approachable to the ANU community, used his own research experience to offer advice, worked to foster cross-disciplinary relationships and, ultimately, bring the university together through the resultant research agendas. I am grateful for all Keith's work in this regard."  

Roxanne Missingham, University Librarian and Chief Scholarly Information Officer said that Professor Nugent "has been a pleasure to work with. I have always enjoyed our conversation and Keith's insights have been extremely helpful. He always seemed extremely calm and clear in direction, which is no mean feat, and I look forward to enjoying working with him over the coming months." 

Professor Nugent would like, among other things, to continue his research in physics at ANU and will remain closely connected to the University. 

"After 11 years in a DVCR role, both at La Trobe and ANU, the time is right to do something else. I'm looking forward to having more time to do new and different things," he said. 

Professor Nugent's last day as DVCRI will be 21 January 2024.