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UEA alumnus Professor Paul Wellings is a distinguished research and university leader who served as Deputy Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia, and Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University and the University of Wollongong over the period 1999-2021.
After graduating from UEA in 1980, Paul’s research took him to Australia where he was appointed as a population ecologist with CSIRO. There he focused on insect pest management using biological control methods. Over his career he has advised Australian and British governments on aspects of higher education, innovation and research policy.
“I am truly delighted to be awarded an honorary degree by the university which did so much to give me the skills which have shaped my career. At UEA, I was extraordinarily fortunate to have the support of an outstanding PhD supervisor, Professor Tony Dixon, and to work in his laboratory surrounded by so many talented people.”