Dr Sally Howes OBE has been appointed as Chair of the University of East Anglia (UEA) Council, bringing with her a wealth of experience in strategic roles in the UK space industry.
Council is the University’s governing body and the Chair of Council plays a significant role working with the Vice-Chancellor, the Executive Team and members of Council to ensure the strategic direction of the University and the delivery of high standards of education, research, innovation and civic engagement.
Dr Howes will join the Council on 1 March 2021 and become Chair from 1 August 2021. She takes over from Laura McGillivray MBE, former Chief Executive of Norwich City Council, who has been acting as the interim Chair of Council.
UEA’s Vice-Chancellor David Richardson, said: “Dr Howes brings a wealth of experience to the role and I am very much looking forward to working with her as UEA’s new Chair of Council. I also want to thank Laura McGillivray for all the work she has done, in the most testing of circumstances over the last year as our interim Chair of Council.”
Dr Howes’ career started in software engineering in the space sector, where she was involved in the development of Earth observation and meteorological satellites. She has held a number of non-executive roles including Chair of the UK Space Agency and Chair of Surrey University Research Park.
She was awarded an OBE for services to the UK space industry in 2004. In addition to her non-executive roles Dr Howes’ appointments since 2003 include Director General of the Society of British Aerospace Companies and Director then Member of the Executive Team at the National Audit Office.
She holds a PhD in hydrology from the University of Bristol, and a Master of Arts in geography from the University of Cambridge.
