Ian Walmsley to step down as Provost after seven years
Professor Ian Walmsley is stepping down from his role as Provost in September 2025. He will move on from the role after seven years at Imperial.
Walmsley became Imperial's second Provost in September 2018, succeeding Professor James Stirling. He joined Imperial after working at the University of Oxford as their Pro-Vice-Chancellor, a role Walmsley himself described as having "a very different structure," to that of Provost in an interview with Felix in October 2018.
Prior to his work in the higher education sector, Professor Walmsley, an Imperial alum who graduated with a first-class degree with honours in Physics, was a leading expert in the field of photonics. He has worked across several leading universities, most notably the University of Oxford and is Imperial's Chair in Experimental Physics.
During his tenure as Provost, Walmsley introduced several new ventures and schemes such as I-X, Imperial's strategic Artificial Intelligence vehicle, and Provosts Visiting Professor scheme, allowing ethnic minority and female professors to research at Imperial.
His time at Imperial was met with several challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, and on developing Imperial's Academic Strategy.
Professor Walmsley described his time at Imperial as: "some of my most formative learning experiences, both as a scientist and an academic leader. It has been a privilege to have been part of this exceptional community."
Imperial President Hugh Brady said, "On a personal level, I am extremely grateful to Ian for all his support and advice. Since the day I joined Imperial, I have benefitted from his wisdom, advice and invaluable knowledge of our community", in an email to staff announcing Walmsley's departure.
Walmsley's successor is yet to be confirmed, with recruitment firm Perrett Laver tasked with a "global search" to fill the role.
