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Meet Inverness College UHI’s new principal and chief executive

Professor Chris O'Neil is currently head of Gray's School of Art at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Picture by Kenny Elrick.
Professor Chris O'Neil is currently head of Gray's School of Art at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Picture by Kenny Elrick.

A globe-trotting academic with a passion for photography has been named as Inverness College UHI’s new principal and chief executive.

Professor Chris O’Neil is currently head of Gray’s School of Art at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

He will replace Diane Rawlinson who is moving to a new role of vice principal of further education at the UHI.

Professor O’Neil was raised in Wales. He studied fine art, aesthetics and philosophy at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff, the University of the Arts in London and the Royal College of Art.

He began teaching art history, English and maths at South Thames College and Wandsworth and Belmarsh prisons before becoming a head of department at the University of the Creative Arts.

A professorship in design and medias took him to Savannah College of Art and Design in the US.

Professor O’Neil, 52, returned to Wales as the head of Cardiff School of Art and Design at UWIC.

While working with the Welsh Assembly, he was made an executive council member of the Arts Council of Wales.

Delighted with his new role, he said: “Scottish education is in a particularly exciting and interesting place, it’s very progressive.

“The values that I believe in, in terms of education – social development, social justice, engagement, opportunity and so on – are protected in Scotland. There’s something about the Scottish attitude towards its own society that I think is admirable.”

Neil Stewart, chairman of the board of management at Inverness College UHI, said: “We were hugely impressed with the calibre of candidates from across the further and higher education sector around the UK.

“Professor O’Neil’s experience and vision make him the ideal person to lead us through the next exciting phase of development.”

Inverness College UHI accommodates more than 6,500 students. It relocated to a new multimillion-pound facility at the Inverness Campus in 2015.