Last week Flinders University bade a fond farewell to the College of Science and Engineering Vice-President and Executive Dean Professor John Beynon upon his retirement.
Professor Beynon commenced his role with Flinders University in July 2016 and has steered the College through an exciting and formative two-year period.
Milestones for the College during his tenure included the establishment of the Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation Hub, important new defence partnerships and cutting-edge autonomous vehicle trials.
In 2017 the College of Science and Engineering contributed to a number of impressive rankings for Flinders, with the University:
- ranked the Number one South Australian university in undergraduate science and mathematics (for overall quality of educational experience, engaged learning, learning resources and skills development
- ranked the Number one South Australian university for undergraduate computing and information systems (for good teaching practice)
- highly-rated (compared to the national average) for its undergraduate engineering degrees (all rankings from Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching [QILT], 2017)
Professor Beynon’s career was celebrated at an afternoon tea at Alere Function Centre last week, with friends, family and colleagues including Chancellor Stephen Gerlach AM, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students) Professor Clare Pollock, and Vice President, Corporate Services Mark Gregory gathering to congratulate him on his many achievements.
Born on the UK’s Isle of Man, Professor Beynon has forged an outstanding career as a university administrator and leading academic in the field of engineering and metallurgy, both in the UK and Australia.
His sterling resume includes being listed in Engineers Australia’s Top 100 Most Influential Engineers in Australia for 2011-2015, and being awarded the Bessemer Gold Medal in the UK (2015) for services to the steel industry.
Professor Ian Menz, the College’s Dean (People and Resources), will act as Interim Vice-President and Executive Dean until the University’s recruitment process for this important role is complete.