THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY. Paul Walton, distinguished senior fellow in the centre for journalism studies at the University of Wales College, Cardiff, has been appointed as the university's first professor of communications.

UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM

The following have been promoted to professorships: Martin Millett, former senior lecturer in archaeology; Ian Shennan, reader in geography; Jas Pal Badyal, lecturer in chemistry.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ENGLAND

Akimasa Kurimoto, strategic development and European special projects manager of Yamazaki Machinery UK Ltd has been appointed a visiting professor.

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Chair of civil engineering: Keith Madelin, country surveyor with Shropshire County council.

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The personal title of professor has been conferred on: Roger Backhouse, reader in the school of social sciences; Richard Batley, reader in development administration, school of public policy; Sarah Bundey, reader in the institute of child health; Jeff Cole, reader in the school of biochemistry; Stuart Croft, senior lecturer in social sciences; Lynn Davies, reader in the school of education; Donald Dawe, reader in the school of civil engineering; Evelyn Ellis, reader in the school of law; Graham Martin, reader, professor of avian sensory science; Elizabeth Robinson, senior lecturer in the school of psychology; Sivasankaran Sashidharan, senior lecturer, chair of community psychiatry; Malcolm Taylor, reader in the CRC institute for cancer studies; Bryan Turner, senior lecturer in anatomy: Barrie Wade, reader in the school of education.

Honorary professorships have been awarded to: Peter Boyle, director of the division of epidemiology and biostatistics at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan; Gill Harrison, Structural Materials Centre, Defence Research Agency; Terry Ingold, independent consulting engineer and editor of Geosynthetics International; Graham Vick, artistic director of the City of Birmingham Touring Opera.

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