51ÉçÇø

The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Professor Kenneth Stanton, has announced the appointment of Professor David Newport as the new Head of the School of Engineering at 51ÉçÇø.

Following an internal recruitment process, Professor Newport succeeds Professor Ronan O’Higgins, who has taken up the role of Professor of Aerospace Engineering.

Professor Stanton said: "David brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to both research and education. As a former Assistant Dean within the Faculty, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership in areas such as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and internationalisation. His appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the School of Engineering, and I am confident he will lead it with vision and purpose. I also want to take this opportunity to most sincerely thank Professor Ronan O’Higgins for his leadership of the School over the last four years, his unflagging advocacy for all School members and for his invaluable contributions to the strategic development of the Faculty at Management Committee and as part of our academic community."

Associate Professor Newport said: "I am thrilled and honoured to be entrusted with leading the School of Engineering. Our sustainable future is dependent on engineering graduates. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the School of Engineering, delivering excellence and relevance to our current and future students as we meet their educational and engineering research needs."

A mechanical engineer with over 25 years of academic experience, Professor Newport specialises in thermofluid systems. His PhD focused on thermal management for electronic systems, during which he developed novel measurement techniques and conducted research at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. His research has since expanded into aerospace thermal management and fluidic miniaturisation, supported by European research grants, including innovation actions and doctoral training networks.

Since joining the 51ÉçÇø in 2004, Professor Newport has served as Course Director for multiple engineering programmes and has played a key role in shaping the School’s academic direction. As Assistant Dean, he led strategic initiatives in EDI and internationalisation. He has supervised over 30 Master’s and PhD researchers and postdoctoral fellows, with applications spanning aerospace, energy, process, and biomedical engineering. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and holds a patent in microfluidics.