UTS Chancellor to retire in February

The University of Technology Sydney today announced that UTS Chancellor, Professor Vicki Sara AO, is set to retire in February.

With her trademark warmth, Professor Sara wrote to all UTS staff informing them of her decision to retire in the new year.

"It has been a great privilege to serve as UTS Chancellor since December 2004," Professor Sara said. "To be part of the university's amazing transformation and to be recognised as the highest performing university under 50 years of age in Australia (and among the top 25 globally) is an achievement the likes of which we can all be very proud."

Professor Sara, whose term as Chancellor is due to end next year, has overseen the university's strategic trajectory for the past 11 years as Chair of UTS Council, the university's governing body.

"Vicki has been an outstanding and selfless leader, a true navigator during the university's incredible transformation as Chair of UTS Council, and a passionate architect and driver of our strategic vision," Professor Attila Brungs, Vice-Chancellor at UTS remarked of the Chancellor.

"Being a Chancellor is not an easy role but Vicki's unparalleled generosity of her time given to executing this role is only outweighed by her enormous generosity of spirit."

During her time at UTS Professor Sara has also made a significant contribution to the Australian higher education sector. She twice served as Chair of University Chancellors' Council (most recently 2011-2012), chaired the NSW panel of the Sir John Monash Foundation Scholarship (2011 to 2013), and was Chair of the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication and Technology Advisory Board (UNSW, 2011-2012). Last year Professor Sara was a member of the Prime Minister's Science Awards Committee (2014).

In 2009, Professor Sara was awarded an honorary doctorate from UTS, adding to the countless awards and prizes that have been conferred upon her in Australia and abroad.

The process for selecting and appointing a new Chancellor has yet to be considered by UTS Council – it is anticipated that the process will be determined and commence in October.