We are delighted to announce that Professor Nigel Peake has been elected as the next Master of Darwin College. Nigel will succeed the current Master, Dr Mike Rands, on 1st October this year.
A Professor of Applied Mathematics, and Professorial Fellow at Emmanuel College, Nigel is currently Head of the School of the Physical Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He previously led the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics & Its Applications. His research interests explore wave motion, particularly as applied to acoustics and aerodynamics.
Nigel said:
“I feel hugely honoured and immensely excited to have been elected as the next Master of Darwin. The College is a remarkable and very special place, and I am so looking forward to working with the whole community of Fellows, staff, students and alumni over the coming years.’’
Originally from Lancashire, Nigel completed his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Mathematics at Cambridge, before being appointed as a Fellow at Emmanuel in 1990. He is married to Sarah, and they have five children.
Nigel’s election is the result of an extensive recruitment process spanning the entire College community. We are grateful for the interest shown in Darwin by a fascinating diversity of highly able candidates, and for their willingness to engage with students, staff and Fellows in developing their understanding of the role.
“It’s been wonderfully affirming to see the College community – Fellows, staff and students – fully engaged in the process of meeting the candidates and offering their views on the role and responsibilities of the new Master,” said Darwin Fellow Professor John Nilsson-Wright, who led the selection committee alongside Vice-Master Professor Angela Wood.
“We are delighted with the final choice and looking forward immensely to welcoming Nigel to Darwin as our next head of house.”
Professor Angela Wood said:
“It has been rewarding to be involved in a process that has drawn on the views and perspectives from across the Darwin community. We are delighted to have elected someone who brings such a strong combination of skills and experience, and who impressed us throughout the process with his thoughtful approach and clear commitment to the College. We very much look forward to the next phase of Darwin’s future under Nigel’s leadership.”
