Halliday Named ESF President

Ian Halliday, former chief executive of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council in Swindon, UK, has been chosen to become president of the European Science Foundation. His role there will include chairing meetings of the ESF’s governing council, setting agendas, and conferring with member organizations around Europe.

Halliday also began a new post 1 October as chief executive of the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, where he will work to develop a partnership between the physics departments of six Scottish universities that do physics research, including Glasgow, St. Andrews, Paisley, Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt, and Edinburgh.

Following Halliday’s recommendation as ESF president by a search committee comprising leading figures from Europe’s scientific community, in November the ESF’s governing council will propose to the annual assembly of member organizations that Halliday be appointed president for a three-year term starting 1 January 2006. He will succeed Reinder van Duinen, who served as president for the past six years.