Professor West is the Vice-Chancellor and President of Leeds University and was appointed in November 2024. She was formerly the Vice-Chancellor and President of Nottingham, a role she held since 2017.
Under her leadership, the University of Nottingham’s research focus emphasised interdisciplinary collaboration, culture, sustainable transport, and new developments in ultra-high field MRI scanning technologies. She has a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, which helped Nottingham achieve the first institutional Gold Athena Swan award.
Previous roles include Head of the Humanities Division at Oxford, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Sheffield, and Director of Research at the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Professor West is an art historian who has authored and edited many articles and several books. She has various international roles, such as main panel chair for the national research assessment exercise for Humanities in Norway, and member of the University Grants Committee in Hong Kong.
One thing I love about my job is doing good for the world through education, research and innovation. Every day, I am inspired by what colleagues and students achieve, and it is a privilege to lead an institution that makes such a positive difference to society.