Les Ebdon
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Leslie Colin Ebdon CBE (born 26 January 1947, Edmonton, London) is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire.
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[edit] Early life
He attended Hemel Hempstead Grammar School (became The Hemel Hempstead School in 1970). Ebdon obtained both his BSc in Chemistry in 1968 and PhD in 1971 at Imperial College London.
[edit] Career
After lecturing at Makerere University, Kampala from 1971-3 and Sheffield City Polytechnic from 1973-80, he joined what is now the University of Plymouth in 1981 as a lecturer in Analytical Chemistry. In 1989 he was promoted to Head of Department of Environmental Sciences an eventually rose to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development), second to Roland Levinsky.
Ebdon's research interests are in environmental analytical chemistry and his various contributions to our understanding of the behaviour and importance of trace elements in the environment have led to over 250 publications and to several awards.
[edit] Other appointments
He is a member of the DTI's Measurement Advisory committee and Chair of a Sub Committee, and he is also a member of the European Union DGXII Certification Working Group, known particularly for his expertise on environmental certified reference materials.
He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Central Science Laboratory of DEFRA. He is currently Chair of Chemistry World Editorial Board and a Member of the Publications Board of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
He is a member of the Structure and Bonding College of the EPSRC and has chaired various EPRC committees and served on many Royal Society of Chemistry, National Environmental Research Committees, Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and DTI Review Groups.
[edit] Vice Chancellor
Ebdon was appointed Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Luton in 2003, repacing Dai John. With the merger of the University and De Montfort's Bedford campus in 2006 he became the Vice Chancellor of the new University of Bedfordshire.
[edit] Proposals
In August 2009 Ebdon, via the think tank "Million +", made the controversial suggestion that students from less wealthy families be allowed entrance to universities based on lower grades. [1]
[edit] Recognition
Ebdon was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.[2]
In 1995 the American Microchemical Society awarded him the Benedetti-Pichler medal for outstanding contributions to microchemistry.
In 1986 he was the Royal Society of Chemistry, Analytical division, School's Lecturer and later in that same year was awarded the 13th SAC Silver Medal by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
[edit] Personal life
He married Judith Thomas in 1970 in Chanctonbury in Horsham, West Sussex. They have two sons and a daughter.
