Brigid Heywood

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Brigid Heywood
Born
Alma mater
Academic career
Institutions
Thesis A study of the ultrastructural localization of calcium in the developing odontoblasts of the rat incisor

Brigid R. Heywood [1] (born 1956 or 1957) [2] is a British/Australian academic and biological scientist, [3] who was Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England (UNE) in Australia from 2019 until she resigned after criminal charges were laid against her in 2022. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Heywood is a native of Hull in Northern England. [4] [5] [6] She received a Bachelor of Science degree with honours in biological sciences from the University of Manchester in 1979 [7] and a PhD focused on biomineralisation [8] from the University of Liverpool in 1984. [9]

Academic career

Although she did not have a chemistry degree, Heywood was appointed a professor of chemistry on the strength of her research credentials in 1996 to a personal Chair in Inorganic Materials Chemistry at Keele University in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. [3] [5] [10] [11] She held academic leadership positions as Head of the Chemistry Department (1997–99), Head of the School of Chemistry and Physics (1999-02) and Director of the Office of Research and Enterprise at Keele University from 2003–2005. [12]

Heywood was then appointed Professor of Chemistry at The Open University from 2005-2011. [10] She served as Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Massey University, New Zealand in 2011, [13] [12] and later Assistant Vice-Chancellor Research, Academic and Enterprise from 2013–2015. She was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Tasmania [14] prior to her appointment in 2019 as the 14th Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England (UNE), Australia. [15] [16] [17] [18]

Resignation and Assault Trial

Heywood resigned from her role as Vice Chancellor after she was formally charged with allegedly assaulting a teenage schoolgirl at a club in Armidale on 8 March 2022. [19] [20] [2] University of New England accepted her resignation in August 2022.

The trial commenced in May 2025, with Heywood due to face charges of common assault and offensive behaviour. However, before the trial commenced the prosecution agreed to drop the charge of common assault after Heywood agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of offensive behaviour. The court heard that at an International Women's Day event in 2022, a 15 year old girl had her picture taken with then Vice Chancellor Heywood. Later during the event Heywood approached the girl and stated, "Oh really, I didn't realise you were brown". She then proceeded to lick her finger and wipe it on the girl's face. Despite the guilty plea, Magistrate Michael Holmes chose to not record a conviction against Heywood. In his remarks Magistrate Holmes described her behaviour as "foolish" and "lacking a good sense of judgement". However, he was ultimately persuaded by defence councillor Simon Buchan SC that the conduct amounted to "a bizarre and momentary aberration from a life of exemplary service". [21]

Scholarly contribution

The Guardian newspaper summarises her substantive scholarly focus and contribution as follows: "her research career developed out of the discipline transition from applied biological sciences to materials chemistry fostered by an initial interest in the controlled growth of inorganic crystals in biological systems, biomineralisation. Subsequently, the application of crystal science to issues ranging from normal and dystrophic mineralisation processes, structure-function relationships in inorganic materials, the development of novel strategies to control crystal formation and the formation of novel, functional inorganic-organic hybrids for drug delivery have evolved as key research topics within her multidisciplinary research programme". [10]

In March 2021, Heywood had 72 documents listed in Scopus, with an h index of 33 and 5273 citations. [22]

Selected publications

Statutory and board appointments

In 2020, Heywood was appointed to the New South Wales (NSW) Innovation and Productivity Council of the NSW Treasury [23] This appointment was made by the Governor of NSW for a three-year term. [23]

On 28 September 2021, she was appointed as a member of the Risk & Audit Committee of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), the home of Australia’s most significant landmark and national infrastructure for research. Heywood's term is scheduled to conclude on 27 September 2025. [7]

Personal life

In 2020, it was reported that Heywood "and her husband enjoy living in New Zealand (where they still own a house) and Australia"; they are often visited by extended family members. [3] [24]

At Armidale Local Court on 26 September 2022, a not guilty plea was entered on behalf of Heywood to charges relating to "common assault and offensive behaviour near a public place or school" on 8 March 2022. [2] The next scheduled court date was 14 November. [25] Heywood did not appear, so the matter was adjourned until 4 July 2023 for a three-day hearing, [26] [27] [28] which Heywood attended and pleaded not guilty. The case was adjourned until 14 July 2023, when Heywood's lawyer was scheduled to appear via video link, to determine whether a further hearing is necessary. [29] The case was postponed until March 2025 and finalised by a different magistrate. [30] [31] [32]

References

  1. "Author: Heywood, BR (Professor Brigid Heywood)".
  2. 1 2 3 4 https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/university-of-new-england-vicechancellor-brigid-heywood-charged-with-teen-assault/news-story/11efca6fb8c8040fd8c01127a017c53d [ bare URL ]
  3. 1 2 3 "'Only girl standing' has no time for quotas ← SIAN POWELL".
  4. "Leadership Matters with Brigid Heywood".
  5. 1 2 Powell, Sian (31 March 2020). "University of New English vice-chancellor Brigid Heywood has forged her own path". www.theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. Fuller, Nicholas (6 September 2019). "UNE vice-chancellor Brigid Heywood discusses her career in science and academe". The Armidale Express. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Professor Brigid Heywood | ANSTO".
  8. Heywood, B. R. (1984). A study of the ultrastructural localization of calcium in the developing odontoblasts of the rat incisor (Ph.D. thesis). University of Liverpool.
  9. "Professor Brigid Heywood | ANSTO". www.ansto.gov.au. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 The Guardian (12 April 2010). "Edgeless University – at the table – Brigid Heywood". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 October 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  11. "Innovation Nation: an agenda rich with opportunity". Inspiring Tasmania. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  12. 1 2 Fuller, Nicholas (6 September 2019). "Science and serendipity: UNE vice-chancellor Brigid Heywood's journey". The Armidale Express. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  13. Massey University (1 February 2011). "New research head welcomed – Massey University". www.massey.ac.nz. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  14. Australasian Research Management Society. "The Australasian Research Management Society 2018 Conference Keynote Speakers – Professor Brigid Heywood". Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  15. University of New England (18 April 2019). "Professor Brigid Heywood appointed as next Vice-Chancellor of UNE". www.une.edu.au. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  16. Fuller, Nicholas (28 December 2019). "2019 in review: Vice-Chancellor Brigid Heywood (UNE)". The Northern Daily Leader. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  17. Fuller, Nicholas (4 September 2019). "Fresh perspective for vice chancellor". The Northern Daily Leader. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  18. University of New England. "UNE Executive Vice-Chancellor and CEO". www.une.edu.au. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  19. "University of New England vice-chancellor Brigid Heywood charged with teen assault".
  20. Alexander, Daniella White, Harriet (5 August 2022). "University of New England vice chancellor resigns after schoolgirl assault charge". The Sydney Morning Herald.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. "Former vice chancellor's bid to hush offensive behaviour sentence fails". ABC News. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  22. Scopus (8 March 2021). "Brigid Heywood Scopus Author Page – Scopus identifier 7004824069". Scopus® Elsevier. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  23. 1 2 New South Wales Government – NSW Treasury (4 February 2021). "Our members – NSW Innovation and Productivity Council". www.treasury.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  24. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/university-of-new-english-vicechancellor-brigid-heywood-forged-her-own-path/news-story/8843944fb502b81e760e7d5a524144df [ bare URL ]
  25. "Former University of New England vice-chancellor pleads not guilty to assault charge". the Guardian. 26 September 2022.
  26. "Former university vice chancellor not in court as assault case adjourned". The Armidale Express. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  27. "Date set for former vice chancellor's assault hearing". The Armidale Express. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  28. Burge, Michael (5 July 2023). "Magistrate in assault case against former University of New England vice-chancellor showed 'lack of objectivity', court told". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  29. "Brigid Heywood's three day hearing wraps up". NBN News. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  30. https://www.armidaleexpress.com.au/story/8814751/brigid-heywoods-new-hearing-date-for-assault-charges/
  31. https://www.netimes.com.au/2024/08/21/heywood-to-have-care-re-heard-by-different-magistrate/
  32. "Former vice chancellor's bid to hush offensive behaviour sentence fails". ABC News. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.