An Aberdeen University academic has followed in the footsteps of some of Scotland’s most celebrated figures as the president of the country’s foremost scientific body.
Dame Anne Glover has been elected as the new president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE).
Past holders of that lofty title include novelist Sir Walter Scott and lighthouse pioneer Thomas Stevenson.
Dame Anne is only the second woman to assume the role, following her predecessor Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a Northern Irish astrophysicist.
The RSE carried out an “extensive” period of consultation with its fellowship before deciding on its new leader.
Dame Anne will be confirmed at the group’s annual meeting in October, and she will serve for three years from next April.
She said: “It is an honour to be elected President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and to be taking over from Dame Jocelyn, who has worked tirelessly for the benefit of the RSE, academia and Scottish society.
“The RSE has an important role to play in Scotland, the UK and internationally, and it will be a privilege to be leading these activities for the next three years.”
The 61-year-old joined Aberdeen University in 1983 and pursued a distinguished career in microbiology.
She was professor of molecular biology and cell biology at the institute, as the prelude to being named vice-principal and dean for Europe.
While on secondment from the University, Dame Anne was appointed the first Chief Scientific Adviser to Scotland, a post she held from 2006 to 2011.
She subsequently acted as the first chief scientific adviser to the president of the European Commission from 2012 to 2014.
She rejoined Aberdeen University in June, 2015, to take up her vice-principal role, following a period of sabbatical at the Robert Bosch Stiftung in Berlin.
Dame Jocelyn spoke of her happiness at being able to pass on the torch to such a distinguished colleague.
She added: “I am delighted to be handing over the Presidency of the Royal Society of Edinburgh to Professor Dame Anne Glover.
“Her experience as chief scientific adviser to both the Scottish Government and the Europe Commission will be invaluable to the RSE, as will her commitment to academia and innovation.”
In the 2009 New Year Honours, Dame Anne was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire “for services to environmental science”.
She received an honorary doctorate from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University in 2013.
And, in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours, she was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in further recognition of her impressive scientific endeavours.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s national academy of science and letters, was established in 1783 and has more than 1,660 fellows.
Its main purpose is promoting original research in Scotland.
