Rachel Thomson

Professor Rachel Thomson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of Loughborough University, where she holds a dual role as Professor of Materials Engineering. She joined Loughborough in 1995 after completing her Natural Sciences degree, PhD, and Research Fellowship at Cambridge University. Previously, she served as Head of the Department of Materials and Dean of the School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering, followed by Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience).

Education:

• BA in Natural Sciences, Cambridge University
• MA, Cambridge University
• PhD in Materials Engineering, Cambridge University
• Research Fellowship in Materials Engineering, Cambridge University

Research Focus: Professor Thomson specializes in Materials Engineering with strong emphasis on pedagogical innovation. Her work spans curriculum design for engineering programs, development of teaching infrastructure, and student competency frameworks. She actively integrates practical engineering education with institutional strategy.

Leadership Initiatives: She has spearheaded transformative university projects including:

• STEMLab (£17M science/engineering teaching facility)
• Loughborough's Digital Strategy for Teaching and Learning
• Personal Best student skills development program

Academic Mentoring: Has supervised over 40 doctoral students to completion, emphasizing engineering pedagogy and materials research.

Honors:

• Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
• Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering