UOW appoints new Deputy Vice-Chancellor
UOW appoints leading scientist Professor Alan Rowan as Deputy Vice-Chancellor to drive research and innovation.
The University of Wollongong (UOW) has announced the appointment of internationally renowned research leader Professor Alan Rowan as its next Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation), following an extensive global search.
Currently based at the University of Queensland (UQ), Professor Rowan is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow.
He serves as Executive Institute Director of UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), where he leads over 500 researchers and has helped drive the university’s research strategy, partnerships, and innovation agenda.
The appointment comes during a time of restructuring at UOW, including a reduction of staffing by just under 100 full-time roles, delivering $15.8m in annual savings.
Before joining UQ in 2016, Professor Rowan spent two decades at Radboud University, Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, where he rose to Professor and Head of the Department of Molecular Materials.
His research there explored the relationships between molecular structure, self-assembly and function.
A graduate of the University of Liverpool, where he earned both his Bachelor of Science (Honours) and PhD, Professor Rowan’s research bridges chemistry, materials science and biology.
His work focuses on biomimetic hydrogels, regenerative medicine, extracellular matrices, and nanotechnology, with applications spanning from wound healing to tissue engineering. He has published more than 380 scholarly works and supervised over 50 PhD students across his career.
UOW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Max Lu said that Professor Rowan will support the university in delivering research with impact.
“Professor Rowan brings both scientific distinction and an inclusive, collaborative approach to research leadership,” Professor Lu said.
“His commitment to people, mentorship and shared ambition will be instrumental as we deliver a research strategy with real-world impact.”
Professor Rowan will join UOW’s University Executive Board and begin his new role in January 2026.
Every cent of support received by The Pulse Illawarra is reinvested in our journalism, and we have ambitions for the type of reporting we believe the Illawarra deserves.
If you’re not yet a paid subscriber. Now is the time to get on board. Your investment will directly fund quality local journalism.