The University of Southampton has appointed alumnus Jon Sopel as Pro-Chancellor.
Journalist and broadcaster Jon (BSc Politics and Sociology, 1981) has enjoyed a distinguished career with the BBC and is currently based in Washington DC as its North American Editor.
Jon’s role as Pro-Chancellor will take immediate effect and means he will deputise for Southampton’s Chancellor, Dame Helen Alexander. His responsibilities will include presiding over graduation ceremonies and playing a key ambassadorial role for Southampton in activities linked to the University’s strategy.
Jon said:
I’m very pleased to have been invited by the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, Sir Christopher Snowden, to become Pro-Chancellor. I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a student at Southampton and continue to engage regularly with the University, so I’m very excited by the prospect of representing this world-leading institution more formally as I carry out my duties in the years to come.
Following his graduation from Southampton in 1981, Jon remained at the University as Student Union President. After joining BBC Radio Solent in 1983, he worked his way up at the BBC before landing his current role as North American Editor in 2014.
Jon was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University in 2011. More recently, he has been engaged as a member of the Advisory Committee to Public Policy@Southampton, an institute within the University that supports researchers during the science-to-policy process.
