Professor Andy Schofield has been the Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University since May 2020.
He was previously Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Engineering at the University of Birmingham.
He has a background in condensed matter physics specialising in correlated electrons, developing and studying new materials using high precision techniques at low temperatures to understand how emergent properties like superconductivity, magnetism and novel metal behaviour arise.
Professor Schofield studied Natural Sciences followed by a PhD at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge where he was appointed to a Research Fellowship in 1992. He moved to the USA in 1994 working at Rutgers for two years before returning to Cambridge.
In 1997 Professor Schofield was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship to work on theories of non-Fermi liquids. In 1999 Professor Schofield moved to the University of Birmingham and was promoted to Professor of Theoretical Physics in 2002. In that year he won the Institute of Physics’ Maxwell Medal and Prize for work on the emergent properties of correlated electrons. From 2008 Professor Schofield occupied a number of leadership positions within the University of Birmingham before becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor.
Since his appointment to Lancaster University Professor Schofield has taken up the role of Senior Independent Member in the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and sits on the boards of University Academy 92 (UA92), the N8 group of universities, is Chair of EPF and a member of NWBLT. He is an honorary fellow of the Manufacturing Technology Centre and chairs the UK Overseas Campus Network.