Christopher Snowden

Professor Christopher Maxwell Snowden FRS FREng FIET FIEEE FCGI (born 5 March 1956 in Kingston upon Hull) is the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Surrey in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.

Early life

He studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Leeds, gaining a BSc in 1977, an MSc and a PhD in 1982. His PhD involved microwave oscillators for radar applications and semiconductor device modeling. He conducted his PhD research at Racal-MESL Ltd near Edinburgh in Scotland as well as at the University of Leeds.^[1]

Career

He was an Applications Engineer for Mullard Applications Laboratory from 1977-8. He lectured at the Dept of Electronics in the University of York from 1982-3. From 1983-2005 he was a member of staff at the University of Leeds, his former alma mater, working in the Dept of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, becoming Professor of Microwave Engineering in 1992 until 2005. He was Head of the school from 1995-8 and for a while was warden of Bodington Hall. Whilst at Leeds he was a founder of the Institute of Microwave and Photonics. He supervised 50 successful PhD students. He has also worked at M/A-COM in the US from 1989-91 as Senior Staff Scientist in the Corporate Research and Development Centre, based just outside Boston.

In 1998 he was appointed to the Board of Filtronic plc as Executive Director of Technology, where he initiated the Global Technology Group. He was subsequently appointed Joint Chief Executive Officer of Filtronic plc in 1999. As the company grew in 2001 he became Chief Executive Officer of Filtronic ICS, responsible for compound semiconductor business and fabrication facilities in the UK and US (including the world’s largest 150mm gallium arsenide wafer facility at that time), defense businesses in the UK and US, module assembly and point-point microwave transceiver businesses.^[2]

In 2005 he was appointed Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Surrey.

In his research career he has published over 300 technical papers and written 8 books including * Introduction to Semiconductor Device Modelling. World Scientific Pub Co Inc. 1998. ISBN 9789971501426.  (World Scientific in English and Japanese). He has acted as editor for 4 journals and 3 special issues as well as the EEE Wiley book series. He has given over 70 keynote invited and plenary lectures. He has chaired a number of major international conferences including the 2006 European Microwave Conference.^[3]

He has held a number of consultancy positions including positions with General Electric (US), M/A-Com inc (US), Filtronic Comtek, Lucas-Variety (UK), Filtronic plc and Diamond Microwave Devices Ltd (UK). He was also a Visiting Professor at Durham until 2005 and a Visiting Scientist at the Delft University of Technology from 1996-98.

Career at University of Surrey

On 1 July 2005, Professor Snowden became the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey, succeeding Professor Patrick J Dowling. As Vice-Chancellor he is responsible for leading the University's new strategy.

The University is now structured in to four Faculties in Engineering and Physical Sciences, Arts and Human Sciences, Health and Medical Sciences and Management and Law. Its Guilford campus in rural Surrey in the UK has over 15,000 students and the Surrey International Institute at Dalian in China (which is venture with DUFE) has over 1000 students studying for Surrey degrees. Since 2005 the University has forged partnerships and links with California Institute of Technology (where Professor Snowden was a Visiting Member of Staff in 1987), North Carolina State University, São Paulo, UCLA, Beijing, Nanjing and Soeul National University. The entrance standards at the university have risen 25% since 2005 and applications have risen nearly 80% over the last five years. Surrey was awarded the 2006 THES Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology sponsored by Toshiba. It has invested nearly £36 million in anew world-class sports park on its Guildford campus which opens in April 2010. The University recently sold its satellite technology business SSTL for close to £50m cash whilst retaining continuing relationship with the University’s Space Research Centre, which was a record for a cash spin-out from a UK university.^[4]

Fellowships, Memberships and Societies

Professor Snowden was President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) (2009–10).^[5] He is Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Engineering where he Chairs the Academy’s Engineering Policy Committee.^[6]

He is a member of the governing bodies of the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)^[7] and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB).

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the IEEE and the City and Guilds of London Institute.^[8]

He has been a member of Foresight Committee panels on Communications and Media, and Exploitation of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. He was a member of the UK’s National Advisory Committee on Electronic Materials 2002-7. He was a member of the supervisory board of the Electromagnetic Remote Sensing Defense Technology Centre form 2002-5. He has appeared before the UK’s House of Commons Select Committee on several occasions.

He was Chairman of the Daphne Jackson Trust from 2005 to 2009 and is now a patron of the Trust.^[9] He is a patron Surrey Youth Focus. He is a Governor of the Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

He has been a non-executive director of companies such as Intense Ltd, CENAMPS Ltd., SSTL. He was a Board member of the European Microwave Association from 2003-7, where he was also Vice-Chair for a period. He was Chair of HERO Ltd from 2006-9 and a Member of the governing board of the Engineering Technology Board from 2007-9. He is currently a board member of Universities UK (UUK) and Chairs their Employability, Business and Industry policy committee. He is a member of the South East England Science, Engineering and Technology Advisory Council (SESETAC)^[10] and a member of the Council of Industry and Higher Education (CIHE).^[11]

Honours and awards

He was awarded the IEEE Microwave Prize in 1999 and the IEEE Distinguished Educator Award in 2009 by the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society.^[12]

The Royal Academy of Engineering awarded him their Silver Medal for ‘Outstanding personal contributions to the UK microwave semiconductor industry’ in 2004.^[13]

Between 1998 and 2005 he was a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Electron Devices Society.

In 2003 he was invited by HRH The Queen to Buckingham Palace for the Pioneer Reception recognizing his contributions to communication technology.

Personal life

He married Irena Lewandowska in 1993. They have two sons (born March 1994 and August 1996).

External links

• Vice-Chancellor's Office – University of Surrey
• EPSRC
• 1999 Microwave Prize at the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society

References

1. ^ Biographical details from the EPSRC website
2. ^ News Story from Filtronic's website
3. ^ European Microwave Week 2006 programme
4. ^ [1] Details taken from University of Surrey website
5. ^ IET Website
6. ^ RAeng website
7. ^ EPSRC Press Release
8. ^ Biographical details on EPSRC website
9. ^ Charity Commission website
10. ^ SESETAC Membership
11. ^ CIHE Council Members
12. ^ IET press release
13. ^ RAeng press release

News items

• Announcement of becoming the Vice-Chancellor in July 2004
• Independent August 1999

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Name	Snowdon, Christopher
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Date of birth	5 March 1956
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