Two female lecturers appointed to share Dean role in a double first for the Royal Agricultural University

17 January 2025

Two associate professors have joined forces to share the role of Dean of Agricultural Science and Practice at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU).

Dr Cassie Newland and Dr Karen Rial Lovera were originally asked up to act to the position at the end of last year when the previous Dean left the University but have now been officially appointed to the position.

The novel job share is a first for the University which has not previously had a female Dean of agriculture - let alone two sharing the position!

Cassie said: “Karen and I initially took on the role as an interim measure and we split the role between staff facing and student facing responsibilities. We shared an office so we could easily keep each other in the loop and we found it was a really good way of working. 

“We enjoyed it so much that, when the RAU advertised to recruit a permanent Dean, we approached HR with a job-share suggestion. The few months we had spent in the interim role had worked so well – for both us and the University – that the RAU was happy that a job share was not only possible but highly desirable and we were encouraged to apply.”

The pair, who were both existing lecturers at the Cirencester-based university, underwent several rounds of interviews – some individually and some together – before being offered the permanent position.

Karen – who, at 35, is also the youngest Dean the University has ever had - is an RAU alumnus having completed her PhD at the RAU. She added: “Having this shared role really appealed to us both as it meant that we could each have a great balance between our research and teaching responsibilities, while also having the opportunity to take on a senior management role.

“This is an exciting time at the RAU. Our Agricultural Science and Practice team is in a unique position, with extensive agricultural, environmental, and equine networks, national and international partnerships, and a focus on applied research, and I look forward to further developing these strengths to maximise our impact.

“I want to continue to enhance learning, teaching, and the overall student experience at the RAU, as well as ensuring our programmes remain cutting-edge, research-informed, and designed to equip students with the skills needed to pursue impactful careers.”

In their new positions as Co-Deans, Cassie and Karen will work alongside Professor Duncan Westbury, the University’s existing Dean of Land and Property Management, and all three work closely with Professor David Main, the RAU’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academic Planning and Resources, who heads up teaching at the Cirencester-based university.

David said: “I am delighted that Karen and Cassie have secured the Co-Dean position. Job sharing such a senior management role is an excellent way for Karen and Cassie to maintain their research interests alongside management responsibilities. 

“Cassie and Karen have obvious leadership skills that we value and it’s great they can act as a role model for our aspiring academics who want to juggle academic and leadership roles.”

Cassie added: “It works really well! Karen and I can easily cover for each other to manage holidays, and other outside commitments, and we can, quite literally, be in two places at once if we have a meeting clash!

“One big advantage of sharing the role is that we can both keep up our own research and much-valued teaching activities in a way that would be much more difficult if the Dean responsibilities were full time.

“We want to deliver a great student experience at the RAU and support our colleagues’ research and teaching careers. Expanding our transnational education offer is high on our agenda and we are currently training the next generation of sustainable agriculture students in our partner institutions in China, the UAE, and Uzbekistan. 

“We are also keen to generate new knowledge through the RAU’s world-leading research, and to share this as impactfully as possible, whether this be through policy development, industry-facing CPD courses, or Knowledge Exchange events. With sustainable food and agriculture so important for all our futures, this new role feels like quite a big - and exciting - responsibility.”