Following almost thirty-eight years of outstanding service to the University, Derek Sellar has retired from his position as Head Technician at the School of Life Sciences.

Having joined the University in 1979, Derek made his way up through the ranks and was promoted to Senior Technician for Biochemistry, before moving on to become Head Technician, a role which he filled for 21 years.

Derek has played a vital role managing over 30 members of staff through a period of significant change and growth at the University. His work organising Open Days and work experience programmes has inspired hundreds of school children over the years to pursue careers in science by enabling them to gain hands-on experience in a lab environment.

In recent years, Derek has taken enormous pride in supporting his apprentices, watching them grow and develop into valuable members of the technical team.

Chistine Carr, who will take over as Head Technician following Derek's retirement, said: "We’ll really miss having Derek around day-to-day, he's always been so supportive and his door has always been open for advice and guidance.

"We wish him all the best for the future and a long and happy retirement. On behalf of the School, we'd like to thank Derek for his excellent service to the University."

Derek Sellar

First published: 7 September 2017

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