Les Ebdon

Professor Les Ebdon is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire.

Ebdon obtained both his BSc and PhD at Imperial College, London. After lecturing at Makerere University, Kampala and Sheffield City Polytechnic, he joined what is now the University of Plymouth in 1981 as a lecturer in Analytical Chemistry. In 1989 he was promoted to Head of Department of Environmental Sciences an eventually rose to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development).

Ebdon was appointed Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Luton in 2003. With the merger of the University and De Montfort's Bedford campus in 2006 he became the Vice Chancellor of the new University of Bedfordshire.

Ebdon's research interests are in environmental analytical chemistry and his various contributions to our understanding of the behaviour and importance of trace elements in the environment have led to over 250 publications and to several awards.

In 1986 he was the Royal Society of Chemistry, Analytical division, School's Lecturer and later in that same year was awarded the 13th SAC Silver Medal by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

In 1995 the American Microchemical Society awarded him the Benedetti-Pichler medal for outstanding contributions to microchemistry.

He is a member of the DTI's Measurement Advisory committee and Chair of a Sub Committee, and he is also a member of the European Union DGXII Certification Working Group, known particularly for his expertise on environmental certified reference materials.

He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Central Science Laboratory of DEFRA.

He is currently Chair of Chemistry World Editorial Board and a Member of the Publications Board of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

He is a member of the Structure and Bonding College of the EPSRC and has chaired various EPRC committees and served on many Royal Society of Chemistry, National Environmental Research Committees, Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and DTI Review Groups.