Award-winning NMITE chief to quit next month
10 Aug 2022
The high-profile president and chief executive of NMITE, the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering in Hereford, Elena Rodriguez-Falcon, is stepping down from the post after five years.
She moves to the University of Wales Trinity St David where she will be Deputy Vice Chancellor and will be succeeded in both her present roles by the current chief operating officer, James Newby, who takes over in September.
Chairman of the NMITE board of trustees, Terence Jagger thanked the outgoing chief executive for her work.
He added: “We are very sad to see Elena go… She has been a brilliant leader and has inspired many of our students and we wish her nothing but the best in her new role.
Hereford-based NMITE has quickly established a reputation for challenging traditional approaches to STEM higher education teaching. As early as 2015 it declared its intention to combat the gender imbalance in engineering by aiming to achieve parity between male and female staff and students.
It has also criticised the focus on STEM A-level results for entrants at the expense of creativity. Earlier this year, Rodriguez-Falcon was honoured by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) with inclusion in its Impact list of engineering influencers past and present.
“Whilst it is always challenging to replace a strong leader, we are looking forward to welcoming James into his new role and know he will continue to drive NMITE forward with the same passion and dedication he has shown already,” added Jagger.
