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Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery Appoints New Director

The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow, has appointed a new Director. Professor David Gaimster PhD, FSA, FMA, will take up the post on 1 September 2010.

Professor Gaimster is currently the General Secretary and Chief Executive of the Society of Antiquaries of London. He was formerly Senior Policy Advisor for Cultural Property at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in London and prior to that, Assistant Keeper in the Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities at the British Museum.

Professor Gaimster is also Visiting Professor of Historical Archaeology in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at Leicester University, a Hon Research Fellow of the Institute of Archaeology, University College London; and Docent in Historical Archaeology at the Department of Cultural Studies, University of Turku, Finland.

He was awarded the Order of Merit by the Society for Historical Archaeology in 2005 and is a Director of the UK National Commission for UNESCO and a member of its Culture Committee. Professor Gaimster is also a Fellow of the Museums Association and of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Professor Gaimster said:

‘I am thrilled to be joining one of the leading university museums in the world at a time of exciting development. University museums are unique and creative centres of innovation and contribute powerfully to the university mission for excellence in research, learning and participation. The best universities have excellent museums and galleries. I hope to make the Hunterian central to the University of Glasgow’s ambition to become one of the best universities in the world.’

Professor Gaimster has published widely on late medieval to early modern European archaeology and domestic material culture and also on international cultural property policy issues.

David Newall, Secretary of Court at the University of Glasgow said:

‘I am delighted to welcome David Gaimster to the University of Glasgow. We have outstanding collections in our care. David brings a wealth of experience which will ensure we continue to maximise use of these collections to the benefit of the University and wider community.’

www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk

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