Uni of Adelaide appoints former Governor as 16th Chancellor

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

The University of Adelaide Council today announced the appointment of former Governor of South Australia, Rear Admiral the Honourable Kevin Scarce AC CSC RAN (Rtd), as its 16th Chancellor commencing on 1 December 2014.

Deputy Chancellor Ms Dianne Davidson confirmed that Rear Admiral Scarce will succeed the Honourable Robert Hill AC who retired from the position of Chancellor in July 2014.

Ms Davidson said that the Council was delighted to welcome Rear Admiral Scarce as the University realises a transformative strategic agenda and Australia's higher education sector faces unprecedented reform.

"Rear Admiral Scarce joins the University of Adelaide at a critical time," said Ms Davidson. "He has been a great supporter of the University of Adelaide for many years and he offers a unique set of experiences and insights to lead our Council going forward.

"He has a long history of working productively with both local industry and the State Government and, most importantly, he shares wholeheartedly our vision to become Australia's most distinctive university and to firmly reinforce our reputation as the State's leading research-intensive institution," she said.

The Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Warren Bebbington, echoed the Deputy-Chancellor's endorsement: "Rear Admiral Scarce is held in such high regard, not only here in South Australia, but far beyond our borders. He brings to the table first-hand appreciation of the pivotal juncture between governance and management - we're incredibly fortunate to welcome him as the University's 16th Chancellor.

"Most recently, he has been generous in supporting our quest to lift the educational aspirations of disadvantaged students in South Australia," said Professor Bebbington. "His values and focus are clearly much aligned to what we aim to achieve at the University in the coming years."

The incoming Chancellor said he was looking forward to commencing at the University: "I am eager to start working with members of council, the vice-chancellor and executive team," said Rear Admiral Scarce. "I have enormous admiration for the work undertaken by the University of Adelaide, from the cutting-edge research and commercialisation opportunities to the education of our best and brightest students.

"The University of Adelaide is an integral part of South Australia's identity and delivers in so many ways to the State's economy and future prosperity. I am looking forward to driving an even closer relationship with the community, especially with business. In my capacity as Chancellor, I'm honoured to oversee the governance and be part of a new era of excellence for the University."

Rear Admiral the Honourable Kevin Scarce AC CSC RAN (Rtd) - Biography

Born in Adelaide and educated at Elizabeth East Primary School and Elizabeth High School, Rear Admiral Scarce was the 34th Governor of South Australia from 2007 to 2014. He saw active service in the Royal Australian Navy from 1968 including on HMAS Sydney during the Vietnam War and as the commander of HMAS Cerberus between 1995 and 1997.

He also specialised in military logistics and procurement, rising to the rank of rear admiral and head of Maritime Systems at the Defence Materiel Organisation. As head of the South Australian Defence Unit, he led a government team that contributed to ASC winning the $6 billion contract to build the three air warfare destroyers for the Australian Defence Force.

Among his many commendations, he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in 1994, the Knight of Grace in the Venerable Order of Saint John in 2007 and a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2008.

Rear Admiral Scarce completed a Masters of Management Economics at the University of New South Wales (Australian Defence Force Academy campus), a Masters Degree in National Security Strategy at the US War College (National Defense University) in Washington, DC. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Flinders University in 2009 for distinguished service to the public of South Australia and an Honorary Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) from the University of New England in 2014.

In addition to his role as 16th Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, Rear Admiral Scarce was recently appointed Chair of Cancer Council SA and President of Novita Children's Services.

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