Eeva Leinonen will move to National University of Ireland, Maynooth as its president

Professor Leinonen’s departure was announced following last night’s meeting of the Murdoch University senate.  She attributed the move to the impact of the pandemic, which, “has impacted on people’s professional and personal lives and provided opportunities for reassessing what is important to us as individuals.”

“For eight years I was only ‘one flight away’ from my family and had many opportunities to connect through travel. This is no longer the case. It is for this reason that I am returning to work in Europe,” she said.

In a joint statement ,Professor Leinonen and Chancellor Gary Smith nominated her achievements at Murdoch U as including, “a clear and strong strategic plan,” and “ensuring the university is in a position of financial strength.”  Specifics also include “delivering” the Australian National Phenome Centre and securing state and federal funding for the proposed “vertical campus” in Perth’s CBD.

Professor Leinonen joined Murdoch U in 2016, moving from DVC A at the University of Wollongong, where she had been for four years.