Warren Bebbington is bedding down the new model at Melbourne University Publishing. Professor Bebbington took over as chair after predecessor Laurie Muller and three other board members resigned, when former chief executive Louise Adler left in January.

Professor Bebbington signals an expansion into scholarly on-line publishing, including “health and the sciences” and has also announced two new directors, former Oxford University Press Australia head Sandra McComb and Gabrielle Coyne, sometime, CEO for Asia-Pacific of the Penguin publishing group.

MUP has also announced eight members of a new editorial advisory board who will “work with staff” to expand “academic titles” published over the next three years; Jon Barnett (geography, urban studies), Jeff Borland (economics), Mark Davis (culture and comms), Anne Dunlop (art history), Mark Edele (history), Cordelia Fine (business, gender and cultural studies), Julie McLeod (education) Julie Willis (architecture).

The eight are all Uni Melbourne staff, with appointments from other universities expected next month.