I joined Harper Adams University in 1998. In 2009 I took on the role of Principal and in December 2012 I became the University's Vice Chancellor. It is a tremendous privilege to serve in this capacity because this institution has such a special place in the life of the countryside and in the world of higher education. Not only are we unique in our subject base, and in the range of research and knowledge transfer work that we undertake, but we also perform extraordinarily well against many larger universities whilst retaining a collegiate approach to our activities. Since its foundation in 1901, Harper Adams has had a long and proud tradition of working closely with the rural sector and we will continue to do so, to add relevance to our teaching and research and to act as a focal point for transferring research into practice. We have been undertaking an ambitious investment programme to provide the best possible facilities for our learning and teaching and research activities, and will continue to make strategic investments in new staff to ensure that our academic community remains at the forefront of our specialist subject base.