"I feel like I never really left the department. But I am returning in the sense that my office will move from one side of the road to the other.”

These are the words of Thomas Vosegaard, who will take on the role of Head of the Department of Chemistry starting January 1. This also means he will step down as Head of the iNANO Center. The department is not unfamiliar territory for the professor, who has spent most of his research career within and around the environment at the Department of Chemistry and iNANO.

His research is centred on NMR spectroscopy within the field of nanoscience, at the interdisciplinary interface between chemistry, molecular biology and physics. He is internationally recognised in the field, where his focus is on modelling and NMR studies of lipids. Besides NMR spectroscopic characterisation of molecules, he has also been involved in several other disciplines, ranging from the synthesis of peptides to the development of new computer algorithms.
 

Kristine Kilså, vice-dean for education at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and chair of the appointment committee, singles out Thomas Vosegaard as an obvious choice for the position of head of department.

"The Department of Chemistry will gain not only a recognised researcher but also a leader with in-depth knowledge of the department, a strong commitment to fostering internal and external collaborations and a dedicated focus on teaching. I am happy that Thomas will be our new head of department," she says.

Thomas Vosegaard himself is looking forward to taking on his new tasks as head of department.

"I've really enjoyed my time at iNANO, but now I'm looking forward to all the exciting tasks that lie ahead of me at the Department of Chemistry. I’ll especially focus on personnel management, a matter that I find extremely important. This is one of the areas where I believe I can really add value due to my experience. In my role as manager, I always try to listen and understand. I’ll bring this approach with me to the Department of Chemistry," he says.

A department with tremendous opportunities

Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences Birgit Schiøtt is also looking forward to welcoming Thomas Vosegaard as head of department.

“I owe Jørgen Skibsted a great deal of thanks for taking responsibility for the department during a challenging time, as well as for the significant effort he has made as Acting Head of Department to move things forward. In the coming period, we need to prepare our faculty and departments for the changes brought by, among other things, the graduate program reform. I am very confident that Thomas will take on the responsibility at Chemistry going forward,” she says.

Thomas Vosegaard believes that the Department of Chemistry is a world leader in chemistry research and that the department holds great opportunities both with regard to research and education. This belief has inspired visions for the future for the new head of department before he starts his new position on 1 January.

"I don't have to be familiar with everything that’s going on in our research area, but I must encourage our research staff to come forward with their knowledge so we can use it in relation to our visions and strategies," he says and highlights two areas that he particularly wants to address.

"The most important thing is that we become more visible and take part in the public debate. Sometimes it seems as if we’re the only ones who can see the value of our work here at the university. At least, that seems to be the case when we look at the plans put forward at political level. I think we need to reflect and ask ourselves how we can do better. We don't have to change our research a lot, but we have to be better at sharing our stories so that the world outside the university understands the value we create. Not to mention, we have huge degree programmes that we need to tell the world about. And we have to ensure that enough young people get accepted to the programmes," he says.