14 June 2001

One of Scotland's leading architects has been re-elected as chairman of the governing body of the University of Dundee, for a further three years.

Mr Larry Rolland, chairman of the national firm Hurd Rolland Partnership,will convene the University Court through the coming period when the University is strategically reshaping itself to invest in the future.

Said Mr Rolland: "I look forward to serving the University Court and working with Principal Sir Alan Langlands through the exciting and challenging period ahead. Dundee has built a strong reputation across the range of activities from access and teaching - where it recently had four subjects ranked in the UK top five including first in the UK for anatomy and physiology; through research and commercialisation - where it has Scotland's third highest research income. Now the university has reached a stage where it is positioning itself to build on its considerable strengths to continue to take that lead in the future."

Mr Rolland has a long association with the University having studied architecture at Duncan of Jordanstone College, now a faculty of the University of Dundee. At the time of merger in 1994 he was chairman of the Board of Governors of the College.

In his career as architect Mr Rolland has played a leading role in a catalogue of institutions of national importance - including most recently, the Architects Registration Board where he chairs its qualifications advisory group dealing with course content and criteria necessary for registration.

Other current high profile projects involving his firm include the new Crown Courts in Belfast, a Foreign Office commission in St Petersburg and a major new shopping development in Inverness.

He has been president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Mr Rolland was the sole nomination for chairmanship.