11 Facts About Keith Burnett

Sir Keith Burnett, CBE, FRS FLSW FINSTP was born on 30 September 1953 and is a Welsh physicist and President of the Institute of Physics.

Keith Burnett received an Honorary degree from the University of Sheffield in July 2022.

Keith Burnett is an honorary fellow of Jesus College, Oxford and St John's College, Oxford where he was a tutorial fellow for 20 years.

Keith Burnett has a long-standing commitment to vocational and technical education, advocating for the development of high-level vocational education and apprenticeships and serving as the President of the Science Council and on the board of the National Technician Development Centre and of Heated.

Keith Burnett attended the Brynteg School before studying Physics at Jesus College, Oxford obtaining a BA degree in 1975 then a DPhil degree in 1979.

Keith Burnett held academic positions in Physics at the University of Colorado, Imperial College and the University of Oxford before taking up the role of vice chancellor at the University of Sheffield in 2007.

Keith Burnett was Chair of the board of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association from October 2009 to September 2011.

Keith Burnett is currently a member of the United Kingdom government's Council for Science and Technology, and in September 2016 was elected president of the Science Council.

Keith Burnett was appointed to the Advisory Council of Infrastructure UK in 2012 to advise the UK treasury on investments including on energy, transport, waste, flood, science, water and telecoms.

Keith Burnett was awarded the Young Medal and Prize in 1997 for his physics research and in 2001 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Keith Burnett was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2004 for services to physics, and knighted for services to science and higher education in the 2013 New Year Honours.