Ragna and Rögnvaldur new Pro-Rectors at the University of Iceland

Ragna Benedikta Garðarsdóttir, Professor at the faculty of psychology and Rögnvaldur Jóhann Sæmundsson, Professor at the faculty of industrial engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science, have been appointed Pro-Rectors at the University of Iceland. Ragna will be Pro-Rector for education, and Rögnvaldur Pro-Rector for science.

Two Pro-Rectors have been working at the University of Iceland since 2016, when changes were made to the University’s organisational structure. The Pro-Rectors hold partial positions (including research duties) and the Rector defines their mandate in a letter of appointment.

Ragna Benedikta Garðarsdóttir is a Professor of Social Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology. She completed her BA in psychology from the University of Iceland in 1995, an MSc in social psychology from the London School of Economics in 1997 and a D.Phil. in the same discipline at the University of Sussex in 2006. Previously, Ragna worked in research on student assessment (PISA) and at the Social Science Research Institute while working as a sessional teacher at the University from 1999. Ragna was made an Assistant Professor in 2011, promoted to Associate Professor in 2014 and a full Professor in 2021. She was a member of the board and negotiating committee of the Association of Professors at State Universities for the last two years.

As Pro-Rector for Education, Ragna oversees matters for which the Division of Academic Affairs is responsible, including student counselling and teaching reform. Ragna will lead work on the University‘s policies on sustainability and environmental issues, equality and societal engagement, as well as lead various committees concerning recruitment, work evaluation, progression, wages and benefits. “By emphasising work environment in my duties, the administration wishes to highlight that we are listening to the employees’ concerns and are committed to ensuring that the University of Iceland is not just a good but a great place to work. I prioritise reducing the workload for academic staff, as this group consistently reports high levels of work-related stress. I have certain ideas on how to fine-tune the evaluation systems, organising our work to reduce the workload. This will be a long-haul project that needs to rely on data and good collaboration,” says Ragna.

Rögnvaldur Jóhann Sæmundsson is a Professor of Industrial Engineering at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. He completed his BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iceland in 1991, an MS in Engineering from the same university in 1994, and his doctorate in Technical Management from Chalmers Technical University in 2003. Rögnvaldur started work at the University of Iceland in 2014 as an Assistant Professor and was made a full Professor in 2019. Formerly, he worked at Reykjavík University and in the R&D department at Össur. Alongside his work at the University of Iceland, Rögnvaldur has held a part-time position as a scientist at the University of Gothenburg.

As Pro-Rector for Science, Rögnvaldur oversees matters pertaining to research, innovation, policy and quality issues – alongside interdisciplinary approaches. “Multidisciplinary, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinary approaches are important in various ways. These issues are particularly relevant in times of disruption when we need to think outside the box and work together to find new perspectives. It is also a vital element in connecting the University with industry and society because if academic knowledge is to be useful, it needs to be combined with various practical knowledge. Last but not least, they are valuable for curious students who wish to discover how the world works and how to improve it. We are thus adamant about increasing the role of multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches at the University of Iceland, and one of my roles is to facilitate this in collaboration with staff and students,” says Rögnvaldur.