Professor Keith Atkinson, Provost of the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus, Penryn, is retiring at the end of this month. Professor Atkinson championed the establishment of a campus in Cornwall for the University of Exeter, which is shared with University College Falmouth as part of the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) initiative.

Although he is retiring from the day-to-day running of the campus, Professor Atkinson is being retained by the University to advise on future developments, assist with future funding negotiations and liaise with other bodies in Cornwall. His other duties will be covered by the Provost Designate, Professor Matthew Evans, who currently heads the University of Exeter's Centre for Ecology and Conservation on the Tremough Campus, and who will take over as Provost in 2008.

Professor Atkinson was appointed as the first Cornwall Provost of the University of Exeter in 2002 when he retired as Head of the Camborne School of Mines.

In 2002 Professor Atkinson was the only Exeter staff member on the Tremough site and since then has overseen its rapid and successful growth. This year, applications to study with the University of Exeter on the Tremough Campus rose by 164%. In October, the University will welcome over 450 new students to Tremough when the second phase of the Campus opens, offering new degrees in Cornish Studies, History, Law and Politics, alongside existing degrees in Biology, English, Geology, Geography, Mining Engineering and Renewable Energy. With a growing team of world-class academics, the University has brought some £5.4 in new research income to Cornwall since 2004.

Professor Atkinson moved to Cornwall in 1969 when he was appointed a geology lecturer at Camborne School where he worked in various roles until 2002, finally as Principal. Under the previous Principal, Dr Peter Hackett, Keith led the negotiations with the University of Exeter resulting in the merger of CSM with the University in 1993. He was a Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter from 1997 to 2000. He now lives in St Mawgan, near Newquay with his wife, Maureen. He has two daughters and three grandchildren.

"In some ways I am sad to be retiring at such an exciting time for the University and for Cornwall but, having seen the campus grow from nothing to the success it is today, I think the time is right to hand over to the next generation. There is undoubtedly now a great vitality in Cornwall that wasn't here a decade or so ago. I am sure the University will go from strength to strength and continue to provide the research driver for Higher Education in Cornwall. It gives me a great feeling of personal satisfaction to have been involved in such a wonderful project which will benefit the people of Cornwall for generations to come," he said.