Apsey awarded honorary professorship from University of Exeter

ICHEME immediate past president Mark Apsey has been awarded the “real privilege” of an honorary professorship at his alma mater, the University of Exeter.

Apsey was part of the final cohort of graduates from the university’s original chemical engineering course, which returned in 2025 after a 25-year hiatus.

To mark the appointment, Aspey delivered an inaugural lecture to first-year engineering students on Engineering a Sustainable Future, reflecting on his career and the environmental challenges they will be expected to tackle.

ChemEng in Exeter

Around 20 students enrolled onto the chemical engineering undergraduate course, which began in September – joining a wider engineering class of around 300.

The course is being led by programme lead and associate professor in materials engineering, Ana Neves, who spent the last two years putting the course together. The course will provide much-needed chemical engineering expertise in existing research areas at the university.

Apsey said: “The conversations with the wider engineering faculty were inspiring, particularly around their research into energy storage technologies and novel materials that convert mechanical work into electricity.”

The months ahead

During his visit, Apsey offered students advice on navigating rapid industry change and overcoming imposter syndrome. He told students: “If you do all the simple things, show up, prepare, practise and really think about what it is you’re doing, you may still feel like an imposter, but that will not be how you come across, and you’ll people will not come you as an imposter, but as an expert.”

Apsey will continue working with the engineering faculty in the coming months to help bridge academia and industry and “accelerate meaningful action”.