The Queen’s Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Peter Kevern as our new Interim Academic Dean.
Having previously served as Director of Studies at Queen’s, Peter returns to the foundation with a wealth of experience, taking up the role of Interim Academic Dean in the Autumn.
Welcoming the appointment, Queen’s Principal, Anne Hollinghurst, shared:
“I am really looking forward to welcoming Peter to Queens as he takes up this important role at the beginning of September. Peter will bring significant experience from both the higher education and theological education worlds, which will set Queens on a firm footing for the next season. He is also a highly regarded academic himself, and we look forward to his continuing contribution in our flourishing research area”
As he prepares to rejoin the Queen’s community, Peter reflected on the experiences that have shaped his professional journey:
“My career to date has fallen roughly into three parts. I was a Brother with the Anglican Society of St Francis for thirteen years, six of which were spent in Papua New Guinea. I then completed my PhD in theology and moved into ministerial formation, including ten years here at The Queen’s Foundation as Director of Studies. This was followed by sixteen years at the University of Staffordshire, where I ended up as Professor of Values in Health and Social Care.
While at the University of Staffordshire my research mainly centred on the overlap between religion and health care, with a particular focus on the theology and spirituality of dementia. I’ve published a number of papers and book chapters in that and related fields, which culminated in a book that was released last year called Touching God: dementia and the bodies of Christ (Cascade). Recently, my attention has turned to ecospirituality, and my second book (Asking the Beasts: a theological bestiary for the ecological crisis) is due for publication later this year.
Looking ahead to his new chapter at Queen’s, Peter says he is “really looking forward to getting stuck in!”
