Professor Evelyn Welch has broken the mould in becoming vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol. Not only as the first woman in the role, but as the first to have a famous pop star daughter, the flamboyant Florence of Florence + the Machine.
Welch is also probably the first vice-chancellor with a background in Renaissance fashion; her specialism includes the history of second-hand fashion and among her esoteric work is an essay on the reuse and regulation of sleeves in 15th-century Venice. However, her plans for the university are very much focused on the future and innovation, including the continuing development of a vast new campus next to the city’s railway station. Her priority is for the university to become known as the university for
