The Governing Body of Worcester College is delighted to announce that it has elected a new Provost. David Isaac will take up the post on 1st July 2021.

David is currently Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a senior partner at the law firm, Pinsent Masons, and Chair of Governors at the University of the Arts London.

David comes to Worcester with a real understanding of the transformative power of education and a longstanding professional and personal commitment to equality. The first in his family to go to university, David became a highly successful technology lawyer in the City of London. In his capacity as Chair of Stonewall (2003-2012), he advocated for and successfully brought about significant legal and social change in the UK, including the right to civil partnerships and marriage for gay and lesbian couples. As Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, David promoted the rights of people with disabilities, advised the Lammy Review, and set up the inquiry into the effects on Black and Minority Ethnic communities of the Covid-19 pandemic. Higher Education too is an area in which David has held a leadership role: as Chair of the University of the Arts London, he has been a champion of the study of Art and Design and the essential role of the arts in society. David also knows Oxford well, not only the University, where he did his graduate work in socio-legal studies, but also the town: he was Chair of Modern Art Oxford from 2001 to 2018.

The Governing Body sees David’s experience and expertise as the perfect fit for the College as it steps up its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity, continues transforming its undergraduate admissions and refreshes its traditions to meet the needs of a 21st-century community with three centuries of history.

‘I am delighted to be appointed as Provost of Worcester’, says David, ‘and look forward to working with Students, Staff, Fellows, Old Members and other supporters to work towards widening participation and continuing to promote excellence in all Worcester does’.

Professor Kate Tunstall, Interim Provost, comments: ‘David is a terrific appointment for Worcester at this time. The College has really come together this year, staff and students, especially during the pandemic, to put equity, inclusivity and sustainability on the agenda, right up there alongside academic excellence, and David’s track record on those issues augurs well for our future. I am so glad he is joining us. He is also a bee-keeper, and that’ll be a good thing for Worcester’s ecology too’.