Liberal Arts academics receive prestigious academic promotions

Two members of our Liberal Arts teaching team have received significant professorship promotions, making them the first academics to hold a professor status within our department’s history.

Dr Bryan Brazeau and Dr Gavin Schwartz-Leeper have been awarded professor titles - the most senior academic grade - through a combined record of high-level research, teaching excellence, and academic leadership.

Both academics have held significant departmental and University-wide responsibilities during their respective tenures at Warwick. Dr Bryan Brazeau – who is currently Director of the Warwick Venice Centre – previously served as Head of the Liberal Arts at Warwick from 2022-2025, where he played a pivotal role in making our Liberal Arts programme the number one ranked department in the UK, in addition to having the highest NSS scores in Warwick’s Faculty of Arts, and sector leading scores across the Russell Group.

Dr Gavin Schwartz-Leeper helped found our Liberal Arts department in 2014 and has served as an external examiner for several Liberal Arts and flexible combined honours programmes across the UK Higher Education sector. He also previously held the posts of Faculty Senior Tutor (Science, Engineering and Medicine) between 2022-2026 and Deputy Dean of Students from 2023-2026. He currently sits as Chair of the Academic Freedom Review Committee, which has oversight over academic freedom issues at the University.

Being awarded a professorship status is one of the most significant achievements in the academic career cycle and is only awarded to academics who have consistently achieved remarkable research and teaching milestones, including (but not limited to) measurable research impact, leadership, teaching and citizenship, and reputational standing within their fields. Dr Brazeau and Dr Schwartz-Leeper’s promotions demonstrate not only significant personal and professional achievements but help strengthen the academic identity of our Liberal Arts programme, marking a new chapter for us as market leaders in research and teaching excellence.

Dr William Rupp, Head of Liberal Arts, said ‘To have the work and efforts of two fantastic members of our department recognised in this way this year is fantastic. Liberal Arts at Warwick – and beyond – has benefited immeasurably from the dedication and vision of both these colleagues. These professorships are truly well deserved.’

Join us in extending our congratulations to both Dr Brazeau and Dr Schwartz-Leeper for these significant career milestones. We look forward to witnessing how their professorial leadership can help continue to shape our department’s research agendas, mentor doctoral researchers and early-career academics, and raise our department's profile nationally and internationally.

 

Prof Bryan Brazeau

Professor of Liberal Arts and Renaissance Studies

Prof Gavin Schwartz-Leeper

Professor of Liberal Arts