Major Levison Wood FRSA FRGS FRSGS, VR, grew up in Staffordshire and spent several years as a Regular Officer in the British Parachute Regiment where he served in Afghanistan fighting against Taliban insurgents in Helmand and Kandahar.
However, his spirit for adventure has also seen him carve out a career as a best-selling author, explorer and photographer and, it was in recognition of this, that he was made an Honorary Doctor of Staffordshire University in 2017.
Professor Martin Jones, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive said: “Major Levison Wood is the embodiment of what Staffordshire University is about. In the ambassadorial role of Chancellor, Levison will demonstrate to our students and wider community that Staffordshire is a place of possibility where dreams are made, and success is real.
“We are thrilled that he has agreed to take on the role and I am confident he will help to champion the university’s unique talents, ideas and personalities so we can continue to drive change and deliver success.
“As this is a great Staffordshire story, we have agreed that Levison will be installed in a special ceremony to be held on May 1 - Staffordshire Day.”
Levison Wood, who has travelled and filmed in over 100 countries said: “I grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire and am incredibly honoured to be asked to take on such a prestigious role with my local university.
“As a boy I started out exploring the Peak District and that, combined with my experience of studying a history degree at Nottingham University, prepared me well for a lifetime of adventure. This opportunity to inspire others to be who they want to be and push boundaries is too good to pass up.
Major Wood will take over the ceremonial appointment from the Lord Stafford DL FRags who has proudly served the University as Chancellor since 2014. Levison will become the fourth Chancellor in the University’s history, also following in the footsteps of Lord Morris of Handsworth and Lord Ashley of Stoke.
- Levison is an elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the Explorers Club, an ambassador of Unicef. His expeditions across continents have also been the subject of several critically acclaimed television documentaries. These include walking the length of the river Nile, the Himalayas, all of central America and circumnavigating the Arabian Peninsula. His most recent project took him to Greenland, Borneo and Namibia to document endangered animals.