The President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra has resigned with immediate effect. No reason has been given for his sudden departure beyond citing "personal reasons".
Professor Paddy Nixon took over the top academic post at the university in April, 2020 just as the pandemic took hold. Before that, he had a similar role at Ulster University in Northern Ireland.
In a statement via the university, Professor Nixon said: "For personal reasons, I am taking a career break."
"Being the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra has been an absolute privilege. The university has come so far in the last four, very challenging, years."
He has not said what his "personal reasons" might be. There is an unconfirmed suggestion circulating at the university that ill health within his family may be involved.
Professor Nixon has not had the easiest time. Because he arrived in Canberra just as the pandemic struck, he could only start work after two weeks confinement on arrival in Australia.
His first meeting with hundreds of staff was done remotely.
According to the University of Canberra annual report, his remuneration is just over a million dollars, but that includes the use of the Vice-Chancellor's residence on campus.
He has received much praise for his work at the University of Canberra.
He is a computer scientist who has worked at a high level in the private sector, and so was able to bring his commercial acumen and attitude to academia.
The university said that he had a "deep understanding of the nexus between industry and university research having had significant industrial and commercial experience through collaborations with INTEL, Microsoft Research, HP, Oracle and IBM as well as being involved in start-ups and establishing the Irish national early stage technology incubator".
Professor Nixon paid tribute to the staff he leaves behind: "Our success has been because we are a community truly dedicated to our core purpose of education and our commitment to this place. We would not have been able to reach this point without our exceptionally talented leadership team and the determination of our staff."
While Professor Nixon has led the University of Canberra, the more formal role at the top has been taken by Lisa Paul as Chancellor.
She said: "I thank Professor Nixon for his contributions to the University's successes. For example, we have been rated first in the world for reducing inequalities, two years running. I also note Professor Nixon's commitment to advancing First Nations Peoples."
The university said it would "undertake a global search as soon as possible to fill the Vice-Chancellor and President role. Until that time the University of Canberra Interim Vice-Chancellor will be Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Professor Lucy Johnston."
The resignation comes just after the departure of Professor Brian Schmidt from the Vice-Chancellor's post at the ANU (though he remains as an academic at the university). His successor, Genevieve Bell, was appointed in September. Professor Bell is an anthropologist, technologist and futurist who has spent more than two decades in Silicon Valley working with the Intel Corporation.
