Ruth Sarah Farwell CBE DL retired as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire New University in February 2015.
Farwell held a research fellowship in theoretical physics at Imperial College, London, in the early eighties.
Farwell actively promotes closer collaborative efforts between universities.
[2] Farwell is the chair of higher education representative body GuildHE, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Open College Network, South East Region, and a board member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.
She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to higher education,[4][5] appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire in 2015[6] and High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire for 2018–19.