​With a record of distinction in education and research, Professor Iain Young serves as the dean of the KAUST Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division. He brings more than 30 years of experience in academia across institutions in the United Kingdom and Australia, during which time he has held significant administrative and leadership positions, including dean of the faculty of science at the University of Sydney; head of the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney; head of the Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England, Armidale, in Australia; Director of Dundee Science Centre; and President of the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture.

Professor Young is a graduate of Aberdeen University. As a biophysicist working at the interface of physics and biology, he focuses on the biophysics of soil, using soil as a model system to examine functionality in complex porous media over space and time. He has won more than AUD$50 M in competitive grants, has an H-index of 64, and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers.

As BESE Dean, Young supports the University's goal-oriented vision to build a more sustainable future for the Kingdom and planet, and will leverage expertise through a focus on academic excellence across teaching and research in strategic areas such as food, water, energy and the environment.