Professor David Vaughan is the Principal of Cumbria Institute of the Arts and was formerly Head of Design at Sheffield Hallam University until 1991.

From a degree education at Bath Academy of Art in Three Dimensional Design/Ceramics, he became Resident Artist in Ceramics at Lancaster University in 1968.

From there he taught at Liverpool John Moores University and University of Wales Cardiff Institute, becoming Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Degree in Wood, Metal, Ceramics and Plastics at the University of Brighton in 1979 and subsequently Head of Department.

In 1988 he was seconded to the CNAA as Associate Registrar for Art, Design and Performing Arts, moving to Sheffield in 1989.

In 1969 he was awarded a Finnish Government Fellowship and in 1976 a Churchill Fellowship 'to look at Japan through its ceramic art and design'.

He has continued to travel extensively including China, Australia and the USA.

He has exhibited work in ceramics both at home and abroad and is included in a number of public and private collections.

He was a member of the Crafts Council and Chair of the Council's Education Committee from 1990 to 1997.

He was a member of Northern Arts Board from 1993 and Vice Chair between 1998 and 2000.

From 1996 to 2000 he was also Vice Chair of CHEAD (Council for Higher Education in Art and Design).

He is chair of GLAD (the Group for Learning in Art and Design), Chair of the HEAD Trust (Higher Education Art and Design Trust), and a member of the council of SCOP (Standing Conference of Principals).

He currently Chairs the Management Board for the national higher education Learning and Teaching Subject Network - Subject Centre for Art, Design and Communications based at the University of Brighton.

He is a Director of the Northern Cultural Skills Partnership and a member of the Employing Creativity - Programme Management Group based at North West Arts.