The President of the BA for 2003-2004 was Professor Dame Julia Higgins.
As well as being Professor of Polymer Science in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology at Imperial College, Dame Julia is a Vice President and Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society. She is a member and former Chair of the Steering Committee of the Athena project – a UK wide government funded activity to improve recruitment, retention and advancement of women in academic posts in Science Technology and Medicine.
In April 2003 she became Chairman of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Dame Julia chose the theme “The responsibility of being a scientist” for her tenure.