Academic and Learning Centre
The Wye campus developed from 1894 until 2000. It occupies a 3 km² estate, which includes a farm, managed woodland and ancient grassland that provide outstanding research resources for agroecological research. These resources were augmented by extensive glasshouses, climate-controlled growth rooms for plants and insects, and a containment facility for transgenic plants that supported laboratory-based research. There were dedicated laboratories for plant molecular biology, genomics and gene sequencing, electron microscopy, use of radiochemicals, microbiology, soil analysis, and plant/animal cell culture. Some of these lab facilities were removed by Imperial College. There were student halls and other buildings dotted around the village.
Students from all over the world followed undergraduates or postgraduates courses in fields related to agriculture, biology and food marketing. Distance-learning was also headquartered on campus. Numerous conferences and seminars were also run for professionals, and short-term students. Some of the better know academics teaching on campus included Prof. Michael Redclift (Emeritus, King's College London); Prof Ken Giller (Wageningen University), and Nick Russell, formerly Bridge Wardens' Professor of microbiology,
In 2000 Wye College lost its status as a college within the federal University of London and merged with Imperial and renamedd Imperial College at Wye. While there was some opposition, the reasons cited were financial and pragmatic, and Imperial agreed to keep agricultural teaching and research on the campus. It did wish to move the social scientists and economists to London, and this forced several staff departures.
The first Provost of Imperial College at Wye was Professor Tim Clark. Commenting on his new appointment, Professor Clark said: "Wye College has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in teaching and research. I am looking forward to acting as Wye's champion and helping to preserve and build on all that is so special here."
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