List of University of Reading alumni

This is a list of University of Reading alumni.

Academics Catherine Abbott - Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Edinburgh Fatima Akilu – Nigerian psychologist and head of major national program of de-radicalisation to tackle Boko Haram Ash Amin – Professor of Geography, University of Cambridge Simon Batterbury, Professor of Environmental Studies, geographer at the University of Melbourne Janet Beer – Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool (formerly Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University) L. J. F. Brimble – botanist and editor of Nature magazine Sir Clifford Charles Butler – co-discoverer of hyperons and mesons, Professor of Physics at Imperial College London, Vice-chancellor of Loughborough University Stephen E. Calvert – Emeritus Professor of Geology, University of British Columbia David Carpanini – Emeritus Professor of Art, University of Wolverhampton Michael Cox – Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics Sir Peter Crane – Professor of Botany, Yale University Athanassios Ganas – Geologist, Research Director National Observatory of Athens Greece, President Geological Society of Greece Beate Hermelin (1920–2008) – German-born experimental psychologist, who worked in the UK Sean Holly – Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge Jolyon Howorth – Professor of European politics, University of Bath and Visiting Professor of Political Science at Yale University Michael Leifer – was a professor of International Relations, London School of Economics Jane Lewis - Barnett Professor of Social Policy at the University of Oxford David Marks – Professor of Psychology, City University London Dragan Marušič – Professor of Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana Sarah Mercer – Professor of linguistics at the University of Graz Mark Nixon – Emeritus Professor of Electronics and Computer Science at University of Southampton Avi Shlaim – Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford Nigel Smart (cryptographer) Zohrah Sulaiman – Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Brunei John R. Terry – Professor of Biomedical Modelling, University of Exeter June Thoburn – Emeritus Professor of Social Work at the University of East Anglia Ethelwynn Trewavas – ichthyologist and taxonomist John Turner – Professor of Engineering and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth Janet Watson - geologist Sean Whelan (scientist) – Professor of Microbiology at Harvard Medical School A. E. Wilder-Smith – creationist and chemist

Broadcasting Julian Barratt – comedian, BBC's The Mighty Boosh Keith Bosley – former BBC broadcaster and prizewinning poet and translator Richard Holmes – military historian and television presenter Julian Richards – archaeologist and broadcaster Richard Sambrook – Director of the BBC World Service Tomasz Schafernaker – TV weather presenter Nick Thorpe – BBC Central Europe correspondent (1996–); formerly BBC Budapest correspondent Laura Tobin – TV weather presenter Jay Wynne – TV weather presenter

Business Richard Adam - former finance director of Carillion David Atkins – Chief Executive, Hammerson plc Linda Bennett - English-Icelandic clothing designer and entrepreneur Nick Candy – Co-Founder and partner of high end property development company, Candy & Candy, London Gavin Grant – Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Nicky Kinnaird – founder and president of British cosmetic retailer Space NK Robert Noel – businessman, Chief Executive of Land Securities Group plc Noel Stockdale – Co-founder of Asda

Military Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe - Welsh Guards officer killed in action in Afghanistan Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas - killed in action (2014) in Afghanistan Wilfred Owen - First World War poet and soldier

Music

Rotimi Alakija – Nigerian disc jockey, record producer and recording artist. Rick Battersby – member of the band Twelfth Night Arthur Brown – rock and roll singer Alan Clayson – singer, composer, record producer, leader of the band Clayson and the Argonauts Jamie Cullum – jazz pianist and singer Brian Devoil – member of the band Twelfth Night Falz – Nigerian musician and actor Folarinwale Elemide – more commonly known as The Flowolf, a 21st-century Nigerian rapper and singer-songwriter Liam Howe – music producer, musician, formed the band Sneaker pimps with David Westlake and Joe Wilson (musician) also alumni Hilary James – singer, double bassist, guitarist, and mando-bassist Andy MacKay – member of the band Roxy Music Geoff Mann – member of the band Twelfth Night Simon Mayor – mandolinist, fiddle player, guitarist, and composer Clive Mitten – member of the band Twelfth Night Martin Noble – musician, Noble in the band British Sea Power Andy Revell – member of the band Twelfth Night Edmund Rubbra – composer Julian Wagstaff – composer Scott Wilkinson – musician and composer, Yan in the band British Sea Power

Politics Anton Apriantono, Indonesian politician Dimeji Bankole – Nigerian politician and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria Sharon Bowles, British Liberal Democrats European politician. Harriet Cross, British Conservative Party politician Daniel Feetham, Gibraltarian politician Fred Gardiner, Canadian politician Gilbert Seidu Iddi, Ghanaian politician Edison James, Prime Minister of Dominica 1995–2000 Morgan Jones, British Labour Party politician, the first conscientious objector to be elected to Parliament after the First World War Shukuru Kawambwa, Tanzanian Government Minister Jan Kavan, Czech diplomat and politician Rupert Lowe, Restore Britain politician Penny Mordaunt, British Conservative Party politician Tony Page, British Labour Party politician Mike Penning, British Conservative Party politician Frauke Petry, German Politician Mark Prisk, British Conservative Party politician Hugh Robertson, British Conservative Party politician Adrienne Ryan - Australian politician Sophie Walker, British Women's Equality Party politician Rob Wilson, British Conservative Party politician Sean Woodcock, Labour MP for Banbury 2024-present

Sport

David Bedford – runner, former 10,000m world record holder Cath Bishop – rower, silver medallist in the coxless pairs at the 2004 Olympics James Cracknell – rower, gold medallist in the coxless fours at the 2000 Olympics and 2004 Olympics Adrian Ellison – rower, gold medallist in the coxed four at the 1984 Olympics Debbie Flood – rower, silver medallist in the quadruple sculls at the 2004 Olympics Ed Fuller – rower, gold medallist in the PR3 mixed coxed four at the 2024 Summer Paralympics Alex Gregory – rower, gold medallist in the coxless fours at the 2012 Olympics Garry Herbert – rower, gold medallist in the coxed pairs at the 1992 Olympics Molly Hide – cricketer, captained the English women's team for seventeen years Will Hoy – racing driver, British Touring Car Champion in 1991 Bill Lucas – rower Anna Watkins – rower, gold medallist in the double sculls at the 2012 Olympics

Writing and art Steven Atkinson – Theatre director, and artistic director of HighTide Festival Theatre Anne Bean – Installation and performance artist Audrey Blackman - Sculptor, potter Jane Carpanini – Artist Simon Claridge - Artist Vincent Connare – Creator of Comic Sans Jeff Evans – Beer writer Cherryl Fountain – Artist Robert Gillmor – Ornithologist, artist, illustrator, author and editor Elizabeth Goudge - Carnegie Medal winning novelist Kathleen Hale – Artist and children's author, the Orlando the Marmalade Cat series Ingrid Kerma - European artist Robin Kinross - Writer Myfanwy Kitchin – Artist Alan Morrison - Poet Mike Nelson – Installation artist Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor Award winning Kenyan writer of Luo Nationality Kusha Petts – Artist and writer Michael Rosen – Children's author, poet, presenter, political columnist, broadcaster, activist, and academic Joan Smith – Novelist and journalist Hilary Summers – Welsh singer David Watkins – Designer of the London 2012 Olympics medals Richard Wilson – Installation artist

Others Lorna Arnold – British historian Eve Balfour – farmer, educator, organic farming pioneer, and a founding figure in the organic movement Robin Bextor – film and television director, father of Sophie Ellis-Bextor Pippa Greenwood - TV plant pathologist Bunny Guinness - landscape architect Azahari Husin – leading member of the Jemaah Islamiyah group, believed to have been involved in the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings Helen Mulholland – Irish master blender Lucy Muyoyeta – Zambian women's rights activist, social development consultant and writer Clive Ponting – civil servant who faced trial for the leaking of information on the sinking of the Belgrano, during the Falklands War Kondwa Sakala-Chibiya – Zambian lawyer Brian Skinner – English Anglican bishop in Chile John Tabatabai – professional poker playerDeal or no deal? by Robert Blincoe, thegoodgamblingguide.co.uk 19 July 2008. Archive here Tang Wei – actress, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution Ibrahim Taguri - British community worker Rachel Treweek – Bishop of Gloucester; the first female diocesan bishop in the Church of England, and first female Lord Spiritual David Welch - horticulturist who was director of parks in Aberdeen and was later chief executive of the Royal Parks Agency Carl Wright - civil servant former director of the Commonwealth Trade Union Group and Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum

References