Notable Alumni

Our university has been leading education, research and innovation on the Mile End Campus since 1886. Three of the five founding subjects taught on this campus are Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy.

Our achievements since the late 1800s includes educating students, enabling them to launch a diverse range of highly successful careers. Our alumni include business leaders, entrepreneurs, CEOs of tech companies, bankers (including quants), government experts, people working in the nuclear and pharmaceutical industries and academia. We also celebrate our former students who have gone on to excel in other ways, including winning medals at the Olympics and accolades including Nobel Prizes.

Other Notable Alumni

• Dr Frank Torto: Founding member (1959), Vice-President (1979-81) and President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (1981).
• Dr Douglas McKee: An internationally renowned scientist in the fields of carbon chemistry and surface chemistry and catalysis.
• Mr Marcus Chown: Founding member (1959), Vice-President (1979-81) and President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (1981).
• Dr Paul Dean: Director of the National Physical Laboratory (1977-90). Honorary Fellowship was awarded in 1984.
• Sir Peter Mansfield: Jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2003 for developing MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Honorary Fellowship was awarded in 1985.
• Dr Helen Mason: Reader in Solar Physics in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge. Won one of six WISE 'Women of Outstanding Achievement' awards in 2010.
• Professor Bushra Mateen: Professor Emeritus and former Vice-Chancellor, Lahore College for Women University.
• Dr Douglas McKee: An internationally renowned scientist in the fields of carbon chemistry and surface chemistry and catalysis.
• Miss Lina Nielsen: 400m hurdler/track athlete.
• Mr Julian Pipe, CBE: Deputy Mayor of London, Planning, Regeneration and Skills since 2016.
• Professor Sir John Thomas: Scientist and academic, primarily known for his work on heterogeneous catalysis, solid-state chemistry, and surface and materials science. Considered to be one of the founders of solid-state chemistry. Honorary Fellowship was awarded in 1990.
• Dr Frank Torto: Founding member (1959), Vice-President (1979-81) and President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (1981).
• Professor Sir Tejinder Virdee: Professor of Physics at Imperial College London. Originated the concept and oversaw the construction of Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), with four other colleagues. In July 2012, CMS, along with the ATLAS experiment, announced the discovery of the Higgs boson. Honorary Degree awarded in 2013.
• Sir Robert Watson: Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Chair of Environmental Science and Science Director of the Tyndall Centre at the University of East Anglia since 2007. Honorary Fellowship awarded in 2010.
• Professor Rosemary Wyse: Alumni Centennial Professor in the Henry A Rowland Department of Physics & Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University. Honorary Degree awarded in 2018.
• Professor Yongyuth Yuthavong: Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand.