# List of University of Leicester people

This list of University of Leicester people is a selected list of notable past staff and students of the University of Leicester.

## Chancellors

* Edgar Adrian, 1st Baron Adrian (1957–1971)
* Alan Lloyd Hodgkin (1971–1984)
* Sir George Porter (1984–1995)
* Sir Michael Atiyah (1995–2005)
* Sir Peter Williams (2005–2010)
* Bruce Grocott, Baron Grocott (2013–2018)
* David Willetts, Baron Willetts (2018–2023)
* Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock (2023–)

## Vice-Chancellors

* Charles Wilson (1957–1961)
* Fraser Noble (1962–1976)
* Maurice Shock (1977–1987)
* Kenneth Edwards (1987–1999)
* Robert Burgess (1999–2014)
* Paul Boyle (2014–2019)
* Nishan Canagarajah (from November 2019)

## Notable academics

* Khurshid Ahmad, Islamic scholar
* Chris Allen, British sociologist and associate professor at the Centre for Hate Studies at the University of Leicester
* Penelope Allison, Professor of Archaeology
* Lyman Andrews, American Studies
* Isobel Armstrong, scholar of nineteenth-century poetry and women's writing
* Graeme Barker, Disney Professor of Archaeology, University of Cambridge
* Martin Barstow, astronomer and former President of the Royal Astronomical Society
* Andrew Blain, astronomer
* Richard Bonney, historian
* Alan Bryman, social scientist
* Grace Burrows, violinist and orchestra conductor
* Neil Christie, Reader in Archaeology
* Nicholas T. Clerk, Ghanaian academic, public administrator and Presbyterian minister
* John Coffey, Professor of Early Modern history.
* Heather Couper, astronomer and television presenter
* Rosemary Crompton, sociologist
* Nicholas J. Cull, US historian
* Panicos Demetriades, economist and Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus
* Gabriel Dover, geneticist
* Eric Dunning, sports sociologist
* Christopher Dyer, medieval historian
* Colin Eaborn FRS, chemist
* Norbert Elias, German sociologist
* Brian J. Ford, scientist, visiting professor
* G. S. Fraser, Scottish poet
* Ali A. F. Al-Furaih, professor of geology
* Yair Galily, Behavioral Scientist
* Anthony Giddens, prominent sociologist, taught social psychology at Leicester
* Reuben Goodstein, mathematician, proponent of Goodstein's theorem
* Cosmo Graham, Public law and Competition law specialist, member of the Competition Commission
* Sarah Hainsworth, Professor of Materials and Forensic Engineering, involved in analysing the wounds on the skeleton of Richard III
* Rosalind Hill, historian
* Jeffrey A. Hoffman, NASA astronaut and physicist
* Richard Hoggart, sociologist
* W. G. Hoskins, (1931–1952) (1965–1968), local historian, author of The Making of the English Landscape
* Norman Housley, crusading historian
* Jeremy Howick, director of the Stoneygate Centre for Excellence in Empathic Healthcare and inaugural Professor of Empathic Healthcare
* Arthur Humphreys, inaugural Professor of English and first Dean of the Faculty of Arts
* Leonard Huxley, physicist
* Suzanne Imber, planetary scientist and winner of the 2017 BBC Two television programme Astronauts, Do You Have What It Takes?
* Sir Alec Jeffreys, geneticist, discoverer of genetic fingerprinting
* Hans Kornberg, biochemist
* Philip Larkin, librarian and poet
* Loretta Lees, Urban Geographer
* David Mattingly, Roman archaeologist
* John McManners, former Head of History Dept., Regius Professor of History at the University of Oxford until retirement
* Marilyn Palmer, archaeologist and landscape historian, Professor of Industrial Archaeology and Head of the School of Archaeology and Ancient History (2000–2006)
* Ken Pounds, Emeritus Professor of Physics, discovered black holes were common in the universe
* Charles Rees, organic chemist
* Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, the Astronomer Royal, visiting professor at Leicester
* Adrian Henry Wardle Robinson, geographer and historian of maritime surveying
* J.B. Schneewind, philosophy professor, Johns Hopkins University
* Malcolm Shaw QC, The Sir Robert Jennings Professor of International Law, prominent international lawyer and jurist
* Jack Simmons, Professor of History 1947–1975
* Brian Simon, Professor of Education 1966–1980
* Nial Tanvir, astronomer
* Abraham Wasserstein, Professor of Classics 1960–1969 and Dean of the Faculty of Arts
* Sami Zubaida, political scientist

## Notable alumni

See also Alumni of the University of Leicester.

## Public figures

* Malik Zahoor Ahmad, Pakistan Minister of Information
* Peter Atkins, physical chemist
* Natalie Bennett, Former Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
* David Blanchflower, economist, Dartmouth College professor
* Sir Malcolm Bradbury, author
* Justin Chadwick, actor and director
* Philip Campbell, editor-in-chief of Nature
* Andy Carter - Conservative MP for Warrington South.
* Michael Cordy, novelist
* Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer
* Bruce Grocott, Baron Grocott, former MP, Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
* Phelan Hill, Team GB coxswain and Olympic bronze medalist
* Baroness Howarth of Breckland, peer, on the board of CAFCASS
* Atifete Jahjaga, President of Kosovo
* Jinnwoo, British Folk Musician and Visual Artist
* Graham Joyce, novelist
* Jyrki Katainen, Prime Minister of Finland
* Norman Lamb, MP
* Martin Löb, Logician and proposer of Löb's theorem
* Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako of Akishino
* Pete McCarthy, writer, broadcaster, comedian
* Sunshine Martyn, Reality television star
* Bob Mortimer, comedian
* John-Henry Phillips, author, Romani archaeologist and television presenter.
* Massimiliano Neri, fashion model
* Michael Nicholson, journalist
* Bob Parr MBE, multi Emmy Award-winning television producer and former Special Air Service soldier
* David Perry, barrister
* J. H. Plumb, historian of 18th-century Britain
* Patrick Redmond, novelist
* Derek Schmidt, member of the U.S. House Of Representatives, former Attorney General of Kansas
* C. P. Snow, Physical Chemist, Director of the English Electric Company, Author, Life Peer
* Mary Ann Steggles, Commonwealth Scholar from Canada, international expert on British sculpture exported to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
* Sir John Stevens, former Metropolitan Police Commissioner and former adviser on international security issues to Gordon Brown
* John Sutherland, Guardian Columnist, Emeritus Professor of English Literature, University College London
* Dr Benjamin Swift, Home Office Forensic Pathologist
* Laurie Taylor, broadcaster, actor, sociologist
* Philip Tew, professor of English (Post-1900 Literature), Brunel University, novelist
* Steven Thiru, current president of Malaysian Bar
* Jon Tickle, celebrity
* Storm Thorgerson, artist
* Tony Underwood, England rugby union international
* Sir Alan Walters, economist and former Chief Economic Adviser to Margaret Thatcher, 1981–83 and 1989.
* Andrew Waterman, poet
* Quentin Willson, motoring journalist/expert and TV presenter
* Bryan R. Wilson, Oxford sociologist
* Ted Wragg, educationalist
* Joy Belmonte (Master of Museum Studies),Filipino Politician, Mayor of Quezon City, Former Vice Mayor of Quezon City
* Olatunbosun Tijani, Nigerian minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy
* Vipul Mudgal, Journalist, Researcher and Activist