Doctors of Rock: 10 Musicians with PhDs - The Best Colleges Doctors of Rock: 10 Musicians with PhDs ​ Share “We don’t need no education” sang Pink Floyd, famously. Regardless of where you live – New Hampshire , New Jersey , Ohio , South Carolina , Wyoming – you’ve probably heard that famous line. Apparently though, not all their fellow musicians agreed. Defying the stereotypes of theÂ stupid rocker, brainless pop star and dumb punk,Â these ten musicians took their formal education as far as it would go. 1. Greg Graffin Lead singer and songwriter of the influential punk band Bad Religion, Graffin got his PhD in zoology from Cornell and regularly teaches courses in geology at UCLA. Graffin has co-authored two books on science and religion, Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant: A Professor and a Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism and Christianity (2006) and more recently Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science and Bad Religion in a World Without God (2010). Maybe God is dead, but not punk! 2. Brian May The legendary Queen guitarist and composer earned a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College London.

MayÂ began working on his PhD over 30 years prior to completing it in 2007, but got sidetracked when Queen hit the big-time. Apparently its never too late to finish what you started. 3. Brian Briggs Singer and co-founder of the British folk-pop band Stornoway, Briggs has a PhD inÂ zoology from the University of Oxford, writing hisÂ dissertation on duck behavior. Briggs found time toÂ craftÂ songs in his head whileÂ driving back and forthÂ between Oxford and the various ponds where he did his research. Who knew what ornithologists didÂ with their down time? 4. Brian Cox While finishing up his PhD in physics at the University of Manchester, Cox was the keyboardist for the popular 90â€™s Irish pop rock/synthpop and dance band D:Ream. Now a professor at the University of Manchester,Â Cox made it into People Magazineâ€™s Sexiest Men Alive issue in 2009. D:Reamy. 5.

Sterling Morrison Co-founder and guitaristÂ for the seminal experimental rock band Velvet Underground, Morrison completed a PhD in medieval studies at the University of Texas at Austin after the band split up in 1971. Morrison worked his way through graduate school piloting tugboats, eventually earning his captainâ€™s license. That’s Dr. Captain Morrison to you. 6. Milo Aukerman Lead singer of the popular Los Angeles area punk band the Descendents, Aukerman earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison . Unashamed of his academic bent and general nerdiness, Aukerman and theÂ Descendents titled their first full-length album Milo Goes to College(1982). Aukerman has yet to figure out how to juggle touring and science, but has contemplated building a research lab in the back of his tour bus. 7. Mira Aroyo The Bulgarian born Aroyo is a keyboardist, singer and songwriter for the electropop/New Wave band Ladytron, and also a research scientist with a PhD in molecular genetics from Oxford University. Besides speaking several languages, it is rumored Aroyo can play a mean accordion. Sorry guys, she’s married. 8.

Dan Snaith Snaith, who goes under the stage names Caribou and Manitoba, is a Canadian born electronica/psychedelic pop composer and musician with a PhD in mathematics from Imperial College London. Snaithâ€™s father is a mathematics professor at the University of Sheffield and his sister is studying mathematics at the University of Bristol. Insert nerdy math joke here. 9. David Grubbs Probably best known for his work with the experimental rock group Gastr del Sol, Grubbs was also a founding member of Squirrel Bait and Bastro, and a contributing member of the The Red Krayola and The Wingdale Community Singers. Somewhere in the midst of all that Grubbs found the time to complete a PhD in English at the University of Chicago.Â The hands-down winner of “the guy who played in the most bands with the wierdest names” contest, Grubbs is alsoÂ an assistant professor of Radio and Sound Art at Brooklyn College, CUNY. 10. Karl Precoda Legendary guitar player for the original alternative rock band The Dream Syndicate, Precoda earned a PhD in English from the University of Virginia.

Now an award winning professor of Theater and Cinema at Virginia Tech, PrecodaÂ continues to playÂ guitar and recently helpedÂ produce the â€œmultimedia musical extrav-o-ramaâ€ Persephone. Rad. 11. Robert Leonard Leonard was the founding member of the 50â€™s nostalgia band Sha Na Na, responsible for spawning the 50’s music and culture revival that gave us Grease and Happy Days. LeonardÂ went on to earnÂ a PhD in linguistics from Columbia and currentlyÂ teaches linguistics at Hofstra University.Â So, professor, what does Sha Na Na mean, anyway? ​ Queen News July 2015 Tuesday 24 July 2007 – shortly before 9.00pm GMT Brian May on phone from Observatory of the Roque de Los Muchacho, La Palma. MATT FREI: You might not know this, but guitarist, Brian May, from the legendary rock band, Queen, was actually destined to a career in astronomy. JOANNA GOSLING: (female preenter) Thirty-six years ago he packed in his studies at Imperial College, London, telling his tutors he was joining a band.

Well it went on from strength to strength of course, but his career in astronomy was put on hold until now. He’s gone back to the thesis and he joins us now on the line from an observatory in La Palma in the Canary Islands. Good evening to you. BRIAN MAY: Good evening. JG: Why’ve you decided to go back to it after so long? BM: Ah… with a kind of calling. I think you have to go where your heart tells you and it’s a combination of circumstances really. It was always in my mind. It was unfinished business, all that work that I did from 1970 to 1974 and I packed it all away into suitcases and it’s been sitting there ever since. Finally I had the opportunity to get it all out and neaten it all up and finish it, and I’ve spent since last September doing that. I had to drop everything else for it. It was actually a pretty tough project. MF: And did you, waited for 36 years. Now, that’s a long time. Did you find it difficult to get back to that kind of academic discipline? BM: It was – in the beginning – yes.

I’ve had the help of some great friends, and Michael Rowan-Robinson, the Head of Astrophysics at Imperial College has been fantastic. He’s been very tough on me but that’s what I wanted. I didn’t want an easy ride. I didn’t want an Honorary PhD. I wanted the real thing, which I worked for. So yeah, I had to really - really, really focus down and it’s a joy though. It’s been a lot of pleasure to me. MF: Do you find it more rewarding than music? BM: No, I wouldn’t say that. It’s just very different and I enjoy having different facets to my life. In fact one really refreshes the other, I find. It’s nice to exercise your brain in different ways. JG: So no regrets then for dropping the astronomy in the first place to go into Queen? BM: No. I’m sure it was the right decision. I always used to say in answer to that question, that astronomy benefited from the fact that I took up music. (All laugh) MF: You could’ve been a really famous astronomer.

BM: (BM laughs) Well you know, it’s funny, I think, my conclusion is that you have to take big steps, not small steps, ‘cos if I hadn’t wholeheartedly plunged into music and made a success of that, then I am sure I wouldn’t be here now. JG: So what are you gonna do now? How much time will you continue to dedicate to astronomy? Will you still have time for music? BM: Oh yeah. I’ll still have time for music, yeah. I’m not sure how it’s gonna pan out in terms of time. I really did go for it the last few months and I haven’t done much music recently, but we’re in the studio with Paul Rodgers in October, pretty intensively for a month or so, so I’ll be heavily back into it. I’m also doing music for the astronomy world, because I’m planning a concert out here in La Palma for the inauguration of the biggest, what will be the biggest telescope in the world, so I’m writing music for that and we’ll be performing. I don’t know quite who ‘we’ is, but it’s in the planning stage at the moment. PJG: Oh, right.

Well it’s good to talk to you and I look forward to talking to an astronomy story coming up and we can interview you as an Astronomer… (Brian chuckle)… but Brian May, it’s good to talk to you tonight. Thanks… Transcript by brianmay.com BBC NEWS | UK | England | Merseyside | May installed as uni chancellor May installed as uni chancellor Dr May studied Astrophysics in London in his 20s Queen guitarist Brian May has been formally installed as the Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. The 60-year-old was awarded an honorary fellowship for his contribution to astronomy and services to the public understanding of science last year. He studied Astrophysics at Imperial College, London, but put his academic career on hold to play with Queen. Dr May has taken over the Chancellor's role from former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife, Cherie. His duties will include presiding over graduation ceremonies and representing the university on special occasions. He said he was "proud" to take up the role and insisted people were "never too old" to start learning. About 500 people, including university staff, students and alumni, watched the installation ceremony at St George's Hall in Liverpool.

Cherie Booth QC, who served as Chancellor between 1999 and 2006, and John Moores CBE, her predecessor, who served as Chancellor from 1994 to 1999, were also at the ceremony. 'Tremendous role model' Dr May gained a BSc in his 20s, and even used Liverpool John Moores' remote telescope in the Canary Islands to complete his PhD. More than 30 years later in 2007, he completed his PhD thesis, A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud and was awarded his doctorate. The guitarist recently co-authored a book, Bang! The Complete History of the Universe, with Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott. It is never, ever too late to start learning Dr Brian May In a statement released by the university, he said: "I am very proud to be the new Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, and I am particularly touched that so many staff and students are able to be here today. I am passionate about education and lifelong learning.

"It really doesn't matter how old you are or what stage of your life you are in, it is never, ever too late to start learning. "I proved that by completing my PhD, 30 years after I started it. As Chancellor, I hope that my personal experiences will act as an inspiration for others." Vice Chancellor of LJMU, Professor Michael Brown, said: "The ethos of this university is summed up in three simple words: Dream, Plan, Achieve. "No-one embodies this more perfectly than our new Chancellor, Dr Brian May. "While gaining global recognition as a musician, and supporter of the performing arts, he never lost sight of his dream, his passion for astronomy and science." He added: "There is no doubt that Brian May will be a real champion for LJMU and a tremendous role model for our students.

We are delighted to welcome him as our new Chancellor today." Dr Brian May - Official Profile - Asteroid Day CONTACT Biography Dr Brian May, CBE, PhD FRAS, is a founding member of Queen, a world-renowned guitarist, songwriter, producer and performer, also a Doctor of Astrophysics, 3D stereoscopic photographic authority and a passionate advocate and campaigner for animal rights, As an accomplished Astronomy student working towards a PhD, Brian put his academic studies on hold when Queen’s popularity first exploded. Over the following four decades the band enjoyed worldwide success with a musical catalogue that consistently tops popularity polls and sees Queen remain the most successful albums act in UK chart history. Brian has penned 22 of Queen’s top 20 hit singles including “We Will Rock You”, namesake to the worldwide hit ‘Rock Theatrical’ written with Ben Elton which has now been seen by over 15 million people in 17 countries. Also an established sports anthem, the track was declared the most-played song at American sporting events (BMI) and reportedly played over 550,000 times during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Games Closing Ceremony saw Brian making a solo appearance wearing a jacket embroidered with emblems of British Wildlife; he then launched into “We Will Rock You” with Roger Taylor and guest Jessie J, viewed by a TV audience estimated at one billion. A comparable iconic global live appearance was Brian playing his own arrangement of “God Save the Queen” from the roof of Buckingham Palace to open HM The Queen’s 2002 Golden Jubilee celebrations. With a great love for live performance, having played over 700 concerts with Queen, in 2004 Brian and Roger celebrated Queen’s induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame by performing with former Free/Bad Company vocalist, Paul Rodgers. A triumphant 55-date world tour with Paul as guest vocalist followed, the first Queen tour in 20 years, along with the studio album The Cosmos Rocks, supported by a second world tour and the release of two live DVDs and a live album. 2012 saw a return of Queen onstage, this time with guest vocalist, Adam Lambert, a partnership, which delighted fans and critics unanimously.

As an accomplished solo artist, Brian toured his highly successful albums – 1992’s Back To The Light, featuring “Too Much Love Will Kill You” and “Driven By You”, both Ivor Novello Award winners, and 1998’s Another World. No stranger to the theatrical world, Brian wrote and performed the music for the 1987 and 1990 productions of Macbeth at The London Riverside Studios and he has regularly contributed to the live performance work of his wife, Anita Dobson. Brian delved into the world of film scoring when Queen became the first rock group to score a major film, Flash Gordon. Definitive music for Highlander followed, an opera for Steve Baron’s Pinocchio, and a complete film soundtrack created by Brian for the 1999 French art film, Furia. He has contributed to a number of soundtracks including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mission Impossible II andSpiderman II. Further credits, to numerous to list, include writing themes for several TV shows, remixing Queen recordings in 5.1 Surround Sound and designing a Planetarium show in Belgium and Germany.

Brian is proud to be an ambassador for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the charity set up in memory of Freddie Mercury, which has channelled over $15 million to support global AIDS projects. Their commitment to AIDS awareness led to Queen’s driving involvement in the 46664 campaign, alongside The Nelson Mandela Foundation founded in October 2003, with concert performances in South Africa and London. Brian also performed with Armenian Duduk player, Jivan Gasparyan, in the 2005 extraordinary 46664 ARCTIC concert in Tromsø, Norway, 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle. Brian’s songs and distinctive guitar style, produced from his revered homemade ‘Red Special’ guitar using a sixpence as a plectrum, continue to inspire a diverse genre of international artists. His wealth of guest contributions range from playing on Michael Kamen’s 2002 Winter Olympics theme, to producing the No 1 Comic Relief hit, “The Stonk”, and, most recently, recording and performing both with Lady Gaga, and with Dappy on his recent hit, “Rockstar”.

Brian’s creative forces continue, partnering co-star, Kerry Ellis with whom he wrote, arranged, performed and produced Kerry‘s stunning 2011 debut album,Anthems. Brian and Kerry’s second UK tour, which celebrated the release of their version of the single “Born Free”, took a departure from their larger scale Anthems tour, to favour an intimate acoustic evening with Kerry singing and Brian accompanying on both guitar and vocals. This year Brian will continue to play tour dates in aid of Virginia McKenna’s Born Free Foundation with Kerry – the original creator of the role of Meat in Queen’s Rock theatrical “We Will Rock You”. May and Ellis are currently working on the follow-up to the successful ‘Anthems’ album released in 2011. As a lifelong advocate of animal welfare, Brian set up the Save Me campaign, named after his song, to champion all, but predominantly British, wildlife. Save Me works at grass roots level in conjunction with a local animal rescue and re-homing centre as well as being a player alongside the major animal welfare groups.

Brian has been a leading inspiration in the fight against fox hunting and the ongoing fight against the proposed UK badger cull and his work led to him recently being awarded the honour of “Campaigner of the Year” by IFAW, the International fund for Animal Welfare. This work continues through the Save-Me website which can be found at , also at . Brian has always retained his keen passion for Astronomy and in 2006, after a 30-year break, he returned to Astrophysics and his doctoral thesis. Already the recipient of honorary degrees from the Universities of Hertfordshire, Exeter and Liverpool John Moores, upon submission of his updated thesis on the Motions of Interplanetary Dust, Brian achieved his full PhD degree from Imperial College, London, in 2007. He subsequently accepted a post of Visiting Researcher to continue his work in Astronomy and following a 5 year post as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores, Brian now holds the honorary position of Chancellor Emeritus. 2006 saw Brian co-author his first book, Bang! The Complete History of the Universe, with Sir Patrick Moore and Dr Chris Lintott.

This illustrated astrophysics book, now been published in 20 languages, was followed in 2012 with the release of a greatly anticipated sequel, The Cosmic Tourist. Another long-term interest in 3D Photography led to the publication of Brian’s second book. Co-authored with Elena Vidal, A Village Lost and Found is an authoritative study of the work of master 1850s stereo photographer, T R Williams, complete with an OWL stereoscopic viewer designed by Brian himself. He is currently co-authoring a book on French Diableries, due for publication for Halloween 2013. More information on this and all matters stereoscopic are available at Brian’s dedicated website, . Brian was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 for ‘services to the Music Industry and for his charity work’ and is patron to a number of charities, also a vice-president of the RSPCA. Brian enjoys interacting with his fans, who can enjoy updates on his work and thoughts via his website at . © brianmay.com Bohemian Renaissance Man: An Interview With Dr.

Brian May, Rock Star And Astrophysicist | The Huffington Post Bohemian Renaissance Man: An Interview With Dr. Brian May, Rock Star And Astrophysicist 07/11/2016 05:51 pm ET Nick Simmons Writer, musician and television personality. There are things known, and things unknown, and in between is Brian May. First, what is known. Brian May is revered around the world as the lead guitarist of Queen, one of the most iconic rock n' roll bands of all time. Queen's ascent was stratospheric, their reign imperial in its reach. Their music video for Bohemian Rhapsody is said to be, perhaps, the most influential music video of all time, and the first music video that got as much attention as the song itself. Some music critics have maintained that the video lead to the rise music video culture, and thus to the cultural phenomenon that became MTV. All four members are in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and all four have written chart-topping hits on their own. At their peak, they were nearly unmatched in popularity, stuffing stadiums with writhing fans like open, super-sized sardine cans.

Even now, one can still scarcely attend a club or a sporting event without hearing May's riffs; they are trans-generational. While Queen's anthem-centric 70s contemporaries sometimes court a conscious irony to stay properly relevant, Queen remains unabashed and literal. What basketball or football game would be complete without the omnipresent double-stomp and clap of "We Will Rock You" (which May wrote by himself)? It is so effective, it seems, at whipping a crowd into a froth, that the task is left to few other bands or songs to this day. Try playing Bohemian Rhapsody in a car full of people and not hear at least one of them (if not all of them) sing along from the very first verse (including clumsy attempts at the infamous high and low harmonies). In any credible list of the greatest guitarists of all time, May is almost always somewhere in the single digits. Music legends that came after Queen have almost unanimously cited them as an influence, most recently Lady Gaga citing the Queen song "Radio Gaga" as her namesake.

May seemed destined for the life he seized from an early age - he designed his own iconic guitar, the Red Special, when he was just sixteen, and became a classically trained pianist and accomplished vocalist, holding his own even in comparison with Queen's own legendary Freddie Mercury. All of this goes without saying. All of this is, more or less, known. What people usually don't know is that Brian May is also an active and accomplished astrophysicist. Read that again. Yes, as though musical world domination were not quite enough of an accomplishment, legendary rock star not quite prestigious enough a title, Dr. Brian May - yes, as in doctorate in astrophysics - has not only bent genres, but apparently space-time as well. It is safe to say he was the only rock star in the building at NASA, shoulder to shoulder with NASA scientists and engineers, during the much-publicized New Horizon's flyby of Pluto last year. He studied reflected light at Imperial College in London before the band broke, and completed his PhD thesis there more than thirty years later, independently catching himself up on the advances made in his absence while he and Queen took over the world.

He has worked (and published a book ) with Sir Patrick Moore, who proceeded to name an asteroid after May. The list goes on. I picked both sides of Dr. May's brain and tried to bring this stratospheric figure back down to earth, to see if, perhaps, achieving greatness more than once is possible for the rest of us mere mortals. NS: For those unaware - please describe what your specific credentials are as an astrophysicist, and what you study. What does your astrophysics work entail, and what are your scientific interests? BM: Three years physics undergrad for a Bachelor of Sciences (Honors) at Imperial College London, four years post-grad in the Infra-Red Astronomy department at Imperial College, for a PhD in Astrophysics, which I completed 30 years after starting it! And I am a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. NS: What sparked your initial interest in science? BM: Pure fascination, and a wish to understand the Universe we live in.

NS: I understand this was your passion before the band took off - as much as the rock star life is a fantasy almost everyone dreams about, were you at all ambivalent about putting your academic career on hold for over thirty years to be a rock star? BM: I always had the twin passions. I was lucky I was able eventually to follow them both. I think we all realize ourselves best by opening up both sides of our intellect... artistic and scientific. It's really only the last couple of generations that forgot that! If you look at Copernicus, Fox-Talbot, Newton, even Einstein ... you see this clearly - they saw no distinction between the two. NS: I find people often think of science as cold and unromantic. What moves you about it, how can we convince people to be more enthused about it? BM: I don't think you can do much persuading ... people either get it or they don't. But you can just open the door. That's what Sir Patrick Moore did for me. I used to beg my parents to let me stay up to watch "The Sky At Night" when I was a kid.

NS: You attended Nasa's briefing for the New Horizon's flyby of Pluto last year - and you said that they "inspired the world." I found this a fascinating dynamic--your reverence for your fellow scientists sounded a lot like the way people describe you, and Queen. How do you feel about the hero worship of musicians, as opposed to scientists? BM: I think it's all healthy. Most of the scientists I know these days are into Rock Music and vice-versa. Matt Taylor, PI of the Rosetta mission, is a heavy metal freak! It's all good. NS: What would you change about public attitudes and misconceptions about science, if you could? BM: I would try to re-educate people in regards to animals, and by that I mean non-human animals. It's a basic tenet of my life that ALL life is precious, and every animal is worthy of respect and a decent life without persecution. I feel like there is a certain percentage of human beings who will never understand that. So we need to educate, and legislate, and enforce laws to protect every creature, especially those whose voices cannot be heard: children and animals. I hate cruelty, and despise those who abuse any animal.

NS: Do you find there is a difference in reception from the UK to the US in terms of people's interest in science generally? What are your impressions of the cultural differences between how much we emphasize the scientific worldview, vs. the UK? BM: I think it's all coming together. The world is getting smaller. But I fear the world is stepping back into non-empathetic government, by which I mean the Right, those who deny the rights of the poor, the sick, the weak, and animals. In the UK we already got ourselves an awful, awful, disingenuous and unfeeling government. The government's politics are pure selfishness. I fear the USA heading in that direction under someone like Trump. Common Decency is my watchword, and I see the human race in the main heading in the opposite direction. However there are good people out there. I guess time will tell. But I sure do know what the ancients meant when they talked about "Good" and "Evil." They are both walking the Earth at this minute. NS: Even one of your two titles would be enough for an ambitious individual.

For those of us who find the task of "doing it all" daunting - do you think we could all be renaissance people, if we tried? Is it all hard work and effort, or do you think you were born with a natural inclination for multiple fields? BM: I think it takes work and dedication, but also a degree of luck. I worked hard and was dedicated - but I was also lucky. I have been lucky to have shared moments with some of the greatest people on Earth ... from Nelson Mandela, to David Attenborough, to Tony Iommi to Virginia McKenna to Patrick Moore, to great high level operators at NASA, and so many others. I guess the great thing is to be focused on one course for sustained periods ... to succeed in one thing... to achieve excellence. And the great perk of achieving excellence in one discipline is that you get to interact with the best people in other disciplines. NS: What's next for Dr. Brian May? Are you working on anything you're excited about? BM: Finishing an Album with Kerry Ellis after this tour ... and then back for a bonus stint with Queen and Adam Lambert. I'm also working on a few different books ... mainly in various areas of Stereoscopy.

Okay, Stereoscopy is my third passion. But the hardest passion to have is living life to the fullest and dealing with love. I have that passion too... and it's nearly killed me a few times. Brian May is due to release another captivating title under The London Stereoscopic Company - Crinoline: Fashion's Most Magnificent Disaster . The book presents a visually striking 3-D exploration of one of fashion's most disastrous yet most celebrated garments, the Crinoline, featuring contributions from fashion icons Vivienne Westwood and Zandra Rhodes. Brian May Interview 2008 Interview with Brian May 2008 Dream, Plan, Achieve: Legendary Queen guitarist, Brian May, talks to Chris High about being Liverpool John Moores University’s new Chancellor and the upcoming Queen tour. Brian May cuts an imposing figure. Dressed from head to foot in black, the man that is a legend amongst guitarists and Rock fans the world over, still somehow manages to remain humble, dignified and, it has to be said, modest about his many achievements. Now, adding to his plethora of music awards, theatre credits, song writing acclaim and his Doctorate in Astrophysics more than thirty years on from when he started working for it, Dr.

Brian May has been inaugurated as Liverpool John Moores University’s new Chancellor, having received an honorary fellowship in 2007 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the arts, but more significantly for encouraging the public’s understanding of science following the 2006 publication of his renowned book, Bang! The Complete History of the Universe. ‘In all it’s taken around forty years to gain my PhD and I can’t tell you what it’s like to finally achieve something I’d always set my heart on,’ Brian said. ‘When I began my studies, Queen were only just beginning. However, as we got more and more successful, the time to study properly diminished and so I decided to put everything on hold to concentrate on my music career. Now that I’m finally to receive the certificate from Imperial College London in May of this year, it really is such a thrill. Being Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores on the other hand – and though no less an honour – is more of a job.

I hope to be an effective figurehead and to help in any way I can and the overall aim is to bring even more notice to this wonderful seat of learning.’ Throughout studying for his Doctorate, Brian came into close contact with Liverpool John Moores and its staff, via the excellent facilities that have earned the University a reputation of being second to none in the fields of Astronomy and Astrophysics. ‘Although my role as Chancellor is not limited to Astronomy alone but is, rather, across the board, on a personal level I am going to be revisiting the themes of my thesis and we’re currently developing a new spectrometer which will probably be based in La Palma, Tenerife. That for me, as far as Astronomy goes, is the long - term aim but, as always, I tend to be rather busy and the long arm of Queen keeps dragging me away.

I have to say though that Chris Collins and his team have made a great contribution to Science and, as a result, we are now a great deal closer to discovering if there are other planets out there that are similar to Earth.’ Also in 2006, Brian joined forces with veteran Astronomer, Sir Patrick Moore, and fellow Sky At Night presenter, Chris Lintott, to write Bang! The Complete History Of The Universe (Carlton Books) and received much critical and academic acclaim. Consisting of hundreds of spectacular photographs, some of which were taken by Brian May himself, and a text that steadfastly refuses to be The Universe For Dummies it might so easily have become, Bang nonetheless remains beautifully accessible to the novice and contributing to it was clearly a challenge The Chancellor enjoyed undertaking. ‘It was a great experience although I started off with very little self-confidence, to be honest, because when Patrick asked me I told him I didn’t think I was qualified to do the job justice. However, he wasn’t to be denied and the three of us eventually thrashed out every single word.

It was Patrick who almost single-handedly wrote the first template in next to no time, which is the way he is about everything, and I’m so delighted he can be here at the inauguration ceremony. He’s such a fantastic man and a constant source of inspiration to me.’ With Sir Patrick having penned numerous science fiction novels, is this a field into which the guitarist might wander given that he has already penned songs with Sci-fi themes such as the Queen classic, 39, and also his solo venture, Star Fleet Project, back in 1983? ‘That’s an interesting thought, actually, and one of the few things I haven’t done. I am writing a book on a celebrated series of stereo cards at the moment, which is taking up my limited amount of free time, and, also, my thesis is going to be published, which is very nice. I used to love Science Fiction when I was a kid and have read Patrick’s books. Roger Taylor is also a big fan of Sci-fi of course, so who knows? Maybe. Some of the things people like Arthur C.

Clarke were writing about years ago have actually come about, so it might be nice to let my imagination wander a little in that direction.’ Brian’s thesis is a study of Interplanetary Dust that not only scatters solar light, called “Zodiacal Light”, but also produces the thermal emissions that are the most prominent features of night-sky light. What was it that that made him choose this area of study for his work above all others? ‘Things happen in strange ways, sometimes. The department at Imperial was already involved in studying the area and had already tried to find a Dopler shift in absorbtion rays but hadn’t been successful, so it seemed like a very interesting challenge to take up. It was also something that connected with my childhood because I used to collect everything as a kid, including cigarette cards, and there was one series of these called Glory Of The Heavens, with one of the cards showing a representation of Zodiacal Light I’d always found fascinating. So, when the research was explained to me, something must have resonated at the back of my mind from way back then.

It’s also a pretty dark corner of astronomy because Interplanetary Dust is so hard to measure and finding an untrodden path to follow is always good, I think. It’s becoming something of a trendy area of study now, actually, because we have found dust clouds around other stars, but there is still plenty more to discover as always with these things.’ Brian was forced to give up his initial studies as Queen became the massive success they are, though this did not mean the guitarist ever turned his back on his passion entirely. Despite finding it difficult to find adequate time to indulge in his passion for the stars as much as he would have liked, May was still able to keep up to date with developments. ‘I couldn’t possibly have kept up with studying as I was, but I did keep in touch with what was happening in the field through reading as much as possible and, also, through my friends who continued their work over the years. I actually began finishing my thesis on the last legs of the Queen and Paul Rodgers tour of 2006, which worked incredibly well.

I went back to my hotel room after being involved in this massive high from being on stage night after night and found I could just immerse myself in my work.’ The next Queen + Paul Rodgers tour kicks off in Moscow during September and will, for the first time since 1979’s Crazy Tour, see Brian and surviving Queen co-hort, Roger Taylor, playing Queen hits in Liverpool along the way. ‘Planning a tour all depends on what is available at the right time and you always get a couple of itineraries coming your way until something is finalised. I didn’t realise it had been that long since we’d played here but I do remember playing both The Empire and The Stadium in years past very well indeed. This time around though it will be in the new Arena, which I can’t wait to see. Queen and Liverpool go back a very long way, when we used to spend half our lives on the road and sleeping on people’s floors.

We played The Cavern too, of course, and have one of the bricks stencilled with the band’s name outside of the new building, which is great, but that was pretty late into our career and we’d got to the point, almost, when we thought we were never going to get asked. It was a real thrill when we were though and I’m really looking forward to playing here again. It’s pretty frightening gearing up for a tour. Its an all consuming thing once you press the button that set the wheels in motion and the beast that is Queen comes alive. But we all get the same buzz once the adrenaline starts to flow. Once the halls become available, the set design falls into place and then the rehearsals are upon you. It’s like a gathering storm of stuff that has to be done, which seemed such a long way away to when we first thought about going on the road again, last October in this case. We have to finish the new album, so there’s still plenty to do between now and when the first gigs happen, but I’m sure we’ll manage it all somehow. We always seem to. Who knows this might be the last tour, so you’d better come,’ he laughed.

Brian also revealed that there are plans afoot to stage a sequel to the smash hit musical, We Will Rock You. ‘The success of Rock You has been very satisfying for me personally. Every time I go into the Dominion Theatre the place is full, which is just amazing, and the fact that people come back time and again, even more so. The success of the show lies in the fact that there is always something new to see with each Company we have and our new Galileo, Ricardo Alfonso, has a voice to die for. He’s astonishing.’ The musical opened in West End on May 14th, 2002, with Tony Vincent, Hannah Jane Fox, Sharon D. Clarke and Kerry Ellis in the principal roles and became an instant audience favourite, despite varied responses from critics. The story takes place in a tongue-in-cheek dystopian future where originality and individualism are shunned and a lone “Dreamer” appears, fulfiling a prophecy that will enable the return of Rock ‘n’ Roll. ‘We also like to try to keep things as fresh as possible by updating the script as the need arises.

Just about two million people have seen the show now, so we must be doing something right, and we’re hoping that the sequel will be the first to run concurrently with its original in the West End. Ben [Elton] has already written the script, which is fantastic, and the whole thing is just one more brand new and very exciting challenge,’ Brian smiled. With regards to the funding scientific research is afforded in the UK, however, Dr. Brian May CBE, Hon DSc, ARCS and FRAS is less upbeat. ‘I think it’s a real shame that research is so under funded, although I hope the situation will change as the people at the top change. Everyone is going through a somewhat horrific time at the moment with regards to science in this country, I’m afraid, and it’s wrecking our position in the international community, which is a rather sorry state of affairs it has to be said. Hopefully, like I say, this will change sooner rather than later, although it may not be soon enough for some.’ Celebrities With Advanced Degrees Celebrities With Advanced Degrees Tweet Stars In and Out of the Classroom What do Ashley Judd, Art Garfunkel, and Bill Cosby have in common? They all have master’s degrees!

Many award-winning actors, performers, radio personalities, and athletes have once walked across the stage to receive a diploma, from bachelor’s degrees to PhDs, and while many stars studied what would eventually become their fame-making careers, others hold degrees that may surprise fans. Whether they obtained their degree (or degrees) immediately following high school, or squeezed in studying between movie takes, concerts, or all-star games, many stars have worked hard to pursue their academic and professional interests beyond their undergraduate degrees. Here is a list of some celebrities who have gone above and beyond in academics! Sporty Intellectuals Life as a professional athlete leaves little time to attend classes, but these jocks have used their physical and mental endurance to achieve some impressive degrees. Over a decade after graduating from Louisiana State University , and amidst his sensational career, Shaquille O’Neal headed online to obtain his MBA from the University of Phoenix , and then earned his doctorate degree from Barry University . Similarly, WNBA star Lisa Leslie graduated with an MBA from the University of Phoenix years after her undergraduate career at University of Southern California . Meanwhile, Ultimate Fighting Champion Terry Martin brings his smarts to every match.

Martin has a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Concordia University in Chicago, and is currently working toward his doctorate from the Adler School of Professional Psychology . The School of Rock These musicians may rock hard, but they study even harder. Queen songwriter and guitarist Brian May really is a champion of astrophysics. He received both his bachelor of science and PhD from Imperial College London . Today, he serves as the Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University . Dexter Holland of the band Offspring has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in molecular biology from the University of Southern California. He was even a PhD candidate before he decided to pursue his musical career. Art Garfunkel excelled in academics early on in his musical career in New York City. Garfunkel received both a BA in art history and an MA in mathematics from Columbia University . Tom Scholz, founder of the band Boston, has certainly put his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to good use. He invented the Rockman guitar amplifier to capture the “true Boston” sound.

No One’s Acting Dumb Here Some of these actors learned their stagecraft the traditional way, and others decided to pursue interests outside of the arts, but all have made a big impact on and off the big screen. The Master of Fine Arts program at the Yale University School of Drama has trained some of the world’s biggest stars. Meryl Streep, Angela Basset, Paul Giamatti, Lance Reddick, Sigourney Weaver, and Liev Schreiber are just a few among this prestigious program’s many notable alum. After earning a BA in English from the University of California-Los Angeles , James Franco went on to graduate with an MFA in writing from Columbia University. Now he is earning his PhD in English from Yale University , and is teaching at his alma mater, UCLA. Ashley Judd can be seen cheering on her undergraduate alma mater, the University of Kentucky , at plenty of sporting events, but her loyalties may be divided these days. Judd earned her master’s in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2009. The X-Files and Californication star David Duchovny also has an impressive background in academics.

After receiving his BA in English literature from Princeton University , Duchovny went on to earn his MA in English Literature from Yale University, and began a PhD program at Yale before concentrating on his acting. Former Blossom star Mayim Bialik puts her academics to excellent use in her current role as a neuroscientist on The Big Band Theory. Dr. Bialik earned a BS in neuroscience, a BA in Hebrew and Jewish studies, and a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA before returning to acting in 2010. These Degrees Are No Joke These guys didn’t go to college to clown around, at least not in the classroom. Rowan Atkinson, more commonly known as “Mr. Bean”, has a master’s of sciences in electrical engineering from The Queen’s College, Oxford . Hangover and Community funnyman Ken Jeong knows exactly how to tickle your funny bone because his is actually a licensed physician. Jeong studied zoology as an undergraduate at Duke University , before earning his MD at the University of North-Carolina-Chapel Hill . He even finished his internal medicine residency before trying his hand at comedy. After taking a break from academics to pursue comedy, Bill Cosby was awarded a special bachelor’s degree from Temple University .

Cosby did not stop there; he immediately went on to earn his master’s degree and doctorate in education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst . Many of these stars had to juggle school, careers, and more to earn an advanced degree, but all of their hard work paid off in the end. While many students are not sure what they would like to continue studying right after their undergraduate careers, it is never too late to go back to school and earn an advanced degree! Celebrities with Degrees That Will Surprise You | TakePart Share Celebrities with Degrees: Famous and Highly Educated It’s easier on us all to think of celebrities as just a group of pretty faces. But plenty of actors, musicians, and models have pursued academia in addition to their careers. Here are 15 celebrities with surprising degrees. (Photo: Grant Faint/Getty Images) Ray Romano You’d hardly guess it from his humorous roles now, but Ray Romano used to be a number cruncher. The comedic actor has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Queens College in New York City. (Photo: Michael Caulfield/Getty Images) Christy Turlington Calvin Klein may have defined her, but Christy Turlington also pursued education while she modeled.

The foxy brunette has a bachelor’s degree in comparative religion and eastern philosophy from NYU and a master’s in public health from Columbia University. (Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) Ron Jeremy Easily the most surprising of the celebrities with degrees. Ron Jeremy is decidedly situated in the…ahem…adult arena, but back in the day, he had a soft spot for helping kids. The famous porn star has a B.A. in education and a master’s degree in special education from Queens College in New York. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Greg Graffin After founding Bad Religion in high school, Greg Graffin set his sights on education, too. He double-majored in anthropology and geology at UCLA, then pursued a master’s in geology. Next, he earned a Ph.D. from Cornell University, all while leading his band. (Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images) James Franco Starting with a bachelor’s degree at UCLA, then moving on to an MFA at Columbia University and a Ph.D. in English at Yale, James Franco has earned a reputation for himself as an academic actor.

(Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images) Dolph Lundgren Known for his hulking physique as Russian boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV and Gunner Jensen in The Expendables, Dolph Lundgren doesn’t seem like he’d be at home in a lab coat. Wrong. He’s got a genius-level IQ of 160 and a master’s in chemical engineering. (Photo: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images) Brian May These days, people look at Brian May and think just one thing: Queen. But prior to blowing minds with his rock music, the musician was (and still is) a science geek. He earned a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College London, and now serves as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. (Photo: Mike Marsland/Getty Images) Mayim Bialik “Brainiac” would have been a better screenname for this Blossom star. Mayim Bialik triple majored as an undergrad at UCLA in Hebrew, Jewish studies, and neuroscience and then stayed to earn her Ph.D. (Photo: Francois G. Durand/Getty Images) Hill Harper What can’t Hill Harper do?

The skilled CSI: NY actor could have taken his career any number of directions: he holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University. (Photo: Amy Graves/Getty Images) Brooke Shields She’s got a mug that has turned heads for decades, but that’s not all that Brooke Shields has going for her. Behind that lovely face is a sharp brain. The actress and model earned a bachelor’s degree in French Literature at Princeton. (Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images) Kenny Chesney Before he was crooning into microphones and drawing crowds at honky tonk bars, Kenny Chesney went to college at East Tennessee State. The country music heartthrob holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising. (Photo: D. Dipasupil/Getty Images) Eva Longoria Long before she was walking red carpets, Eva Longoria was pursuing kinesiology, the study of human movement. She got her bachelor’s degree in the subject from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. (Photo: D. Dipasupil/Getty Images) David Macklovitch Few things are cooler than an electrofunk musician who’s also a professor. That’s David Macklovitch.

The guitarist/singer holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in French literature and teaches at Columbia University, earning a Ph.D when he’s not on tour. (Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images) Lisa Kudrow She played up the stereotype of the spacy blonde for years on Friends, but the real-life Lisa Kudrow is anything but. The actress has a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from Vassar College. (Photo: Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images) Jay Leno Maybe it was a warm-up to getting people on the street to answer questions for The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Comedian and TV host Jay Leno has a bachelor’s degree in speech therapy from Emerson College. (Photo: Lisa Lake/Getty Images) Brian May Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth Brian May Net Worth Brian May net worth: $175 Million Brian May Net Worth: Brian May is an English musician, singer, songwriter and astrophysicist who has a net worth of $175 million dollars. Born Brian Harold May on July 19, 1947, in Hampton, London, England, he rose to international fame as the guitarist of Queen.

In addition to being a founding member of Queen, May is also a Doctor of Astrophysics, 3D stereoscopic photographic authority and a passionate advocate and campaigner for animal rights. A diligent Astronomy student working towards a PhD, Brian decided to put his academic studies at hold as Queen's popularity first exploded. Ever since the groups' formation in 1970, the band enjoyed worldwide success with a number of hit singles including the most recognizable rock anthems, "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions". Using a home-built guitar named "Red Special", he gave his contribution to many compositions "Tie Your Mother Down", "I Want It All", "We Will Rock You", "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "Who Wants to Live Forever". Just like other band members, May's fortune has constantly swelled even after the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1991. Thanks to his contributions to the music industry and charity work, he was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2005.

Two years later, he finally earned a Ph.D in astrophysics from Imperial College in 2007 and served as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013. He currently resides in Windlesham, Surrey.

Question: In what academic discipline does Queen guitarist Brian May hold a PhD from Imperial College , London ?
Answer: ASTROPHYSICS