University of Reading - Notable Alumni

Notable Alumni

Academics

• Ash Amin – Professor of Geography, Durham 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
• Michael Cox – Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics
• Sir Peter Crane – Professor of Botany at Yale University
• Andrew Dobson – Professor of Political Science, Keele University
• 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 at the London School of Economics
• David Marks – Professor of Psychology, City University London
• Dragan Marušič – Professor of Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana
• Avi Shlaim – Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford
• John Turner – Professor of Engineering and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth
• A. E. Wilder-Smith – creationist and chemist

Politics

• Anton Apriantono – food technology scientist, serving as Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture since 2004
• Edison James – Prime Minister of Dominica 1995–2000, Leader of the Opposition, 1990–1995 and 2000–2007
• Jan Kavan – Czech diplomat and politician
• Mike Penning – Conservative Member of Parliament for the Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency
• Dimeji Bankole – Nigerian politician and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria
• Rob Wilson – Conservative Member of Parliament for the Reading East parliamentary constituency
• Hugh Robertson – Conservative Member of Parliament for Faversham and Mid Kent
• Mark Prisk – Conservative Member of Parliament for Hertford and Stortford

Music

• Arthur Brown – rock and roll singer
• Jamie Cullum – jazz pianist and singer
• Hilary James – singer, double bassist, guitarist, and mando-bassist
• Liam Howe – music producer, musician, formed the band Sneaker pimps with David Westlake and Joe Wilson (musician) also alumni
• Simon Mayor – mandolinist, fiddle player, guitarist, and composer
• Alan Clayson – singer, composer, record producer, leader of the band Clayson and the Argonauts
• Andy MacKay – member of the band Roxy Music
• Martin Noble – musician, Noble in the band British Sea Power
• Edmund Rubbra – composer
• Twelfth Night – progressive rock band active 1978–1987, formed at Reading University by five alumni
• Julian Wagstaff – composer
• Scott Wilkinson – musician and composer, Yan in the band British Sea Power

Sport

• Cath Bishop – Rowing Olympic silver medallist
• James Cracknell – rowing champion and double Olympic gold medallist
• Debbie Flood – rowing champion, quadruple sculls silver medallist at the 2004 Olympics
• Gary Herbert – rowing won Olympic gold with Greg and Jonny Searl in the coxed pair in Barcelona 1992 Olympics
• Molly Hide, captained English women's cricket team for seventeen years
• Will Hoy, British Touring Car Champion
• Anna Bebington – Olympic rower (who won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008)

Broadcasting

• Julian Barratt – comedian from BBC's The Mighty Boosh
• Keith Bosley – former BBC broadcaster and prizewinning poet and translator
• Richard Holmes – noted military historian and television presenter
• Henry Paulinski – Star of cult Bollywood film Don't Stop Dreaming
• Kaddy Lee-Preston, TV weather presenter
• Julian Richards – archaeologist and broadcaster
• Richard Sambrook – Director of the BBC World Service
• Tomasz Schafernaker – TV weather presenter
• Laura Tobin – TV weather presenter
• Jay Wynne – TV weather presenter

Writing & Artistry

• Steven Atkinson – theatre director, and artistic director of HighTide Festival Theatre
• Wilfred Owen – War poet
• Robert Gillmor – ornithologist, artist, illustrator, author and editor
• Kathleen Hale – artist and children's author, best remembered for the Orlando the Marmalade Cat series
• Mike Nelson – installation artist
• Joan Smith – novelist and journalist
• Richard Wilson – installation artist
• Jeff Evans – beer writer
• David Watkins – Designer of the London 2012 Olympics medals

Military

• Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, MBE, Welsh Guards, killed in action in Afghanistan on 1 July 2009

Others

• Eve Balfour – farmer, educator, organic farming pioneer, and a founding figure in the organic movement
• Azahari Husin – leading member of the Jemaah Islamiyah group, believed to have been involved in the 2005 Bali bombing
• Robin Bextor – award-winning film and television director, and father of Sophie Ellis Bextor
• Clive Ponting – civil servant who faced trial for the leaking of information on the sinking of the Belgrano, during the Falklands War
• Peter Romary – attorney in the USA, philanthropist and humanitarian. Recipient of the 2002 National Law Journal Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award
• Wei Tang – actress, star of Ang Lee's Lust, Caution
• John Tabatabai – law graduate turned professional poker player

Business

• David Atkins - Chief Executive, Hammerson plc
• Nick Candy – Co-Founder and partner of high end property development company, Candy & Candy, London
• Nicky Kinnaird – founder and president of British cosmetic retailer Space NK
• Robert Noel, businessman, Chief Executive of Land Securities Group plc