List of Ulster University people

This is a list of notable alumni and staff of Ulster University , and its predecessors, including the University of Ulster, New University of Ulster, Ulster Polytechnic, Belfast School of Art and Design and Magee College (asterisk * indicates deceased).

Academics

Gerry McKenna, biologist

Notable academics who have had positions at the university include:

• Antony Alcock, historian and Ulster Unionist politician
• Walter Allen (1911–1995), Professor of English, novelist and literary critic
• John Anderson, head of the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and co-founder of HeartSine® Technologies Inc. ^[1]
• Stephen William Boyd, Professor of Tourism
• Brice Dickson, former Professor of Law; first Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
• John Loughlin, Emeritus Fellow, St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge
• Richard Lynn, former professor emeritus of psychology (title withdrawn)
• Declan McGonagle, Professor of Art; the only curator, to date, to be nominated for the Turner Prize (1987)
• Gerry McKenna, Dean of Science, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research), Vice Chancellor and President, University of Ulster; Senior Vice President, Royal Irish Academy
• Monica McWilliams, academic, peace activist, human rights defender and former politician
• Denis Moloney, lawyer
• Fabian Monds, BBC Governor with responsibility for Northern Ireland
• Brian Norton, president of Dublin Institute of Technology; solar energy technologist
• Kim L. O'Neill, professor of microbiology at Brigham Young University
• Neil Shawcross, artist and portrait painter
• James Simmons, poet
• Andrew Waterman, poet
• Robert Anthony Welch (1947–2014), literature, former dean of the faculty of arts

Notable alumni

Academics

• Alison Kitson, nurse and academic
• Simon Kitson, historian
• Pat Loughrey, warden of Goldsmiths, University of London
• Gerry McKenna; Dean of Science, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research), Vice Chancellor and President, University of Ulster; Senior Vice President, Royal Irish Academy
• Calum Neill, psychoanalyst
• Steve Nimmons, information technologist and industry commentator
• Terri Scott, first female president of Institute of Technology, Sligo (ITS)
• Ailsa A. Welch, nutritional epidemiologist ^[2]

Artists and photographers

• Arthur Armstrong (1924–1996), painter who worked in a Cubist style*
• Basil Blackshaw, artist, Royal Ulster Academy
• Doris Blair, artist
• Christine Borland, artist
• Muriel Brandt (1909-1981), painter of mural decorations, portraits and landscapes*
• John Byrne, performance and multimedia artist ^[3]
• Duncan Campbell, nominated for the 2014 Turner Prize; 2008 winner of the Bâloise Prize
• William Conor (1881-1968), Belfast-born artist*
• Jack Coulter, artist
• Colin Davidson, artist, Royal Ulster Academy
• Willie Doherty, visual artist, twice nominated for the Turner Prize
• Micky Donnelly, painter
• Rita Duffy, artist ^{[4] [5]}

Oliver Jeffers

• Mary Fitzpatrick, photographer
• Rowel Friers (1920-1998), cartoonist, illustrator, painter and lithographer*
• Maurice Harron, sculptor
• Seán Hillen, artist whose work includes collages and the creative use of photographs
• Oliver Jeffers, artist, designer, illustrator and writer
• John Kindness, artist
• John Long, artist, painter, lecturer, member of the Royal Hibernian Academy
• John Luke, artist
• Gladys Maccabe, artist
• Mary McIntyre, artist and academic
• Eva McKee, craftswomen and designer
• Frank McKelvey (1895–1974), painter from Belfast*
• Colin Middleton (1910–1983), artist and surrealist*
• Claire Morgan, sculptor and artist
• Albert Morrow (1863-1927), illustrator, poster designer and cartoonist*
• Conor Murphy, Sinn Féin MLA
• Martin Parr, British photographer and former President of Magnum Photo Agency*
• Susan Philipsz, Scottish artist, winner of the 2010 Turner Prize ^[6]
• Peter Richards, artist, curator and director of the Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast since 2002
• Markey Robinson (1918-1999), painter and sculptor*
• William Scott (1913–1989), artist*

Paul Seawright's Valley, taken in Afghanistan in 2002. Courtesy Imperial War Museum, London.

• Paul Seawright, official war artist
• Dermot Seymour, artist; member of Aosdána ^{[7] [8]}
• David Sherry, artist ^[9]
• Victor Sloan, artist
• Stephen Snoddy, gallery director
• Andre Stitt, artist, academic
• Cathy Wilkes, artist, 2008 Turner Prize nominee
• Ross Wilson, sculptor

Film and media

Omid Djalili, 2010 Tribeca TFF Shankbone

• Gerry Anderson, radio and television personality*
• Neil Brittain, television presenter and journalist, UTV
• Aidan Browne, television presenter; actor; senior lecturer in Performing Arts at the Belfast Metropolitan College
• Omid Djalili, comedian
• Stuart Graham, actor
• Martin O'Hagan (1950–2001), investigative journalist*
• Michael Riley, film producer and CEO of London-based production company Sterling Pictures
• Lalor Roddy, actor
• Caroline St John-Brooks (1947-2003), journalist and academic* ^[10]
• Arshad Sharif, investigative journalist and anchor person

Music

• Michael Alcorn, composer and current Director of the School of Music and Sonic Arts at Queen's University Belfast ^[11]
• David Holmes, DJ, musician and composer
• Brian Irvine, composer
• Gary Lightbody, singer, songwriter and frontman of Snow Patrol
• David Lyttle, musician, producer, songwriter, composer and record label owner ^[12]
• Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, Traditional Irish singer-songwriter
• Ian Wilson, composer

Politicians

• Eileen Bell, former MLA for North Down;Former Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
• Roberta Carol Blackman-Woods, Labour Party, MP for City of Durham since 2005
• Dominic Bradley, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MLA for Newry and Armagh
• Gregory Campbell, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP for East Londonderry
• Gerry Carroll, People Before Profit (PBP) MLA for West Belfast
• John Dallat, SDLP, MLA and former Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Mark Durkan, Former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party; Former Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
• Sean Farren, former SDLP MLA for North Antrim
• Michelle Gildernew, Sinn Féin, MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone; former MLA and Minister of Agriculture Rural Development 2007-11 in the Northern Ireland Executive
• Paul Givan, DUP MLA for Lagan Valley since 2010; Former First Minister of Northern Ireland
• Kate Hoey, Labour Party, MP for Vauxhall
• Cecilia Keaveney, former Fianna Fáil politician; Teachta Dála (TD) for Donegal North-East, 1996-2007; Senator, 2007-2011
• Dolores Kelly, SDLP, MLA for Upper Bann since 2003; Deputy Leader of the SDLP since 2011
• Alban Maginness, SDLP, MP
• David McClarty, MLA, Independent Unionist; Former Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Basil McCrea, leader of the Unionist Party NI21; member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Rebecca Ndjoze-Ojo, Namibian politician; SWAPO member of the National Assembly; Deputy Minister of Education since 2005
• Seán Neeson, former leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland;Former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Brian Ó Domhnaill, Fianna Fáil politician and member of Seanad Éireann since 2007 ^[13]
• Sandra Overend, Ulster Unionist Party MLA since 2011 for Mid. Ulster ^[14]
• Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats TD since 2020 for Wicklow ^[15]
• Sinéad Gibney, Social Democrats TD since 2024 for Dublin Rathdown ^[16]

Religion

• Reverend James Alexander Hamilton Irwin
• Reverend Roy Magee (1930–2009), Presbyterian minister

Sport

• Fionnuala Carr, camogie player
• Jonathan Magee, academic and former footballer
• Brian Robinson, former Irish rugby union international player ^[17]

Writers and poets

Anne Devlin

• Gerald Dawe, poet
• Anne Devlin, writer
• Colin Duriez, writer
• Brendan Hamill, poet and writer
• Brian Keenan, former hostage; writer
• Aodán Mac Póilin, writer
• Alastair McIntosh, Scottish writer, academic and activist
• Christina McKenna, author and painter
• Nigel McLoughlin, poet, editor and Professor of Creativity & Poetics at the University of Gloucestershire

Other

• Seán Gallagher, entrepreneur, businessman
• Barbara Gray, senior police officer
• Seán O'Connor, businessman and political activist
• Stephen Martin (BSc 1988), former CEO of the Clugston Group, director general of the Institute of Directors ^[18]
• Eileen O'Donnell, fashion model and pageant titleholder

Honorary alumni

• Wendy Austin, broadcaster ^[19]
• May Blood, Baroness Blood, community activist
• Paul Brady, musician, singer, songwriter ^[20]
• Amanda Burton, actor ^[21]
• Peter Canavan, Gaelic footballer ^[22]
• Bill Clinton, former President of the United States ^[23]
• Hillary Clinton, former US First Lady, former Secretary of State 2009-2013 ^[23]
• Evelyn Collins, Chief Executive, Equality Commission of Northern Ireland ^[24]
• Seamus Deane, writer
• Adrian Dunbar, actor ^[25]
• Joey Dunlop, motorcyclist* (awarded posthumously) ^[26]
• Robert Dunlop, motorcyclist* ^[26]
• Jonathan Edwards, Olympic gold medal winning and world record holding triple jumper ^[27]
• Enya, born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, singer ^[28]
• Brian Friel, playwright* ^[21]
• Harry Gregg, footballer ^[29]
• Orla Guerin, journalist ^[30]
• Seamus Heaney, poet and Nobel Laureate* ^[21]
• John Hume, Nobel Peace prize co-recipient; former MP, MEP, MLA
• David Humphreys, Ulster and Ireland rugby union international ^[22]
• Dame Geraldine Keegan, educationalist ^[31]
• Brian Kerr, Baron Kerr of Tonaghmore, UK Supreme Court judge ^[24]
• Tommy Makem, folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller* ^[32]
• Inez McCormack, trade unionist and human rights activist* ^[33]
• Graeme McDowell, professional golfer
• Ewan McGregor, actor ^[21]
• Frank McGuinness, playwright
• Ian McKellen, actor ^[34]
• Van Morrison, singer-songwriter ^[35]
• Vincent O'Brien, racehorse trainer*
• Chris Patten, last Governor of Hong Kong and former MP ^[36]
• Stephen Rea, actor ^[37]
• Clare Short, MP ^[38]
• Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace laureate and Burmese pro-democracy leader (awarded in absentia) ^[39]
• Desmond Tutu, Nobel Laureate and Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town ^[40]
• Margaret Ward, activist for female equality ^[24]

References

1. "index". Archived from the original on 5 March 2001. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
2. "Dr Ailsa Welch". uea.ac.uk. University of East Anglia. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
3. John Byrne. "John Byrne Artist". John Byrne website. Retrieved 21 July 2007.{{cite web}}: |archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)
4. Joanne Savage (18 January 2010). "Rita Duffy profile". Culture Northern Ireland. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
5. "Rita Duffy RUA at Gormley's Art Auctions". Gormleysartauctions.com. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
6. "Turner Prize: Susan Philipsz wins with Lowlands Away". BBC. 7 December 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
7. "Dermot Seymour profile". Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection Artists. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
8. "Dermot Seymour profile". Aosdána. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
9. "Artist's pain gains Beck's nomination". BBC . 17 December 2002. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
10. Wendy Berliner (12 September 2003). "Obituary: Caroline St John-Brooks". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
11. Lalor, Brian, ed. (2003). The Encyclopaedia of Ireland. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan. p. 20. ISBN   0-7171-3000-2.
12. "David Lyttle website". Davidlyttle.com. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
13. "Mr. Brian Ó Domhnaill". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
14. Archived November 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
15. "About". Jennifer Whitmore. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
16. "Chief Commissioner, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission". Public Sector Women in Leadership. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
17. "Profile". ESPN. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
18. Birkinshaw, Julian; Crainer, Stuart (Autumn 2009). "Covert Operations" (PDF). Business Strategy Review. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
19. "University Of Ulster News Release - Honorary Graduate: Wendy Austin". News.ulster.ac.uk. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
20. "University Of Ulster News Release - Honour for Musician Paul Brady". News.ulster.ac.uk. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
21. "University Of Ulster News Release - Graduations Continue at Waterfront Hall". News.ulster.ac.uk. 1 July 2004. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
22. "University Of Ulster News Release - University To Honour Ulster Sporting Heroes Canavan And Humphreys". News.ulster.ac.uk. 30 October 2003. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
23. "University Of Ulster News Release - UU to Confer Honorary Degree on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton". News.ulster.ac.uk. 23 August 2004. Archived from the original on 15 October 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
24. "University Of Ulster News Release - Inspiring Excellence: University of Ulster Honorary Graduates". News.ulster.ac.uk. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
25. "University Of Ulster News Release - Honorary Degree for Leading Ulster Actor Dunbar". News.ulster.ac.uk. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
26. "University Of Ulster News Release - Honours for Northern Ireland Bike Aces Robert and Joey Dunlop". News.ulster.ac.uk. 4 July 2006. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
27. "University Of Ulster News Release - UU Honours Olympian Jonathan Edwards". News.ulster.ac.uk. 19 December 2006. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
28. "University Of Ulster News Release - UU Honours Musician Enya". News.ulster.ac.uk. 11 July 2007. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
29. "University Of Ulster News Release - Honorary Degree for Munich Hero Harry Gregg". News.ulster.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
30. "University Of Ulster News Release - Honour for International Journalist Orla Guerin". News.ulster.ac.uk. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
31. "University Of Ulster News Release - UU Honorary degree for renowned educationalist". News.ulster.ac.uk. 20 February 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
32. "University Of Ulster News Release - Honour for Tommy Makem, the 'Bard of Armagh'". News.ulster.ac.uk. 4 July 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
33. "University Of Ulster News Release - Ulster Honours Campaigner Inez McCormack". News.ulster.ac.uk. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
34. "Sir Ian McKellen receives award from University of Ulster". bbc.co.uk. 3 February 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
35. "University Of Ulster News Release - Graduations Continue at Belfast". News.ulster.ac.uk. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
36. "University Of Ulster News Release - UU Unveils Summer Honorary Graduates". News.ulster.ac.uk. 28 February 2005. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
37. "University Of Ulster News Release - Acclaimed Actor Stephen Rea Set For Magee Campus". News.ulster.ac.uk. 9 May 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
38. Archived June 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
39. "University Of Ulster News Release - Ulster Honours Burmese Democracy Leader Aung San Suu Kyi". News.ulster.ac.uk. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
40. "University Of Ulster News Release - UU Honours Nobel Laureate Tutu". News.ulster.ac.uk. 5 July 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2015.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arshad_Sharif