List of University of Surrey alumni

A list of University of Surrey alumni which includes notable graduates and non-graduate former students of the University of Surrey.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

Academics

Scientists

• 
  Jim Al-Khalili
• 
  Linda Papadopoulos
• 
  John Pickett

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Magda Abu Ras	PhD, 2010	Environmental biotechnologist	[1]
Jim Al-Khalili	BSc, 1986; PhD, 1989	Theoretical physicist	[2]
Sara Arber	PhD, 1991	President of the British Sociological Association	[3]
Tony Attwood	MA	Psychologist
Judith Baxter	MSc	Sociolinguist
Ramon Berguer	PhD	Vascular surgeon	[4]
Susan Blackmore	MSc, 1974; PhD, 1980	Parapsychologist	[5]
Tanya Byron	PhD, 1995	Clinical psychologist and Chancellor of Edge Hill University	[6]
Anne Chamney	MSc	Medical engineer	[7]
Martin Earwicker	BSc, 1970	Vice-Chancellor of London South Bank University and Director of the Science Museum Group	[8]
Nicky Fox	MSc, 1991	Head of Science at NASA	[9]
Gísli Guðjónsson	MSc, 1977; PhD, 1981	Forensic psychologist	[10]
Susan Jebb		Nutritionist
Christopher Jenks	BSc, 1969	Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University	[11]
Kate Jones	PhD, 1998	Zoologist	[12]
John Lennox	MA	Mathematician and Christian philosopher	[13]
Angela Little	BSc, 1971	Educational theorist
Sue Meek	BSc, 1975	Chief Executive of the Australian Academy of Science
Wahid Omar	BSc	Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Linda Papadopoulos	MSc	Psychologist
John Pickett	BSc, 1967; PhD, 1971	Wolf Prize in Agriculture laureate	[14]
Jonathan Potter		Psychologist
Adam Scaife	MSc, 1992	Meteorologist
Stefaan Simons	BSc, 1986	Chemical engineer
Sir Martin Sweeting	BSc, 1974; PhD, 1979	Chairman of Surrey Satellite Technology	[15]
John R. Terry	PhD	Scientist and mathematician
Sein Tun	MSc, 1967; PhD, 1973	Physicist
Adrian Walker	MSc	Computer scientist
Dianne Willcocks	BSc, 1976	Vice-Chancellor of York St John University	[16]

Economists

• 
  Marion Vernese Williams

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Ila Patnaik	PhD, 1996	Economist
Souad al-Sabah	PhD, 1981	Economist	[17]
Sir David Varney	BSc	Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs	[18]
Marion Vernese Williams	PhD, 1995	Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados	[19]
João Miguel Rodrigues Pereira	BSc, 2022	Advisor to the Secretary of State for the Economy of Portugal	[20] [21]

Armed forces

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Major General Nicholas Caplin	BSc	Former General Officer Commanding of British Forces Germany	[22]

Business people

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Pejman Azarmina	MSc, 2005	Founder of Thinkocrats	[23]
Victor Chavez	MSc, 1993	CEO of Thales UK
Robert Earl		Founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood	[24]
David Ebsworth	BSc, 1976; PhD, 1980	Businessman
Prince Abdul Fattaah of Brunei	BSc, 2002	Chairman of Baiduri Bank	[25]
Keith Harris		Chairman of the Football League
Kevin Morley	MSc	Businessman
John Mullen	BSc, 1978	Chairman of Qantas
Emma Mulqueeny		Founder of Young Rewired State	[26]
Alan Parker	BSc, 1969	Former CEO of Whitbread, and former chairman of Mothercare
Andrew Rickman	PhD	Internet entrepreneur

Engineers

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Mike Glover		Engineer
Sir Arthur Hawkins	BSc, 1956	Chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board	[27]
Abbie Hutty		Space Structures Engineer for ExoMars Mission	[28]
Phebe Mann	MSc, 1995	Chair, Institution of Civil Engineers London; Deputy Chair of Council, Institution of Civil Engineers	[29]
Beatrice Shilling	PhD	Aeronautical engineer and motor racer
Azmi Mohd Hanifah	BEng	Engineer and Deputy Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office	[30]
Anusha Shah	MSc	Civil engineer and 159th President of Institution of Civil Engineers	[31]

Lawyers

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Dame Linda Dobbs	BSc, 1976	High Court judge	[32]

Media personnel

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Behrouz Afagh		BBC executive	[33]
Richard Burrell	BA, 1990	Television producer
Claudia Hammond	MSc	Journalist	[34]
Aleks Krotoski	PhD, 2009	Technology journalist and broadcaster	[35]
Paul Morgan		Sports journalist
Róisín Mullins	BA, 2008	Television presenter and dancer	[36]
Sarah Tan		Broadcaster
Deborah Turness	BA	President of NBC News and Editor of ITV News	[37]
Jonathan Vernon-Smith		Radio presenter	[38]
John Warburton		Television producer and director	[39]
Nigel Williams		Radio presenter

Actors

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Ella Balinska	BA, 2018	Actor	[40]
Chiké Okonkwo	BSc, 2003	Actor	[41]
Nabil Shaban		Actor	[42]
Rehan Sheikh	BA	Actor
Wong Li-Lin	MA, 2001	Actress

Musicians

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Jim Abbiss	1988	Music producer	[43]
Charlie Andrew	BMus	Music producer
Lorraine Bowen		Musician
Bill Bruford	PhD 2016	Drummer
John Butcher		Saxophonist
George Chlitsios		Conductor and composer
Eric Crees		Trombonist
Huw Edwards		Conductor
Eleftheria Eleftheriou		Singer
Stephen Farr	PhD	Organist	[44]
Jeremy Filsell		Musician
Nick Gatfield		Music executive
O. D. Hunte		Music producer
Gerard Johnson	BMus	Keyboardist
Cass Lowe		Songwriter and producer
Odaline de la Martinez	MMus, 1977	Composer and conductor
Kathleen McGuire	MMus	Musician
Miaoux Miaoux	BMus	Musician
Michael Price	BMus	Composer
Starsmith	BMus 2009	Musician	[45] [46]
Sheridan Tongue	BMus	Composer
Andrew Toovey	BMus	Composer
Keith Waithe		Musician
Peter Wilson	BMus	Music producer

Other

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Litza Bixler	MA, 1995	Choreographer
Julian Darley	MSc	Filmmaker, founder of the Post Carbon Institute
Wayne Hemingway	MA	Fashion designer	[47]
Sir Alec Issigonis		Designer of the Mini	[48]
Rita Marcalo	MA, 1998	Dancer and choreographer
Sheron Wray		Dancer

Politicians and civil servants

UK politicians

• 
  Jim O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Gatley
• 
  George Young, Baron Young of Cookham
• 
  Kay Swinburne, Baroness Swinburne

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
William Clark, Baron Clark of Kempston	1941	Conservative Member of Parliament and peer
Ann Keen	PGCE	Labour Member of Parliament	[49]
Liz McInnes	MSc, 1983	Labour Member of Parliament	[50]
Jim O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Gatley	PhD, 1982	Crossbench peer	[51]
Kay Swinburne, Baroness Swinburne	MBA	Conservative peer	[52]
George Young, Baron Young of Cookham	MPhil, 1974	Conservative peer and former Leader of the House of Commons	[53]

Foreign politicians

• 
  Hassan Diab
• 
  Ameenah Gurib
• 
  Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Dzulkefly Ahmad		Malaysian Health Minister
Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Atabani	PhD, 1985	Sudanese Cabinet Minister
Obafemi Anibaba	PhD, 1975	Nigerian Cabinet Minister	[54]
Rilwan Lanre Babalola	PhD, 1999	Nigerian Cabinet Minister	[55]
Hassan Diab	MSc, 1982	Prime Minister of Lebanon (2020–2021)	[56]
Ameenah Gurib	BSc, 1983	President of Mauritius (2015–2018)
Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim	BSc, 1989	Member of the Nigerian House of Representatives	[57]
Abraham Iyambo	BSc, 1990; PhD, 1994	Namibian Education Minister	[58]
Rihupisa Justus Kandando	PhD, 1998	Namibian politician
Yiannis Karousos	BSc, 2002	Cypriot Cabinet Minister	[59]
Shukuru Kawambwa	PhD, 1993	Tanzanian Education Minister	[60]
Rolph Payet	MBA	Seychellois Cabinet Minister	[61]
Paetongtarn Shinawatra	MSc	Prime Minister of Thailand (2024–2025)	[62]
Geoff Southern	BSc	Member of the States of Jersey	[63]
Arief Yahya		Indonesian Cabinet Minister

Diplomats

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Peter Hayes	BSc, 1985	UK High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory and the British Antarctic Territory	[64]
Imad Moustapha	PhD, 1997	Syrian Ambassador to the United States	[65]
Robin Ord-Smith	BSc	UK Ambassador to Tajikistan and UK Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan	[66]
Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy	MSc, 1975	Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Syria

Religion

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Sarah Bullock	BA, 1986	Bishop of Shrewsbury	[67]
Gordon McPhate	MSc, 1986	Dean of Chester	[68]

Sports people

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Kate Allenby	MA	Olympic medal winning pentathlete	[69]
Zak Chelli	BSc	Boxer	[70]
Patrick Collins	BSc	Rugby player
Armel Tchakounte	MSc; MBA	Footballer

Writers

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Tariq Goddard		Novelist
Graham Holderness	PhD	Shakespearean scholar
Suzannah Olivier		Writer
Alexander Waugh		Writer
Norsiah Abdul Gapar	BSc, 1978	Writer	[71]

Other

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Philip Fang		Interpreter
Mansur Hoda		Appropriate Technology advocate
Michael Middleton	BSc, 1973	Businessman; father of Catherine, Princess of Wales
Muhammad Ruzaini	2003	Bruneian prince consort and civil servant	[72]

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