List of Durham University people

This is a list of people associated with Durham University, divided for user convenience into multiple subcategories. This includes alumni, those who have taught there, conducted research there or played a part in its founding.

Durham is a collegiate university, so where known and if applicable, they are shown alongside their associated college. Note that college membership was not always compulsory. Staff candidates who have read for higher degrees, like the geologist Gillian Foulger or the historian Jeremy Black, did not join a college either. Alumni who did not take up membership of a college or society are therefore listed as Unattached.

This list is divided into categories indicating the field of activity in which people have become well known. Alumni who have achieved distinction in more than one field are listed in the field in which it is felt they are most associated, or have been involved in more recently.

Durham alumni are active through organizations and events such as the annual reunions, dinners and balls. By 2009, the university claimed 67 Durham associations, ranging from international to college and sports affiliated groups, catered for the more than 109,000 living alumni.

Academics

''Scientific entries who were, or are, Fellows of the Royal Society, have the Post-nominal letters FRS listed after their name''

Astronomers and Physicists

* Karen Aplin – Associate Professor, University of Bristol
* David Axon (Hatfield) – Professor at the University of Hertfordshire and Rochester Institute of Technology
* Gilbert Ronald Bainbridge (Hatfield) – Wolfson Professor of Energy Studies at Newcastle University
* John Barrow ''FRS'' (Van Mildert) – Gresham Professor of Geometry (2008–2011); Templeton Prize (2006)
* Richard Christopher Carrington ''FRS'' – "Observer" at Durham University Observatory (1849–1852)
* Martyn Chamberlain – Emeritus Professor of Physics at Durham University; Master of Grey College (2003–2011)
* Emma Chapman – Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow at Imperial College London
* Temple Chevallier – Director of Durham University Observatory (1839–1871)
* Roger Davies – Philip Wetton Professor of Astrophysics at Oxford University; President of the Royal Astronomical Society (2010–2012)
* George Efstathiou ''FRS'' (Grad Soc) – Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford University (1988–1997)
* Richard Ellis ''FRS'' – Professor of Astronomy at UCL; Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (2011)
* Keith Ellis ''FRS'' – Professor of Physics at Durham University; Dirac Medal of the IOP (2019)
* Andrew Fisher – Professor of Physics at University College London
* Carlos Frenk ''FRS'' – Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics at Durham University
* Nigel Glover ''FRS'' (Hatfield) – Professor of Physics at Durham University
* Monica Grady (St Aidan's) – Professor of Planetary and Space Science at the Open University
* Alexander Stewart Herschel ''FRS'' – first Professor of Physics at the College of Physical Sciences
* Harold Jeffreys ''FRS'' (Armstrong) – Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at Cambridge University (1946–1958)
* Hans Kronberger – Scientist-in-Chief of the Reactor Group at UKAEA (1962–1969); Leverhulme Medal (1969)
* Alan Martin ''FRS'' – former Head of the Physics Department at Durham; Max Born Prize (2007)
* Tom McLeish ''FRS'' – Chair of Natural Philosophy at the University of York
* M. A. Wazed Miah – Chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (–1999)
* Ben Moore – Director of the Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology at the University of Zürich; Philip Leverhulme Prize (2001)
* A. W. Pryor – Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics; David Syme Research Prize (1964)
* George Rochester ''FRS'' (Armstrong) – British physicist known for having co-discovered, with Sir Clifford Butler, a subatomic particle called the kaon
* Brian Scarlett (Hatfield) – Professor of Chemical Technology at Delft University of Technology (1983–2000)
* Caleb Scharf – Director of the Columbia Astrobiology Center at Columbia University
* Paul Sutcliffe – Professor of Theoretical Physics at Durham University; Whitehead Prize (2006)
* Elizabeth J. Tasker – Associate Professor at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
* Sarah Thompson – Head of Physics Department at the University of York
* Samuel Tolansky ''FRS'' (Armstrong) – Professor of Physics at Royal Holloway College (1947–1973)
* Richard S. Ward ''FRS'' – Professor of Theoretical Physics at Durham University
* Arnold Wolfendale ''FRS'' – Emeritus Professor of Physics at Durham University; Astronomer Royal (1991–1995)

Chemists

* Cyril Clifford Addison (Hatfield) – Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at University of Nottingham (1960–78)
* Jas Pal Badyal ''FRS'' - Professor of Chemistry at Durham University; Edward Harrison Memorial Prize (1993)
* Neil Bartlett ''FRS'' (King's) – chemist best known for his discovery of noble gas compounds
* Geoffrey E. Coates – Head of the Chemistry Department at Durham University (1953–1968)
* Jacqui Cole – Head of Molecular Engineering at Cavendish Laboratory
* James Feast ''FRS'' – President of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2006–08), Royal Medal (2007)
* Rebecca Goss (Hatfield) – Professor of Organic Chemistry at University of St. Andrews
* Peter J. H. Scott - Professor of Radiology and Pharmacology at University of Michigan
* James Finlay Weir Johnston ''FRS'' – Professor in Chemistry and Mineralogy, first Durham FRS (elected 1837)
* Judith Howard ''FRS'' – Professor of Chemistry at Durham University
* Jeremy Hutson ''FRS'' – Professor of Physics and Chemistry at Durham University
* Rachel McKendry (Trevs) – Professor at London Centre for Nanotechnology
* Friedrich Paneth ''FRS'' – Professor of Chemistry at Durham, 1939–1953
* David Parker ''FRS'' – Professor of Chemistry at Durham (1992–); twice Head of Department

Classicists and Archaeologists

* John Atkinson (Hatfield) – Emeritus Professor of Classics at University of Cape Town
* Eric Birley

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