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

Richard Lynn

Notable academics who have had positions at the university include:

• Antony Alcock, historian and Ulster Unionist politician
• Brice Dickson, former Professor of Law; first Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
• Richard Lynn, psychology
• Declan McGonagle, Professor of Art; the only curator, to date, to be nominated for the Turner Prize (1987)
• Patrick Gerald "Gerry" McKenna MRIA; lecturer in human biology and genetics, (New) University of Ulster (1979–84); Director, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre (1985–88); Dean, Faculty of Science (1994–97); Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) (1997–99); Vice Chancellor and President (1999-2005); President Emeritus and Honorary Executive Secretary, Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Science (2011–present))^[1][2]
• Monica McWilliams, political science
• Denis Moloney, lawyer
• Fabian Monds, CBE, 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 (Bob) Welch MRIA, literature, former dean of the faculty of arts*

Alumni

Academics

• Alison Kitson, nurse and academic
• Simon Kitson, historian
• Pat Loughrey, warden of Goldsmiths, University of London
• Steve Nimmons, information technologist and industry commentator
• Terri Scott, first female president of Institute of Technology, Sligo (ITS)

Artists and photographers

Oliver Jeffers

Seamus Heaney in the studio with his portrait by Colin Davidson.

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

• Arthur Armstrong (1924–1996), painter who worked in a Cubist style*
• Basil Blackshaw, artist, Royal Ulster Academy
• 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 OBE (1881-1968), Belfast-born artist*
• Jack Coulter, artist
• Colin Davidson, artist, Royal Ulster Academy
• Willie Doherty, visual artist, twice nominated for the Turner Prize
• Rita Duffy, artist^[4][5]
• 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 MBE, artist
• Mary McIntyre, artist and academic
• Frank McKelvey (1895–1974), painter from Belfast*
• Colin Middleton MBE (1910–1983), artist and surrealist*
• Claire Morgan, sculptor and artist
• Albert Morrow (1863-1927), illustrator, poster designer and cartoonist*
• 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, official war artist
• Dermot Seymour, artist; member of Aosdána^[7][8]
• David Sherry, artist^[9]
• Victor Sloan MBE, artist
• George Henry Smyth, 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
• Brian Philip Davis, filmmaker
• 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
• Caroline St John-Brooks (1947-2003), journalist and academic*^[10]

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]
• Ian Wilson, composer

Politicians

• Eileen Bell, former MLA for North Down; Deputy Leader for 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
• John Dallat, SDLP, MLA and Deputy Speaker for the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Mark Durkan, SDLP, MP, former deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive^[13]
• Sean Farren, former SDLP MLA and Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive
• 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
• 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; Deputy Speaker for the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2007*
• 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
• Sean Neeson, former leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland; member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Brian Ó Domhnaill, Fianna Fáil politician and member of Seanad Éireann since 2007^[14]
• Sandra Overend, Ulster Unionist Party MLA since 2011 for Mid. Ulster^[15]

Religion

• Reverend Roy Magee OBE (1930–2009), Presbyterian minister*

Sport

• Fionnuala Carr, camogie player
• Jonathan Magee, academic and former footballer
• Brian Robinson, former Irish rugby union international player^[16]

Writers and poets

• Kevin Cahill, FRSA, author and investigative journalist
• Gerald Dawe, poet
• Anne Devlin, writer
• Colin Duriez, writer
• Brendan Hamill, poet and writer
• Brian Keenan, former hostage; 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
• Aodán Mac Póilin, writer

Other

• Peter Coll, barrister and member of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland^[17]
• Seán Gallagher, entrepreneur, businessman
• Seán O'Connor, businessman and political activist

Honorary alumni

• Wendy Austin, broadcaster^[18]
• May Blood, Baroness Blood, community activist
• Paul Brady, musician, singer, songwriter^[19]
• Amanda Burton, actor^[20]
• Peter Canavan, Gaelic footballer^[21]
• Bill Clinton, former President of the United States^[22]
• Hillary Clinton, former US First Lady, former Secretary of State 2009-2013^[22]
• Evelyn Collins, Chief Executive, Equality Commission of Northern Ireland^[23]
• Seamus Deane, writer
• Adrian Dunbar, actor^[24]
• Joey Dunlop, motorcyclist* (awarded posthumously)^[25]
• Robert Dunlop, motorcyclist*^[25]
• Jonathan Edwards, Olympic gold medal winning and world record holding triple jumper^[26]
• Enya, born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, singer^[27]
• Brian Friel, playwright*^[20]
• Harry Gregg, footballer^[28]
• Orla Guerin, journalist^[29]
• Seamus Heaney, poet and Nobel Laureate*^[20]
• John Hume, Nobel Peace prize co-recipient; former MP, MEP, MLA
• David Humphreys, Ulster and Ireland rugby union international^[21]
• Dame Geraldine Keegan, educationalist^[30]
• Brian Kerr, Baron Kerr of Tonaghmore, UK Supreme Court judge^[23]
• Tommy Makem, folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller*^[31]
• Inez McCormack, trade unionist and human rights activist* ^[32]
• Graeme McDowell, professional golfer
• Ewan McGregor, actor^[20]
• Frank McGuinness, playwright
• Van Morrison, singer-songwriter^[33]
• Vincent O'Brien, racehorse trainer*
• Chris Patten, last Governor of Hong Kong and former MP^[34]
• Stephen Rea, actor^[35]
• Clare Short, MP^[36]
• Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace laureate and Burmese pro-democracy leader (awarded in absentia)^[37]
• Desmond Tutu, Nobel Laureate and Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town^[38]
• Margaret Ward, activist for female equality^[23]

References

Ulster University
Campuses Belfast Coleraine Jordanstown Magee
Faculties and Research Institutes Faculty of Art, Design and The Built Environment Belfast School of Art Belfast School of Architecture School of the Built Environment Research Graduate School (ADBE) Built Environment Research Institute (BERI) Research Institute for Art and Design (RIAD) Faculty of Arts School of Creative Arts and Technologies School of English and History School of Modern Languages School of Media School of Film and Journalism School of Irish Language and Literature Research Graduate School (Arts) Arts and Humanities Research Institute (AHRI) Centre for Media Research (CMR)) Irish and Celtic Studies Research Institute (ICSRI) Faculty of Computing and Engineering School of Computing and Information Engineering School of Computing and Intelligent Systems School of Computing and Mathematics School of Engineering Research Graduate School (CE) Computer Science Research Institute (CSRI) Engineering Research Institute (ERI) Faculty of Life and Health Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences School of Environmental Sciences School of Health Sciences School of Nursing School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science School of Psychology School of Sport Research Graduate School (LHS) Biomedical Sciences Research Institute (BMSRI) Environmental Sciences Research Institute (ESRI) Institute of Nursing and Health Research (INHR) Psychology Research Institute (PRI) Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Institute (SESRI) Faculty of Social Sciences School of Communication School of Education School of Law School of Criminology School of Politics and Social Policy School of Sociology and Applied Social Studies Research Graduate School (SS) Graduate School of Professional Legal Education Institute for Research in Social Sciences (IRiSS) Transitional Justice Institute (TJI) Ulster Business School Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics Department of Business and Enterprise Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management Department of International Business Department of Management and Leadership Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Strategy Research Graduate Centre (Business) Business Institute Business and Management Research Institute (BMRI)
Other Departments Confucius Institute at Ulster University (CIUU) Innovation Ulster Ltd Sports Institute for Northern Ireland (SINI) Ulster Law Clinic UNESCO Centre
Facilities Campus One Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN) Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive (ARK)
Societies and Sports Ulster University at Jordanstown Football Club (UUJFC) Ulster University at Jordanstown Volleyball Club (UUJVC) Ulster University Students Union (UUSU)
Notable Buildings Aberfoyle House Dalriada College Duncreggan House Magee College Old Foyle College Riverside Theatre
Related Media List of Ulster University people