List of University of Reading alumni

Academics

• Catherine Abbott - Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Edinburgh
• Fatima Akilu – Nigerian psychologist and head of major national program of de-radicalisation to tackle Boko Haram
• Ash Amin – Professor of Geography, University of Cambridge
• Simon Batterbury, Professor of Environmental Studies, geographer at the University of Melbourne
• Janet Beer – Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool
• 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, British Columbia
• David Carpanini – Emeritus Professor of Art, University of Wolverhampton
• Michael Cox – Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics
• Sir Peter Crane – Professor of Botany, Yale University
• Beate Hermelin – German-born experimental psychologist, who worked in the UK
• 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, London School of Economics
• Jane Lewis - Barnett Professor of Social Policy at the University of Oxford
• David Marks – Professor of Psychology, City University London
• Dragan Marušič – Professor of Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana
• Sarah Mercer – Professor of linguistics at the University of Graz
• Mark Nixon – Emeritus Professor of Electronics and Computer Science at University of Southampton
• Avi Shlaim – Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford
• Nigel Smart (cryptographer)
• Zohrah Sulaiman – Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Brunei
• Kenneth Surin - Professor Emeritus of Critical Theory Duke University, USA
• John R. Terry – Professor of Biomedical Modelling, University of Exeter
• June Thoburn – Emeritus Professor of Social Work at the University of East Anglia
• Ethelwynn Trewavas – ichthyologist and taxonomist
• John Turner – Professor of Engineering and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth
• Janet Watson - geologist
• Sean Whelan (scientist) – Professor of Microbiology at Harvard Medical School
• A. E. Wilder-Smith – creationist and chemist

Broadcasting

• Julian Barratt – comedian, BBC's The Mighty Boosh
• Keith Bosley – former BBC broadcaster and prizewinning poet and translator
• Richard Holmes – military historian and television presenter
• Julian Richards – archaeologist and broadcaster
• Richard Sambrook – Director of the BBC World Service
• Tomasz Schafernaker – TV weather presenter
• Nick Thorpe – BBC Central Europe correspondent ; formerly BBC Budapest correspondent
• Laura Tobin – TV weather presenter
• Jay Wynne – TV weather presenter

Business

• Richard Adam - former finance director of Carillion
• David Atkins – Chief Executive, Hammerson plc
• Linda Bennett - English-Icelandic clothing designer and entrepreneur
• Nick Candy – Co-Founder and partner of high end property development company, Candy & Candy, London
• Gavin Grant – Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Nicky Kinnaird – founder and president of British cosmetic retailer Space NK
• Robert Noel – businessman, Chief Executive of Land Securities Group plc
• Noel Stockdale – Co-founder of Asda

Military

• Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe - Welsh Guards officer killed in action in Afghanistan
• Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas - killed in action in Afghanistan
• Wilfred Owen - First World War poet and soldier

Music

• Rotimi Alakija – Nigerian disc jockey, record producer and recording artist.
• Rick Battersby – member of the band Twelfth Night
• Arthur Brown – rock and roll singer
• Alan Clayson – singer, composer, record producer, leader of the band Clayson and the Argonauts
• Jamie Cullum – jazz pianist and singer
• Brian Devoil – member of the band Twelfth Night
• Falz – Nigerian musician and actor
• Folarinwale Elemide – more commonly known as The Flowolf, a 21st-century Nigerian rapper and singer-songwriter
• Liam Howe – music producer, musician, formed the band Sneaker pimps with David Westlake and Joe Wilson (musician) also alumni
• Hilary James – singer, double bassist, guitarist, and mando-bassist
• Andy MacKay – member of the band Roxy Music
• Geoff Mann – member of the band Twelfth Night
• Simon Mayor – mandolinist, fiddle player, guitarist, and composer
• Clive Mitten – member of the band Twelfth Night
• Martin Noble – musician, Noble in the band British Sea Power
• Andy Revell – member of the band Twelfth Night
• Edmund Rubbra – composer
• Julian Wagstaff – composer
• Scott Wilkinson – musician and composer, Yan in the band British Sea Power

Politics

• Anton Apriantono, Indonesian politician
• Dimeji Bankole – Nigerian politician and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria
• Sharon Bowles, British Liberal Democrats European politician.
• Harriet Cross, British Conservative Party politician
• Daniel Feetham, Gibraltarian politician
• Fred Gardiner, Canadian politician
• Gilbert Seidu Iddi, Ghanaian politician
• Edison James, Prime Minister of Dominica 1995–2000
• Morgan Jones, British Labour Party politician, the first conscientious objector to be elected to Parliament after the First World War
• Shukuru Kawambwa, Tanzanian Government Minister
• Jan Kavan, Czech diplomat and politician
• Rupert Lowe, Reform UK politician
• Penny Mordaunt, British Conservative Party politician
• Tony Page, British Labour Party politician
• Mike Penning, British Conservative Party politician
• Frauke Petry, German Politician
• Mark Prisk, British Conservative Party politician
• Hugh Robertson, British Conservative Party politician
• Adrienne Ryan - Australian politician
• Sophie Walker, British Women's Equality Party politician
• Rob Wilson, British Conservative Party politician
• Sean Woodcock, Labour MP for Banbury 2024-present

Sport

• David Bedford – runner
• Cath Bishop – rower, silver medallist in the coxless pairs at the 2004 Olympics
• James Cracknell – rower, gold medallist in the coxless fours at the 2000 Olympics and 2004 Olympics
• Adrian Ellison - rower, gold medallist in the coxed four at the 1984 Olympics
• Debbie Flood – rower, silver medallist in the quadruple sculls at the 2004 Olympics
• Alex Gregory - rower, gold medallist in the coxless fours at the 2012 Olympics
• Garry Herbert – rower, gold medallist in the coxed pairs at the 1992 Olympics
• Molly Hide – cricketer, captained the English women's team for seventeen years
• Will Hoy – racing driver, British Touring Car Champion in 1991
• Bill Lucas - rower
• Anna Watkins – rower, gold medallist in the double sculls at the 2012 Olympics

Writing and art

• Steven Atkinson – Theatre director, and artistic director of HighTide Festival Theatre
• Anne Bean – Installation and performance artist
• Audrey Blackman - Sculptor, potter
• Jane Carpanini – Artist
• Vincent Connare – Creator of Comic Sans
• Jeff Evans – Beer writer
• Cherryl Fountain – Artist
• Robert Gillmor – Ornithologist, artist, illustrator, author and editor
• Elizabeth Goudge - Carnegie Medal winning novelist
• Kathleen Hale – Artist and children's author, the Orlando the Marmalade Cat series
• Ingrid Kerma - European artist
• Robin Kinross - Writer
• Myfanwy Kitchin – Artist
• Alan Morrison - Poet
• Mike Nelson – Installation artist
• Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor Award winning Kenyan writer of Luo Nationality
• Kusha Petts – Artist and writer
• Michael Rosen – Children's author, poet, presenter, political columnist, broadcaster, activist, and academic
• Joan Smith – Novelist and journalist
• Hilary Summers – Welsh singer
• David Watkins – Designer of the London 2012 Olympics medals
• Richard Wilson – Installation artist

Others

• Lorna Arnold – British historian
• Eve Balfour – farmer, educator, organic farming pioneer, and a founding figure in the organic movement
• Robin Bextor – film and television director, father of Sophie Ellis-Bextor
• Pippa Greenwood - TV plant pathologist
• Bunny Guinness - landscape architect
• Azahari Husin – leading member of the Jemaah Islamiyah group, believed to have been involved in the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings
• Helen Mulholland – Irish master blender
• Lucy Muyoyeta – Zambian women's rights activist, social development consultant and writer
• Clive Ponting – civil servant who faced trial for the leaking of information on the sinking of the Belgrano, during the Falklands War
• John Tabatabai – professional poker player
• Wei Tang – actress, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution
• Ibrahim Taguri - British community worker
• Rachel Treweek – Bishop of Gloucester; the first female diocesan bishop in the Church of England, and first female Lord Spiritual
• David Welch - horticulturist who was director of parks in Aberdeen and was later chief executive of the Royal Parks Agency
• Carl Wright - civil servant former director of the Commonwealth Trade Union Group and Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum