Trinity Graduate Nominated as Oxford University’s next Vice-Chancellor

Posted on: 28 May 2015

Professor Louise Richardson, currently the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, has been nominated as the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

An alumna of Trinity College Dublin, Professor Richardson was presented with an Alumni Award by Trinity in 2009. Amongst her educational attributes are both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History from Trinity College, a master’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard University.

Professor Richardson has led St Andrews for more than six years, combining strong institutional advancement with a distinguished academic career in the study of terrorism and security issues. Prior to joining St Andrews in 2009, Professor Richardson lived and worked in the United States where she was Executive Dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Professor Richardson said of her nomination: “Oxford is one of the world’s great universities. I feel enormously privileged to be given the opportunity to lead this remarkable institution during an exciting time for higher education. I am very much looking forward to working with talented, experienced, and dedicated colleagues to advance Oxford’s pre-eminent global position in research, scholarship, and teaching”.

The Nominating Committee was chaired by the Chancellor of Oxford University, Lord Patten of Barnes, who said: “The panel was deeply impressed by Professor Richardson’s strong commitment to the educational and scholarly values which Oxford holds dear. Her distinguished record both as an educational leader and as an outstanding scholar provides an excellent basis for her to lead Oxford in the coming years”.

Subject to the approval of Congregation, the University’s parliament, Professor Richardson will succeed the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, on 1 January 2016.