A new Chancellor of the University
Dame Katherine Grainger, Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, is to be the next Chancellor of the University.
She will succeed Professor Sir Kenneth Calman, who has held the prestigious post since his election in 2006, and she will be the first female Chancellor of the University.
Dame Katherine won a gold and four silver medals for rowing at five successive Olympic Games, the only woman ever to achieve this. In her rowing career, she also won eight medals at the World Championships, including six golds.
This outstanding sporting success has been twinned with high-level academic achievement. Glasgow-born, she is a graduate of the University, obtaining an MPhil from Glasgow as well as an LLB from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD from King’s College London. The last of these was, remarkably, achieved in the same year that she won her gold medal at the London Olympics.
Dame Katherine’s sporting achievement has also been marked by a growing contribution to social development through sport. She is a board member of International Inspiration, a charity that promotes sport and play for children from low-income families across the world, and she has worked with the British Olympic Association; in 2017 she was appointed Chair of UK Sport.
She has also received public recognition for her many achievements, appointed MBE, CBE and, in 2017, DBE for services to sport and charity. In Scotland she has received honorary degrees from Robert Gordon, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Universities, as well as Glasgow, where she was also Young Alumnus of the Year in 2012.
Dame Katherine has emphasised that one of her priorities upon taking up the post will be to work closely with the University’s student body: “I feel a wonderful mixture of excitement, joy, anticipation and enthusiasm at the prospect of becoming Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.
"More than those feelings, however, I feel immensely honoured and privileged to have been given the opportunity to fill such a role. Glasgow is where I was born and went to school. It will always hold a very special place in my heart. The years I spent at the University gaining a Master of Philosophy were happy and rewarding years. During that time, as I learned more about the University and its standards, values and strengths, I increasingly admired it. I have absolutely no doubt that as I get to know the University even better, my respect will continue to grow.
"I look forward immensely to getting to know the staff and the students and will work hard to repay the chance given to me to take up such a fantastic role at my highly revered alma mater.”
This article was first published June 2020.
The Chancellor is the titular head of the University and is elected to the post by the General Council, comprising all graduates and established academic staff. Dame Katherine was the sole nominee for the post which means that there was no requirement to hold an election.
“I am delighted to welcome Dame Katherine as the next Chancellor of this University and know she will bring to the post a strong social conscience, dedication to our cherished principles of inclusivity and real enthusiasm for our vision for the future. I should like to express my gratitude to Sir Kenneth for the wonderful support he has given to this University over the past 14 years. His contribution has been truly outstanding and I doubt if we could have achieved as much as we have without his wise counsel and support. We shall miss him greatly.” Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli