Chancellorian election – result of vote

We are pleased to announce that Dame Anne Pringle has been elected as the University's next Chancellor following a competitive election.

A total of 5,210 votes were cast (73.63% of registered voters) with none of these being invalid. The alternative vote system was used for the election. 

The University is grateful to the three excellent candidates who contested this election alongside Dame Anne for their commitment to our University and willingness to serve.

Dame Anne assumes the office of Chancellor with immediate effect and will be formally installed at a date to be determined later in the year.

Approval welcomed for cutting-edge Digital Nexus building

Members of the North East Fife Planning Committee have unanimously approved proposals for the University’s Digital Nexus building, a central hub for staff and students, and the new home of the School of Computer Science. This £60 million development is one of the four key projects in our £300m  Making Waves Campaign.

The Digital Nexus building will form the heart of science and medicine facilities on the North Haugh, and will provide collaborative research spaces designed to help tackle major global challenges, such as climate change and dementia. It will also offer state-of-the-art teaching rooms, informal learning and networking spaces, a café, and landscaped outdoor areas for the University community.

Watch the plans for the £142m 'New College' redevelopment 

Following the news last month that the University's 'New College' development had received the green light from Fife Council, architects WilkinsonEyre have created a video showcasing how the former Madras College school building on South Street will be redeveloped through this £142 million capital project, and detailing its sustainability credentials.

Once completed, 'New College' will house the University of St Andrews Business School and the School of International Relations.

L-R: Margaret and Alastair Wood at graduation in 1970; Margaret at Vanderbilt University

Donor Story: Margaret Wood

Margaret Wood (MB ChB 1970) is a leader in anaesthesiology care, education, and research. From humble beginnings in Leeds, she attended St Andrews where she met her husband, Alastair Wood (MB ChB 1970), studied anaesthesia in Dundee, spent 20 years in research and cardiothoracic anaesthesia on the academic faculty at Vanderbilt University, raised a family, and became a tenured professor. In 1995, she was appointed Chairman of the Department of Anaesthesiology at Columbia University in New York, where she remained for 20 years until her retirement in 2016. 

Here, Margaret reflects on her student days, her fascinating career, and the couple's decision to support medical students through the Wood School of Medicine Fund.

You can find out more about scholarships at St Andrews – one of the key projects in the Making Waves Campaign – below.   

Finalists announced for 27th St Andrews Prize for the Environment

The finalists for the 27th edition of the St Andrews Prize for the Environment have been announced. Three projects, working in sloth conservation, environmental education, and clean water provision, will compete for a cash award of $95,000 to advance their work.

The winning project will be announced at an event at the University on Tuesday 17 March.

Success in South Africa for Saints Golf scholar 

Saints Golf scholar Judd Sundelson has been crowned the 2026 South African Amateur Champion at Pretoria Country Club, securing one of the most prestigious titles in South African golf and earning a place in the field for the 115th Investec South African Open Championship. 

You can keep up to date with all the latest news from Saints Sport below.

Bobby Jones Scholar, Lucas San Miguel, pictured in St Salvator's Quad 

From St Andrews to Tsinghua: Schwarzman Scholars announced

The Schwarzman Scholarship is a prestigious, one-year, fully funded Masters programme in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University, China. The programme offers an immersive experience dedicated to leadership development and is designed to nurture the next generation of global leaders.

Two St Andrews alumni – Anna de Beer (BSc 2023) and Samuel McKnight (MA 2024) – and current MSc Global Sustainable Development student and Bobby Jones Scholar Lucas San Miguel (pictured), have been selected for the 2026 Schwarzman Scholarship cohort. 

Book now: Alumni Weekend 2026

Running from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 June, this year’s programme has something for everyone – whether you want to pit your wits against your fellow alumni in our quiz night, enjoy a glass of fizz and browse the bookshelves at Topping & Company Booksellers, play golf at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, hear from pioneering PhD researchers on our Dynamic Stage, or simply unwind at the Alumni Clubhouse.

The programme also includes the University Public Meeting, the summer meeting of the General Council, a Pier Walk, an ‘In Conversation’ event at the Wardlaw Museum, and a bespoke gin tasting with Eden Mill.

You can even stay in one of our Halls of Residence – with special alumni rates available online while rooms last.

View the full programme and register now via the link below.

Making Waves Lecture Series 

The Making Waves Lecture Series features talks from leading academics from across the University. Details of upcoming lectures are below.

• Tuesday 21 April, Royal Over-Seas League, London, with Professor Peter Wahl, School of Physics and Astronomy

• Wednesday 10 June, Royal Over-Seas League, London, with Professor Rhiannon Purdie, School of English

We look forward to welcoming alumni, supporters, and friends to hear more about the big ideas taking shape at St Andrews and the ripples they are creating across society.

All lectures are free to attend. Please register via the link below.

Diva Opera returns to St Andrews 

Diva Opera returns to St Andrews on Saturday 28 March with a performance of Rossini’s La Cenerentola as part of the Music Centre Concert Series, thanks to the generous support of The Laidlaw Opera Trust. La Cenerentola reimagines the timeless fairy tale Cinderella with vibrant musical charm and comedic brilliance, brought to life at the Laidlaw Music Centre.

Bobby Jones alumni gathering 

The Robert T Jones Scholarships (also known as the Bobby Jones Scholarships) support students from St Andrews for one year of study and life-changing experiences at Emory University in Atlanta. 

Bobby Jones alumni are warmly invited to a gathering at Hotel Indigo, Princes Street, Edinburgh, from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday 8 March. This is an opportunity to connect with fellow Bobby Jones scholars and meet with a representative from Emory University.

To attend, please RSVP to allison.mehlman@emory.edu by Monday 2 March.

Graduate Employability Initiative of the Year winners 

The University's alumni-parent-student mentoring programme, Coffee Connect, has been named as Graduate Employability Initiative of the Year at  the China-Scotland Business Awards.

Coffee Connect is run by the Development Office in partnership with the Careers Service and is designed to support students and recent graduates by fostering connection, inspiration, and shared experience via a relaxed 'virtual coffee'.

The award recognises organisations taking innovative approaches to preparing students for employment. Now in its fifth year, Coffee Connect has supported 5,000 participants, 300 of whom are based in China. 

Alumni Stories

Andrei-Ioan by the sea in St Andrews

Andrei-Ioan Bleahu (MSc 2025) completed the online Masters programme in Data Science at St Andrews. He discusses his decision to study flexibly and remotely, his ambitions to transition into the field of AI, and the support he received from the global University community.

Learn more about the online MSc in Data Science at St Andrews.

JP as Kate Kennedy, accompanied by her uncle, Bishop Kennedy, in the Kate Kennedy Procession, 1967

Fate brought young reporter JP (Paul Jean) Creton (MA 1970) to St Andrews and saw him leave life in the city of jute, jam, and journalism for a career in academia. Along the way, he played Kate in the first and last Kate Kennedy Procession to be held in both St Andrews and Dundee, set up his own ‘cinema’ in the Buchanan Lecture Theatre, and made friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

To share your Alumni Story, please contact us at deveditorial@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Alumni Authors

Dr Amy Blakeway, School of History

Saints Spotlight: Dr Amy Blakeway

In this month’s Saints Spotlight, we hear from Dr Amy Blakeway, Senior Lecturer in the School of History. She discusses leading the upcoming exhibition ‘War, Destruction and Reform: the early years of Mary Queen of Scots’ at the Wardlaw Museum, and her hopes for a change in preconceptions around 16th-century history.

Students' Association Alumni Honorary Life Memberships

The Students' Association is seeking nominations for Alumni Honorary Life Memberships in recognition of the amazing work of alumni both during and after their time at St Andrews. Alumni in receipt of Honorary Life Membership must have made a significant positive contribution to the Students' Association during their time as a student and in the years since graduating. 

Alumni Honorary Life Membership was introduced in 2025, with Mark Bunyan (MA 1971) chosen as the first alumnus to be recognised with this award. Mark was heavily involved in the arts at the Students’ Association during his time at St Andrews. Since graduating, he has continued his involvement with and support for the Music Fund as well as other student performing arts groups. This month, the Musical Theatre Society at St Andrews have honoured Mark with a performance of his musical Achilles in Heels.

St Andrews Music Alumni Network  

If you sang, played, studied, organised, or enjoyed music during your time at St Andrews, the University of St Andrews Music Alumni Network can reconnect you with that community and camaraderie.

This year is a once-in-a-generation moment for our musical alumni, with a number of anniversaries coming up:

• The Renaissance Group/Singers at 70

• The Music Society at 150

• The Madrigal Group at 80

The Network is bringing together those who know what it means to make music the ‘St Andrews’ way to reconnect, celebrate achievements, and stay in touch as this special year unfolds.

Careers Centre: alumni access 

All St Andrews alumni now have lifelong access to CareerSet, Graduates First, and GoinGlobal via the University's Careers Centre. These tools can provide feedback on CVs and covering letters, as well as assist in interview preparation. 

New collaboration from the University Shop

The University Shop has announced a new collaboration with Scottish Fine Soaps – a family-owned business, founded in 1974 with the aim of blending gorgeous ingredients with contemporary Scottish style.

Shop the St Andrews x Scottish Fine Soaps range online or in store now.

Reconnect! 

If you know someone who would like to reconnect and sign up for St Andrews in the News, they can do so using the links below:

Alumni: Update your contact information

Parents/guardians of undergraduate students: Register to join the Family Programme