Dame Katherine Grainger PhD will be standing down from her role as Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University on 15 June, to take up a new role as Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.
Best known for her incredible achievements in rowing as the first British woman to win medals at five successive Olympics, Katherine is also passionate about academia and human rights and completed a PhD focusing on the implications of whole-life prison sentences. She was made Dame by the Queen in 2017 and in the same year was appointed Chair of UK Sport.
I have simply loved being Chancellor at Oxford Brookes during the past five years. Getting to know the staff and the students has been an enormous pleasure and privilege. Learning more about the University has made me increasingly aware of the incredible work that it does and the immensely valuable role it holds within the local community. r.
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chancellor of Oxford Brookes
Having been in the role of Chancellor since 2015 and involved with Oxford Brookes for longer, Katherine has made a remarkable contribution to the University.
Professor Alistair Fitt, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes said:
“I would like to thank Katherine for the way she has embraced her chancellorship here with such enthusiasm and dedication. She has a natural ability to connect with everyone she meets and has been a source of huge support and inspiration to us all at Oxford Brookes. With Glasgow being Katherine’s home town and the University of Glasgow her alma mater, we recognise how important this opportunity is, and wish her every success in her new role.”
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chancellor of Oxford Brookes said:
“I have simply loved being Chancellor at Oxford Brookes during the past five years. Getting to know the staff and the students has been an enormous pleasure and privilege. Learning more about the University has made me increasingly aware of the incredible work that it does and the immensely valuable role it holds within the local community.
“Being given the opportunity and immense honour of being Chancellor, following in the footsteps of an impressive array of past Chancellors, is something I will always appreciate and treasure. I hope to continue to be an active advocate and friend of the University and it will be an ongoing joy to remain a member of the Brookes family.”
Leslie Morphy, Chair of the Board of Governors of Oxford Brookes said:
“It has been an enormous pleasure to work with Katherine over the last five years. She has been a wonderful role model for all of us at Brookes. The combination of her success in both sport and academia has had particular resonance for us and her ability to connect with our students both formally and informally has been an inspiration.”
The nominations process for appointing a successor will begin shortly.