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QUEEN'S OUTSTANDING ALUMNI
From US Presidents to Holywood stars, Queen’s graduates, and Honorary Graduates continue to make enormous impacts worldwide.
We think all our graduates are remarkable, but some have significantly impacted our world.
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J CLINTON
President Bill Clinton strongly supported the Peace Process in Northern Ireland and played a pivotal role in its delivery. For his contribution, he received an Honorary Degree in 2001.
Queen’s have also named its dynamic leadership Institute the William J. Clinton Leadership Institute in his honour.
President Clinton continues to support the University and played a key role in Queen’s International Conference, marking 25 years of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement.
SEAMUS HEANEY - POET AND NOBEL LAUREATE
World-renowned Irish poet, playwright, translator, and lecturer Seamus Heaney was awarded a BA in English from Queen’s in 1961 and lectured in Modern English Literature at the University. The Nobel Laureate, who benefited from a scholarship while at Queen’s, lent his support to philanthropy at the University. Today, the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s is a tribute to one of Ireland’s greatest poets, supporting and inspiring new generations of poets and artists.
JAMIE DORNAN- ACTOR
Northern Ireland actor Jamie Dornan was honoured by Queen’s in 2023 for distinction in the arts. Jamie has received two Irish Film and Television Awards and has also been nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award. He also has a unique link to Queen’s as his late father, Professor Jim Dornan, was an esteemed staff member and graduate of the University.
SARAH FRIAR - BUSINESSWOMAN
Originally from Co Tyrone, Sarah Friar received a Doctor of Science in Economics for services to business and commerce. Sarah Friar is a business executive and the current CFO of OpenAI. Before joining OpenAI, she served as Nextdoor's CEO, focusing on building stronger, connected communities. Before that, she was CFO of Square, helping guide the company through significant growth and its successful IPO.
Sarah has also held leadership roles at Goldman Sachs and Salesforce and serves on the boards of Walmart and ConsenSys. She holds an engineering degree from the University of Oxford and an MBA from Stanford University. She is widely recognised for her leadership in technology and commitment to fostering inclusive communities.
FRANK PANTRIDGE - INVENTOR
Often called the ‘Father of Emergency Medicine,’ Frank Pantridge invented the portable defibrillator, saving millions of lives worldwide. Dr. Pantridge graduated from Queen's School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Biomedical Sciences in 1939. He was captured during the war and became a slave labourer on the Burma Railway. He survived the usually fatal cardiac beriberi disease, where protein deficiency damages the heart. After the war, he won a scholarship to study cardiology at the University of Michigan and made history in emergency medicine.
BERNIE COLLINS - FORMULA 1 PUNDIT
Queen’s graduate Bernadette Collins has been involved in Formula One racing since her undergraduate years at Queen’s when she helped to design, build, test and drive small-scale formula-style cars in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. One of Forbes's “30 under 30”, an ambassador for the UK Government's “Make it in Great Britain” and part of Aston Martin F1 team as Head of Race Strategy, she is currently a Sky Sports F1 pundit.
“I am eternally grateful for the amazing experiences and teaching I had at Queen’s, which has enabled me to forge a career doing something I love.”
AMARTYA K SEN - ECONOMIST
Harvard University Professor Amartya Sen received the Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Sciences in 1998 and has contributed significantly to global welfare economics in his long career. He has received over 90 honorary degrees from universities worldwide, including a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa from Queen’s University in 2010.
NICOLA KINNIARD - BUSINESSWOMAN
Space NK founder Nicola Kinniard was awarded an Honorary Degree from Queen’s for her contribution to business. Belfast-born Nikky has been awarded numerous accolades, including an OBE, building her business into a multi-million-dollar global brand.
JOHN STEWART BELL - PHYSICIST
‘Ireland’s Einstein’ John Stewart Bell, who graduated from Queen’s with a BSc in Experimental Physics and a BSc in Mathematical Physics, published Bell’s Theorem in 1964, which physicists, philosophers and historians now consider one of the most significant developments in quantum theory. It resolved a decades-old dispute, ultimately proving that Einstein’s views on quantum mechanics were incorrect.