Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Our people
We commemorate our history by featuring some of the incredible stories from our vibrant and diverse community, highlighting their achievements and impact on the world.
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Arthur Louis Aaron
Aaron was a remarkable student at the Leeds School of Architecture, and would have been a talented architect had he lived. He held the rank of Sergeant (by 1943 he had successfully completed nineteen sorties over Germany). On the 12 August 1943, his twentieth raid, Aaron was Captain and Pilot of a Short Stirling heavy bomber of the 218 Squadron taking part in an air raid over Turin. The plane and its crew came under attack and Aaron was gravely injured. Despite this, Aaron directed the Flight Sargent and the surviving crew on flying the stricken craft. They landed after about five hours after multiple attempts and Aaron breathed his last nine hours after making the landing. Shortly after these events, a public subscription founded the Arthur Louis Aaron V. C. Scholarship to be awarded to a Leeds boy for study at the Leeds School of Architecture. The first recipient of the £50 prize was Robert Wilde in 1944.
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Ayyappadas Vijaykumar
Ayyappadas Vijayakumar graduated with a Masters in Digital Video and Special Effects in 2013. He was part of the Oscar winning visual effects team for the film 1917 in the year 2020. Ayyappadas was working as a freelance visual effects and motion graphics artist even before he graduated from Leeds Beckett. He has gone on to work as a video editor and graphics artist at the prestigious "Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity" in Banff, Alberta, Canada and as a broadcast video graphics operator and motion designer at CTV television network which is the largest private broadcaster in Canada.
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Sir Bob Murray CBE
Leeds Beckett University’s Chancellor, Sir Bob Murray CBE, graduated from the university in 1972, qualifying as a Chartered Certified Accountant. He is a leading businessman and philanthropist with an enduring passion for education and football. He has served as Chancellor since 2013. Sir Bob has funded scholarships at Leeds Beckett University since 2012. He is best known for his role as the former Chairman of Sunderland AFC. His vision for the city led to the building of the Stadium of Light. His Foundation of Light continues to support the region he is originally from.
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Charles Egbu
Charles Egbu graduated with a degree in Quantity Surveying in 1990 and an Advanced Diploma in Research Award Supervision in 2001. He is a British academic who has worked in the field of construction management for over 30 years. He was the president of the Chartered Institute of Building from 2019 and 2020 and has lectured nationally and internationally in areas of sustainable development, construction economics, resilient communities, knowledge management in complex environment, construction project management, and contract procurement. He has attracted more than £25M of research and enterprise income from numerous research funding bodies and published 12 books and over 300 academic works in journals, and conferences proceedings. He is now the Vice Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University, the first black person in such a role in any UK university.
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Chris Fields
Chris Fields graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2006 with a Cert Managing in Health and Social Care Organisations. He has been working with Leeds-based charity St George’s Crypt since 1999 and has been its CEO since 2014. Under his leadership, the organisation has grown exponentially, both in terms of staff and the number of people they are able to help. St George’s Crpyt has a longstanding partnership with Leeds Beckett Unviersity. BA and MSc students of Physiotheraphy from the School of Health offer physiotherapy service at the charity every week.
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Dee Caffari MBE
Dee Caffari MBE is the first woman to have single-handedly sailed non-stop around the world in both directions and the only woman to have sailed non-stop around the world a total of three times. She studied Human Movement Studies (1994) before embarking on a PGCE (1995) which led to a career teaching in local schools. Dee has been an enthusiastic supporter of charities such as Toe in The Water (using competitive sailing to re-inspire injured servicemen), and Sail 4. She is all set to embark on a ground-breaking journey in 2025 as part of The Famous Project which seeks to create a world record for the fastest non-stop circumnavigation around the globe with an all-female crew.
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Professor Donald Bligh
Professor Donald Bligh graduated with a Teacher Training degree in 1958 from what was then the City of Leeds Training College. He is a strong advocate of the importance of intellectual rebellion and academic fervour. Bligh's career as an educator and academic luminary spans diverse roles, including lecturing at Croydon Technical College, training teachers of physiotherapy, and serving at esteemed institutions like the London Institute of Education, University of Exeter, and Dundee University. He had previously taught geography, geology, local history, psychology of perception and ethics part-time to adults in different institutions for Extra-Mural Studies. He now also supports the Professor Bligh scholarship at Leeds Beckett University.
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Ed Anderson CBE
Ed Anderson CBE was born in Singapore and came to Leeds in 1969 to study his BSc (Hons) in Economics at what was then the Leeds College of Commerce which later became Leeds Business School within Leeds Polytechnic. Over the last few decades, Ed has enjoyed an illustrious career that began with his role of President of the Students’ Union. He served as Chief Executive of Leeds Bradford Airport. He became a Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire in 2016 and was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire on 1st September 2018. He is also a former President and Chairman of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce and was High Sheriff of West Yorkshire in 2015-16.
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Elinor Brent-Dyer
Gladys Eleanor May Dyer was a student at the City of Leeds Training College around 1912. After a few teaching jobs and a brief stint studying music at the Newcastle Conservatoire, Brent-Dyer wrote her first book in the 1920s. She subsequently became a children’s book author with series like Chalet School, La Rochelle, and Chudleigh Hold to her name. In the 1930s she was employed as a governess in Herefordshire. She opened the Margaret Roper School in 1938 which continued for approximately 10 years.
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Emily Scarratt MBE
Emily Scarratt MBE is an English rugby union player who completed her BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise degree from Leeds Beckett University in 2011. Emily’s international rugby career began in 2008 aged 18. She scored twelve tries in her first twelve appearances for England and finished top points scorer at the 2014 Rugby World Cup as England claimed a first global crown in 20 years. In 2016, Scarratt captained Team GB in the Rugby Sevens at the Olympics in Rio, finishing in 4th place. She also represented England in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Rugby World Cup Sevens in the same year. Scarratt was instrumental in the England women's team's two consecutive Grand Slams in the 2019 and 2020 Women's Six Nations Championships. In 2019, she was awarded the World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year and the Rugby Union World Player of the Year (Women's). In 2020, Scarratt became the highest ever England rugby points scorer during the 2020 Six Nations. She was also named Player of the Championship. Emily was part of the BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year in 2014.
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Fabian Wagner
Fabian Wagner graduated from the Northern Film School 2003 with an MA in Film & Moving Image Production. He went on to work as a cinematographer in both film and TV, including The Crown, Sherlock, DC’s Justice League, and Game of Thrones, which won him the American Society of Cinematographers Award. Fabian moved from Germany to complete a diploma at the National Film School of Denmark before coming to Leeds to study for his MA. Fabian’s work on the Sherlock episode "A Scandal in Belgravia" and the Game of Thrones episode "Hardhome" earned him two Emmy nominations in 2012 and 2015.
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Harry and David Rich
David and Harry Rich are brothers and graduates from Leeds Beckett University. The brothers completed BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture and Design degrees, with Harry graduating in 2008 and David in 2013. The duo have a family-run business, Rich Landscapes. In 2013, they became the youngest ever winners of a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, before winning gold again in 2015. David and Harry co-present BBC’s Garden Rescue. They have even published their own garden design bible: Love Your Plot.
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Kadeena Cox OBE
Kadeena Cox OBE, who graduated from Leeds Beckett with a BSc (Hons) degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 2013, is a parasport athlete competing in para-athletics sprint events and para-cycling. In 2014, Kadeena suffered a stroke and was later that year diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Since her diagnosis she has campaigned to raise awareness and funds to support the MS community. She became the first ever Paralympian to win two gold medals in multiple disciplines at the same Games. Kadeena has won a total of four paralympic gold medals, one silver and one bronze. Apart from sport, Kadeena has taken part in TV shows to raise money for charity including Celebrity Bake off, Celebrity Mastermind, Celebrity Gogglebox, The Jump, I’m a Celebrity…Get me Out of Here! and BBC’s Celebrity MasterChef.
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Kevin Sinfield CBE
Kevin Sinfield CBE is one of the most successful players in rugby league history. He graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2008, achieving a BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science before returning and graduating with an MA Sport Business degree in 2015 – all alongside his professional rugby career. He played his entire professional career at Leeds Rhinos from 1997 to 2015, captaining the club to seven Super League championships, two Challenge Cup successes, three World Club Challenges and three League Leaders’ Shields. Since retiring from playing, Kevin combines the roles of England Rugby League’s Rugby Director and the Director of Rugby at Leeds Rhinos. He is also a prominent fundraiser for charities associated with Motor Neurone Disease.
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Kim-Joy Hewlett
Kim-Joy Hewlett is a British baker and cookbook writer. She became one of two runners-up in the ninth series (2018) of The Great British Bake Off and won Bake Off's New Year 2022 special. Kim-Joy received a Master’s in Psychology from Leeds Beckett in 2015. She has written three cookbooks and is known for her colourful and decorative baked goods often featuring whimsical themes and cute renderings of animals. Before she became a famous in the culinary world, she also worked in a care home and as a well-being practitioner for the NHS.
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Kong Kunpaya
Kunpaya was a student at the Carnegie College of Physical Training from 1933 to 1935. His attendance in 1933 made him one of the first students at the College as well as one of the first international students to attend any of the university's predecessor colleges. Before coming to Leeds, he attended Winchester Training College and London School of Economics. He made a trip in 1933 to Sweden, as part of his gymnastic studies. Kunpaya returned to Siam (present-day Thailand) in September 1935. On his return, Kunpaya was the Organiser of Physical Training at the Ministry of Public Instruction in the Physical Education Department based in Bangkok.
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Dr Lok Bhattarai
Dr Lok Bhattarai graduated in 2013 with a PhD in Health and Community Studies and was a finalist for the Business and Innovation award in the Study UK Alumni Awards in 2023. Since graduating, Dr Bhattarai has influenced the national public policy landscape in Nepal substantially. He was invited by the Nepal government in 2022 as an expert to work with senior political and administrative leaders for planning and designing the country’s industrial development plan on entrepreneurship, innovation, productivity and international trade. Dr Bhattarai has published several op-ed articles on national issues in Nepal about economic development, social justice, entrepreneurship and higher education.
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Lucy Bronze MBE
Lucy Bronze MBE graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2013, where she studied BSc (Hons) Sports Studies. She is one of England football’s most decorated players and widely known as the best right-back in the world. She has made over 100 appearances for her country. Lucy was a member of the historic Lionesses team that won the 2022 UEFA European Championship and played in every match in the Lionesses run to the World Cup final in 2023. During her career, Lucy has been named the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, the Best FIFA Women’s Player in 2020, the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year on two occasions, and a runner up for the Women’s Ballon d’Or in 2019. In August 2022, she received the Freedom of London after the Lionesses' European triumph.
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Rose English
Rose English graduated with a Fine Art degree in 1973. She has emerged from the conceptual art, dance, and feminist scenes of 1970’s Britain to become one of the most influential performance artists working today. Her uniquely interdisciplinary work combines elements of theatre, circus, opera and poetry to explore themes of gender politics, the identity of the performer and the metaphysics of presence. Her awards include the Time Out Performance Award, the Wingate Scholarship and the Paul Hamlyn Award for Artists.
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Rudimental
Piers Agget and Kesi Dryden make up half of dance act Rudimental. Both graduated with a BSc (Hons) Creative Music and Sound Technology in 2008. Since forming Rudimental in 2010 the group have gone on to receive worldwide acclaim. With their platinum album topping the charts in 2013 and three number one singles, Rudimental have only grown. As well as having toured extensively in the UK, Rudimental have also toured in Europe, Australia and the USA.
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Sam Quek MBE
Sam Quek MBE is an English television personality and former field hockey player. She played as a defender for both the England and Great Britain teams, wearing squad number 13, and won gold as part of the British team at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sam graduated in 2010 with a BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science. Her career has gone beyond the world of playing sport to presenting various television sports shows, including American football on the BBC, rugby union on Channel 5, field hockey on BT Sport, and football for Channel 4 and LFC TV. She has appeared as a contestant on shows such as I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2016 and Celebrity Masterchef in 2020, where she was among the top three. In 2021, Quek became a team captain on the BBC One sports panel show, Question of Sport
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Tom Williams
Tom Williams is the Chief Operating Officer of parkrun Global. Tom studied at Leeds Beckett and graduated in 2005 with an MSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science. In 2007 Tom helped to set up Woodhouse Moor parkrun, the first event outside of London and the fourth parkrun in the world. In 2011 Tom left his job as a lecturer at the University of Leeds to work full-time for parkrun and is now responsible for parkrun’s global development strategy and all operational processes across all 19 existing parkrun territories. Tom is also the founder of Leeds based running club Hyde Park Harriers and is the co-founder and one of the hosts of the popular running podcast Marathon Talk.
