Famous Notable Alumni of Imperial College London

Imperial College London has been ranked as the second-best university in the world for the 2nd consecutive year. This vouches for the quality of education and student satisfaction that the university offers. Building towards the interest, in this article, we have covered the top notable alumni of Imperial College London. 

Imperial College London has remained in the top 10 universities in the world for more than a decade, which marks the university’s excellence in bright colours. Not just this, the university has outrun big names in the education sector in the world when it comes to rankings (QS World University Rankings), like the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and Stanford University. In the latest global university rankings list released by QS, Imperial College London has secured the 2nd position for the year 2026. The university is alma mater of many Nobel Laureates and distinguished personalities who have made significant contributions to the world.  In this article, we will get to know about the esteemed alumni of Imperial College London and their valued contributions to the world. 

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Why Study at Imperial College London?

Imperial College London is famous for its STEMB courses (Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Business). The university is also renowned for its cutting-edge research facilities, sophisticated research equipment, a knack for innovation, and strong industry connections that help its graduates with placements in good organisations around the world. 

Imperial College London’s strategic location at the heart of the city of London helps international students gain a diverse experience, be it in terms of education, socialising, learning about the local and other inherited cultures and more. Let’s learn the benefits of studying at Imperial College London point-to-point below. 

1. World-leading research work 
2. Cutting-edge technologies used
3. Strong global academic reputation 
4. High graduate employability rate due to strong industry connections
5. Degrees accepted globally, enhancing global job and career prospects
6. Dynamic and vibrant city life at the heart of London
7. Strong alumni network and supportive student community
8. Dedicated STEM courses that are often focused on addressing global challenges
9. Ranks among the top 10 universities in the world

Imperial College’s Ranking Over the Years

Imperial College London has remained among the top 10 universities in the world for more than a decade. Here are its QS World University Rankings (QS WUR) over the years:

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Imperial College London Notable Alumni List

Here is the list of the top Imperial College London famous alumni:

1. Sir Alexander Fleming 

The inventor of Penicillin, a Nobel Laureate, the discoverer of Lysozyme and a gold medalist in MBBS, Sir Alexander Fleming completed his MBBS degree from the St Mary's Hospital Medical School, which is now a part of Imperial College London in 1906. The accomplishments of Sir Alexander Fleming do not end here.

Alexander Fleming worked with the army to analyse the action of antiseptics on the deep cuts and wounds of the soldiers in World War I. He then returned to work as a Professor of School at the St Mary's Hospital Medical School in 1928. Sir Alexander Fleming was appointed as the Emeritus Professor of Bacteriology at the University of London in 1948, and later, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1943.

Sir Alexander Fleming held the position of President of the Society for General Microbiology, was a Member of the Pontifical Academy of Science, and an Honorary Member of nearly all medical and scientific societies, globally.

He also served as the Rector of the University of Edinburgh from 1951 to 1954, and received honorary doctorate degrees, i.e. honoris causa, from almost thirty universities across America and Europe.

2. John Coulson

John Coulson got his postgraduate degree in chemical engineering and a PhD from Imperial College London, and later on became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). One of his notable recognitions comes from co-writing a textbook on chemical engineering with Jack Richardson; the book was published in 1954 and is now titled “Coulson & Richardson's Chemical Engineering”. He also became the “first” head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University and retired from the same in 1975. John Coulson also won the George E. Davis Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1973.

3. Jack Richardson

John Francis Richardson, a British chemical engineer, got his first-class BSc in Chemical Engineering degree at Imperial College London in 1941. He also completed a PhD at Imperial College in 1949.

Jack Richardson was one of the founding members of the Society for International Folk Dancing and later became the Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at University College Swansea. A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), Jack Richardson has also been the President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) in 1975-76. 

4. Professor Dudley Newitt 

A Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS, Professor Dudley Newitt went to the Royal College of Science in London (a part of Imperial College since 1907) and got his first-class bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He also won a Governor’s Prize for his work in practical chemistry during this period, and later on completed his postgraduate studies and a PhD as well from Imperial College London. 

Professor Dudley is known for his work in crystallisation, pneumatic and hydraulic solid transport. In 1952, Professor Dudley was appointed as the Head of Department at Imperial College, London and later served as the pro-rector of the college from 1956 to 1961. 

5. Professor Roger Sargent 

A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) and the “Father of Process Systems Engineering", Roger Sargent got his BSc degree and PhD from Imperial College London. He also became the founder and director of the “Centre for Process Systems Engineering” (now called “The Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering” since Dec 2020) at Imperial College from 1989 to 1992. 

In 2015, IChemE created the Sargent Medal to acknowledge research in computer-aided product and process engineering, in tribute to Professor Sargent.

6. Brian May

The former Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) back in 2005, Brian May has received his PhD degree in Astrophysics from Imperial College London in 2007. He was elected as the Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013. 

Brian May has also remained one of the contributors in the science team of NASA’s “New Horizons Pluto Mission”. Brian May also contributed to yet another path-breaking mission of NASA, the “OSIRIS-REx mission”. A co-founder of the “Asteroid Day” awareness campaign, Brian May also has an asteroid named after him, the “Asteroid 52665 Brianmay”.

7. H. G. Wells

Herbert George Wells went to the Royal College of Science (RCS), now a part of Imperial College London, to study Biology from 1884 to 1887. He also became an honorary fellow of Imperial College London later. 

H. G. Wells is particularly renowned for his works in the field of science fiction, which includes “The Time Machine”, “The Island of Doctor Moreau”, “The Invisible Man”, “The War of the Worlds”, the military science fiction The” War in the Air”, and the dystopian “When the Sleeper Wakes”. However, his novels in the field of social realism, including “Kipps” and “The History of Mr Polly”, led him to be called a worthy successor to Charles Dickens. He is also called the “Father of Science Fiction”.

8. Cyrus Pallonji Mistry

An Irish billionaire businessman born in India, and Indian conglomerate and the former chairman of the Tata Group, Cyrus Pallonji Mistry completed his B.Eng in Civil Engineering from Imperial College London in 1990. He later got his International Executive MIM degree from the London Business School in 1996. He was the 2nd chairman of the Tata Group who did not bear the “Tata” surname. 

9. Narinder Singh Kapany

An Indian-American Physicist, a Nobel Prize winner, and the “Father of Fibre Optics”, Narinder Singh Kapany completed his PhD degree in Optics from Imperial College London in 1955. Amused by the working of a gift received from his father, a camera, Kapany became interested in working in the field of optics.

Narinder Singh Kapany worked at the University of Rochester, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. His significant works in the field of optics laid the foundation for many innovations, including high-speed internet technology, pulse oximetry, laser eye surgery, and distance-measuring equipment.

10. Sir Roger Bannister

An English neurologist, Sir Roger Bannister was the first person to run a mile in under four minutes. Sir Roger Bannister got a medical degree from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School (now a Part of the Imperial College) from 1951 to 1954. 

His career later got oriented toward the medical field. He published as many as 80 papers concerning the autonomic nervous system and its failure, cardiovascular physiology, and multiple system atrophy.

Nobel Prize-Winning People of Imperial College London

The Imperial College London has given several Nobel Laureates to the world who have made significant contributions to their fields. Here is the list of Nobel Prize-winning famous personalities associated with Imperial College, UK:

1. In the Field of Physics:

• Sir George Paget Thomson (1892-1975)

Sir George Paget Thomson was a research fellow at Imperial College London, UK, during the year 1955. He has also worked at the university as the Professor of Physics from 1930 to 1952. Sir George Paget Thomson won a Nobel Prize in Physics for proving the wave nature of electrons. 

During his years at Imperial College London, Sir George Paget Thomson became interested in the study of the fission of uranium by neutron and observed its potential usability in war. He then persuaded the British Air Ministry to procure a ton of uranium oxide to test its usability for war and war-like situations. 

Son of Sir J. J. Thomson, Sir George Paget Thomson is responsible for determining the wave nature of electrons, while his father proved the particle nature of this sub-atom. According to NobelPrize.org, Sir George Paget Thomson is more responsible for the discovery of electrons than anyone else. 

• Lord Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett (1897-1974)

A fellow of the Royal Society, Lord Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett, was appointed as the Head of the Department of Physics at Imperial College from 1953 to 1965. After his retirement in 1963, he continued working as a Professor of Physics and a pro-rector.

Lord Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1948 for his discovery of the Wilson Cloud Chamber Method and certain other discoveries in the fields of nuclear physics and cosmic radiation. 

2. In the field of Chemistry:

• Sir Walter Norman Haworth (1883-1950)

A fellow of the Royal Society, Sir Walter Norman Haworth, worked as a Senior demonstrator in Chemistry at the Imperial College in 1956. He received a Nobel Prize for his work in understanding the constitution of carbohydrates and Vitamin C. 

• Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood (1897-1967)

Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, an FRS, was appointed as the senior research fellow at Imperial College London in 1964. He received a joint Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1956 before joining the Imperial College, London. A majority of his work in this regard was focused on the study of reaction rates and reaction mechanisms - particularly those involved in the association of hydrogen and oxygen for the formation of water. 

Imperial College London Notable Indian Alumni

Check out the list of famous Indian alumni of Imperial College London below.

1. Rajiv Gandhi
2. Cyrus Pallonji Mistry
3. Conrad Sangma
4. Anna Mani
5. Kavin Bharti Mittal
6. Sunetra Gupta
7. Kenan Malik
8. Roma Agrawal
9. Mohammad Shamsuzzoha
10. K. P. P. Nambiar
11. Narinder Singh Kapany

This was all about Imperial College Notable Alumni. Write to us in the comments below if you have any doubts.