Donor Story: Lindsay Grant
A degree in Physics led Lindsay Grant (BSc 1984) to a career in technology, developing and enhancing silicon chips for use in smartphones, cars and even the Mars Helicopter. Lindsay…
Category: Alumni Stories
From our families: Edward Playfair
Edward Playfair (MA 1995) has family connections to the University of St Andrews dating back to the early 1700s. In this issue of LINK, Edward discusses the joy of reconnecting…
The Mountaineering Club, a 15,000km journey and saving the Scottish wildcat
Helen Senn (BSc 2005) is Head of Conservation and Science at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, where she is currently leading the reintroduction of wildcats into the Cairngorm National…
Forbes 30 under 30: one alumna at the cutting-edge of neuroscience
Patricia Zvarova (BSc 2021) first became interested in the field of neuroscience when her brother fell into a coma following a car accident as a teenager. This event led to…
Scene changes: from St Andrews to the States
Marshall Bissett (MA 1970) pursued his passion for theatre from his home in Perth to St Andrews, and beyond to the stages and stadiums of London and the US. He…
St Andrews: an escape and an awakening
Liz Gerschel (MA 1972) was one of the first women to walk in the Kate Kennedy Procession and has spent a lifetime campaigning for race, gender and disability equality. She…
A million miles from Earth
Dr Mark Clampin (PhD 1986) is the Deputy Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, at NASA, providing executive leadership for NASA’s portfolio of science programmes. He reflects on his PhD at…
A New York Times bestseller shaped at St Andrews
Peter Burns (MA 2004) has spent almost two decades writing non-fiction and working as Managing Director at Polaris Publishing. In 2025, he realised his lifelong ambition of becoming a published…
Voices behind the screen
For Molly Ryan (MLitt 2022), coming to St Andrews for a postgraduate degree marked a change of direction from museums and heritage into a career in film. She reflects on…
Tea, toast and journalism: a career shaped at St Andrews
Christina Mackenzie (MA 1979) chose to study at the University of St Andrews as a nod to her father’s Scottish heritage. She shares memories of her time at the University,…