Raisin receipts remembered
Fancy dress, foam fights, Latin in fine script and general frivolity: many of our alumni will have fond memories of their own Raisin Monday. It’s a tradition unique to St…
Category: Nostalgia
From lab to legacy
Catherine (Kay) Elder (BSc Hons 1970) joined the pioneering team responsible for the birth of the first ‘test tube baby’ after they opened Bourn Hall Clinic, the world’s first IVF…
Time for the next chapter
Elaine Whiteford (née McPherson) (MA 1986) had aspired to be a writer since her first year at St Andrews. After a successful career in local government – and a few…
In memory of Malika Aly-Khan
Fiona Hill (MA 1989) is a leading foreign affairs advisor, academic and author, and has served as Chancellor of Durham University since 2023. She received an honorary degree from the…
60th anniversary celebrations for eight alumni over 80
A group of eight University of St Andrews alumni – all former pupils of Harris Academy in Dundee – have celebrated the 60th anniversary of their graduation. The friends met…
Honouring an institutional memory
We were sad to hear of the death of Sheila Taylor (MA 1968) in August 2024. Sheila dedicated her life and career to the University of St Andrews and was…
A sweet start: from medieval history to Mars. Inc
Rebecca Snow (MA 1995) is Head of People & Organization at Mars, Incorporated. In a prescient move by her academic mother, she and her friends were dressed up as M&M’s®…
A series of unbelievable coincidences
We were sad to hear of the death of Dr Frank Steven, (BSc 1955, PhD 1958) in December. Here his daughter Barbara Kirby (PhD 1987) describes how a series of…
‘Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’: one alumna’s contribution to global health
Professor Sonia Buist (née Chapman) (MB ChB 1964) is one of the world’s leading experts in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Born in India and educated in Scotland, the US…
From Freshers’ Fayre to The Polar Academy: inspiration through exploration
Fiona McPherson (MA 1990) met and married a fellow mountaineer at St Andrews. After a rewarding career in teaching, she recently led an inspirational group of young people from her…