Professor Alice P. Gast

Professor Alice P. Gast, one of the world’s foremost chemical engineers and academic leaders, is President of Imperial College London.

President Gast is widely known for her academic achievements and influential voice on innovation, collaboration, globalisation, technology and the future of higher education. Her views and analyses have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BBC, Economist, Financial Times, Le Monde, World Economic Forum, South China Morning Post and Xinhua, among other global media outlets. She holds a number of government and academic advisory roles in the UK, European Union, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

President Gast leads the delivery of Imperial’s Strategy 2015-20, which sets out Imperial's strengths and priorities focused on the underpinning research and education foundations that make Imperial a great academic institution, the talented and inspirational people who make up our university community, and our partners who make our work possible and help us to deliver benefit to society through our research and education. Under her leadership, Imperial has strengthened its ties with policymakers, industry, philanthropists and alumni, while the new White City Campus comes to life.

The President, who oversees all functions of the College, works with the Provost, Professor Ian Walmsley, who is responsible for delivering and enhancing Imperial’s core academic mission. President Gast chairs the President’s Board which plans for and addresses issues of broad, strategic, and College-wide significance. She is also a member of the College Council, the governing and executive body of the university.