A list of some of our notable alumni. Please contact us if you would like to add or amend this list.

  • William A. Bone FRS - Head of the Department from 1912 to 1936 and renowned fuel technologist and chemist.
  • Sir Alfred Egerton FRS - Professor of Chemical Technology at Imperial College from 1936 - 1952 and Secretary of the Royal Society from 1938-1948.
  • John Coulson - Achieved his PhD from the Department in 1935 and joined the academic staff thereafter, achieving the status of Reader. He is best known as the co-author of the textbook Coulson and Richardson's Chemical Engineering along with Jack Richardson.
  • Jack Richardson - A BSc student of chemical engineering at the Department, Jack Richardson achieved his PhD in 1949 before joining the academic staff where he would later become Senior Lecturer. He is best known for his co-authorship of the Coulson and Richardson's Chemical Engineering series of books along with John Coulson.
  • Professor Dudley Newitt FRS - Head of Department from 1952 - 1961. He served as the scientific director of the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War developing espionage technology for the British Government.[5]
  • Professor Alfred Ubbelohde FRS - Head of the Department from 1961 - 1975. Author of six books and over 400 publications, the Ubbelohde effect (the increase in hydrogen bond lenth due to deuteration) is named after him. He is also credited with coining the term proton conductor.[6]
  • Professor Roger Sargent FREng - Head of the Department from 1975 - 1988. Widely regarded as the father of Process Systems Engineering due to his research and widespread influence on the field. He was a Founder Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1976.
  • Sir William Wakeham - Head of the Department from 1988 - 1996 and chair of the Resource Audit Committee of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
  • Dame Julia Higgins FRS FREng - Acting Head of the Department from 2000 - 2001 and continuing Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Investigator. Widely known for her studies on polymer molecules with many breakthroughs in the field. She is also held in high esteem for her efforts in the advancement of women in the field of science engineering and technology. The Julia Higgins Medal and Awards at Imperial College London is named after her.
  • Dame Judith Hackitt FREng - A graduate from the Department in 1975. She is currently the Chair of the Health and Safety Executive of the United Kingdom.
  • Iain Conn - A graduate from the Department, he is currently the CEO of Centrica and former Group Executive Office of BP from 2004-2014.
  • Ian Read - A graduate from the Department in 1974, Ian Read has served as the CEO of Pfizer since 2010.