Alan Wilson (academic)

Professor Sir Alan Geoffrey Wilson FRS FBA FAcSS (born 8 January 1939) is a British mathematician and social scientist, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds. He is a professor at University College London.

Wilson was born in Bradford on 8 January 1939, and educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Darlington and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he read Mathematics. His wife's name is Sarah.

He converted in the 1960s from theoretical physics to the social sciences through research on the mathematical modelling of cities (working in Oxford and London). From 1961 to 1964, he was a Scientific Officer in the Theoretical Physics Group at the Rutherford Laboratory; from 1964 to 1966, a Research Officer at the Institute of Economics and Statistics in the University of Oxford; from 1966 to 1968, Head of the Mathematical Advisory Group, Ministry of Transport; and from 1968 to 1970, Assistant Director of the Centre for Environmental Studies in London. He was appointed Professor of Urban and Regional Geography at the University of Leeds in 1970, Pro-Vice-Chancellor in 1989 and was Vice Chancellor from 1991. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1994, and was knighted in 2001.

Sir Alan retired in May 2004 after 13 years as Vice-Chancellor. During his time the University underwent unprecedented growth and transformation. Student numbers increased from 12,000 to 31,500, turnover increased from £100m to £320m and research income increased by more than 400% to £71m.

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