Professor Dame Madeleine Atkins is the President Emeritus of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge and a distinguished leader in higher education in the United Kingdom.

She graduated from Girton College, University of Cambridge, with a degree in law and history, followed by a postgraduate certificate in education from the University of Oxford and a PhD from the University of Nottingham. Her career in academia includes serving as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University (1998–2004) and Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University (2004–2013). In 2014, she was appointed Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, overseeing university regulation, funding distribution, and the Research and Teaching Excellence Frameworks.

From October 2018 to September 2025, Dame Madeleine served as the 9th President of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge, an institution dedicated to widening access to exceptional students from underrepresented backgrounds. Under her leadership, the College expanded its mission in 2019 to welcome outstanding students from all underrepresented groups, regardless of gender, from the age of 18.

Her remarkable contributions to higher education have been recognized with numerous honors, including her appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2012 and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2018. She is also an Honorary Fellow of Girton College and has received honorary doctorates from the University of Nottingham (2017), the University of Gloucestershire (2018) and City University of Hong Kong (2024).
 

Education

• Girton College, University of Cambridge (Law and History)
• University of Oxford (Postgraduate Certificate in Education)
• University of Nottingham (PhD)

Experience

• President, Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge (2018-present)
• Chief Executive, Higher Education Funding Council for England (2014-2018)
• Vice-Chancellor, Coventry University (2004-2013)
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Newcastle University (1998-2004)

Awards

• Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2018)
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2012)