Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE is the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews in Scotland, a position she took up in 2016. During Dame Sally’s tenure, the University attained a historic “double first”, ranking top of the two leading University league tables in the UK: the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 and the Guardian University Guide 2024.
Professor Mapstone is President of Universities UK for the period 2023-25. At a national and international level, Professor Mapstone has also served as the Convener of Universities Scotland, Vice-Chair of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, and as Chair of the International Advisory Board for the University of Helsinki. She is also a trustee of the Europaeum.
Before St Andrews, Dame Sally’s career was spent at the University of Oxford, where she was latterly Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education in the University, and Professor of Older Scots Literature in its Faculty of English, as well as a Fellow of St Hilda’s College.
Dame Sally was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for 2022 for services to higher education.