For 200 years, brilliant minds have been pioneering, innovating and discovering at Manchester, shaping the world as it exists today. Bicentenary Way, a striking new installation set in the heart of Brunswick Park, celebrates these people.
Opened as part of Universally Manchester Festival, the installation features more than 100 hexagonal stones dedicated to key figures from our past including Nobel laureates, distinguished alumni, and those from our founding institutions.
Campus visitors are invited to follow the Bicentenary Way and learn more about the contributions and legacies of those commemorated.
Here, we look at just a few of those featured and how they made an impact during their time at Manchester and beyond.
Innovation taking flight
Roy Chadwick
1893–1947
At the beginning of the 20th century, Roy Chadwick emerged as a pivotal figure in aviation. A fifth-generation engineering enthusiast, Chadwick was educated at the Manchester College of Technology, later to form part of our university. His love for mathematics and engineering was fuelled through study and by 1911, at just 18 years old, he joined A.V. Roe and Co Ltd. He went on to design some of the most groundbreaking fighter planes used during both World Wars, including the AVRO Lancaster bomber.
He was also a great advocate for education, spending the years prior to his death encouraging young people to learn more about aviation.
Making cinematic history
Robert Bolt
1924–1995
Despite studying during the tumultuous years of World War II, Robert Bolt graduated from the University in 1949 with an Honours degree in History. This set him on a path for a remarkable career translating complex historical narratives into cinematic masterpieces. By the mid-century, Bolt had emerged as a leading screenwriter, with films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and A Man for All Seasons, the latter two receiving Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Bolt was also an active voice in social advocacy and protested against nuclear proliferation as part of the Committee of 100. His commitment to the cause led to his arrest and a one-month prison sentence for refusing to sign a declaration to cease such activities. In honour of his legacy, Manchester has named its English Literature and Creative Writing award for undergraduate students the Robert Bolt Prize.
Breaking boundaries in engineering
Leena Gade
Born in Perivale, the daughter of Indian immigrants, Leena Gade discovered her love for engineering and Formula 1 at an early age. As one of five females in her class, and subsequently the only one to graduate, she left Manchester in 1998 with an MSc in Aerospace Engineering.
By 2011, she had made history as the first female race engineer to win at Le Mans. Her groundbreaking work earned her the title of FIA World Endurance Championship ‘Man of the Year’ in 2012, along with the C&R Racing Women in Technology Award. The following year, she was appointed as an ambassador for the FIA Commission for Women in Motorsport, promoting gender equality in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Pioneering progress in the arts
Meera Syal CBE
Meera Syal CBE studied Drama and English at the University before going on to become a significant cultural figure in the UK for her writing and acting work. Celebrated for her roles in Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42, she uses her platform to challenge and reshape narratives around race and identity. Her profound impact on drama and literature has been recognised with an MBE, a CBE, and a prestigious BAFTA Fellowship, celebrating her influence and important contribution to British culture.
Ed O’Brien
Ed O’Brien studied Economics before joining Radiohead as their guitarist. The following three decades would see the band shape some of the most defining sounds in modern music. Radiohead’s OK Computer is celebrated as one of the greatest albums of all time and the band have won three Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album. They have also been nominated for 16 Brit Awards and are the most nominated act in Mercury Prize history. Demonstrating their lasting popularity, Radiohead headlined Glastonbury Festival three times across three different decades.
Championing advocacy, innovation, and inclusion
Katherine Rogers
Katherine (Katie) Rogers is a pioneering figure for Deaf academics, as the first Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) user to win both a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) doctoral studentship and a post-doctoral studentship at our university.
She has since received multiple awards for her work, including the Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work’s Outstanding Research Student of the Year in 2014, and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health award for significant research impact in 2020. Her doctoral research on validated mental health assessments in BSL has been adopted by the NHS. She is also the first Deaf BSL user to be appointed as a University Senior Lecturer in a role not focused on Deaf studies. She is also co-lead for the Social Research with Deaf people (SORD) research group. Katie’s contributions continue to advance opportunities for Deaf individuals in mainstream educational settings.
Amani Abou-Zeid
Amani Abou-Zeid studied for her PhD in Socio-Economic Development at the Global Development Institute before serving in leadership roles at international organisations including the United Nations. In 2017, she was elected as Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union and has since been re-elected for a second term. She has been named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Africa and received the Order of Ouissam Alaouite from King Mohammed VI of Morocco for her work in development and energy policy.
Additionally, the European Union has acknowledged her as a World Young Leader, and she has been named a top global influencer in ICT for Sustainable Development. In 2017, she was honoured with the University’s Outstanding Alumni Award, further highlighting her impactful contributions to global development, and in 2022 she received an honorary doctorate in recognition of her distinguished career.
Lucy Danger
Manchester alumna Lucy Danger founded EMERGE in 1996 to champion ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, and tackle waste issues. Under her leadership, the charity has helped the city of Manchester better manage and recycle waste. In the last year alone, EMERGE collected 257 tonnes of paper, 255 tonnes of cardboard, 21 tonnes of plastic and 32 tonnes of metal.
One of the company’s initiatives, Touch Wood, saved 140 tonnes of CO2 by repurposing 281 tonnes of wood into products, and training locals in new skills like upcycling. EMERGE also operates FareShare Greater Manchester, reducing food waste and supporting 300 community organisations to feed more than 35,000 people annually. Additionally, Lucy serves as a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester and focuses on improving the region’s sustainability and community welfare.
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