About
Dame Susan Pyper DCVO is the University’s first Pro-Chancellor, appointed in September 2025. She is the former Queen’s representative for West Sussex and has a long history of public service as a health service leader and RAF officer. As Pro-Chancellor, Dame Susan presides over university ceremonies and confers degrees and acts as an ambassador for the University.
She began her career as a forensic scientist for the Metropolitan Police, before serving for 11 years in the Royal Air Force. Dame Susan had a successful career in the National Health Service serving as Chairperson of a number of NHS Trusts, including the Western Sussex NHS Primary Care Trust and the Royal West Sussex NHS Trust.
Dame Susan retired as Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex at the end of July 2022, after nearly 14 years holding the office as the Queen’s personal representative in the county. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (DCVO) in the same year.tephanie is a poet, novelist and playwright and former Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow (University of Southampton). She worked at the University of Chichester as Senior Lecturer and then Reader in Creative Writing for twenty-one years. She ran the MA in Creative Writing for many years and enjoys maintaining the connection by returning to give occasional guest sessions to the University’s inspiring writing students.
