2026 Rectorial Election: Candidate Profiles

On 8 October, the University Court announced the list of candidates standing in the 2026 Rectorial Election. Elections for the position are held every three years and are open to all matriculated students of the University. Voting will take place online from 9am on Thursday 15 October until 5pm on Friday 16 October 2026, with results announced two hours after voting closes. 

The Rector serves on the University Court, a governing body that determines the University’s strategic planning and the management of their financial, human, and physical resources. As outlined in the Universities of Scotland Act 1858, the Court holds authority over all of the University’s property and revenues. 

Different individuals have had different approaches to the role of Rector. Some have prioritised the ceremonial function, whilst others have taken a more active approach.

According to the University website, the Rector’s responsibilities include “opening and closing quarterly meetings of the University Court, exercising responsibilities as a charity trustee, and contributing to the effective governance of the University.” 

The Rector’s primary role in relation to the Court is to act as its President and not to champion any particular voice,” Alistair Merrill, Secretary to the University Court, told The Saint.

The disputed nature of the position was revealed over the term of incumbent Rector Stella Maris. Maris was removed from the Court twice. Though Maris was nominated for re-election, her candidacy was rejected by the Returning Chief Legal Officer Mike Gettinby. “My nomination was rejected because I protested the election rules in writing and because, it is claimed, serving as Rector makes me ineligible to stand again,” Maris said in an Instagram post released after nominations were announced.

“I have not seen the legal advice cited. An anonymous complaint about my criticism of the Returning Officer’s independence led him to find a prima facie breach of the rules. I have seen an extract, not the full complaint or evidence.” 

In an email to the student body, the Returning Officer acknowledged the rejection. He cited two reasons: First, Gettinby argued, “the nomination document was not in the form required by the Election rules and included a statement that the proposed candidate did not agree to be bound by pledges about conduct if elected as Rector.” Secondly, he wrote that “the proposed candidate has an active involvement in a higher education institution, contrary to the eligibility rules of the election.”

There are six candidates competing in this year’s elections. 

BRIAN BAUMGARTNER

Brian Baumgartner is an actor, best known for his role as Kevin Malone on the American sitcom The Office. Lacking direct links to the University, his campaign stems from an appreciation of the town and culture of St Andrews. “I love the community of students that make up the fabric of St Andrews — the community, the warmth, and the laughter that exists [here] far into the night,” he explained in an Instagram video. If elected, Baumgartner would add to a legacy of comics and performers including J.M. Barrie and John Cleese who held the office of the Rector. Baumgartner described his experience interacting with students over the summer as central to his vision. “I sat and talked with them, heard their stories, and gained their trust,” he told The Saint. “I’m currently negotiating with several spaces in St Andrews who will provide me a public space to meet directly with students when I am in town.”

DR ARTHUR BERNHOFF

Dr Arthur Bernhoff is an international affairs specialist currently serving as an analyst for the UK Ministry of Defence. His career has spanned political consulting, academia, communications, and legal work. Bernhoff completed his PhD in International Relations at St Andrews in 2014. From his work in international affairs, Bernhoff brings experience across “complex political, cultural, and security environments.” His campaign highlights the limited time and space a Rector gets to advocate for students before the Court. He presents his aims to make effective use of this window. “The Rector can help students prepare a 4-5 page proposal to bring before Court,” he explained, in an Instagram video discussing debates surrounding the University’s continued use of Turnitin. For Bernhoff, a key part of the role of Rector is to “help students develop formal mechanisms to have [their] issues resolved.”

MARK BRUNNER

Mark Brunner is a national security and technology executive with a career spanning public policy, international relations, and business development. He currently works as Chief Revenue Officer for Merlin, an aerospace and defence technology company. Brunner’s ties to the University are through his son, an alumnus of the University. He has also served as a guest lecturer for the School of International Relations. Brunner previously stood in the Rectorial Elections in 2023, losing to Stella Maris. “A top priority for me will be to use my business experience and network to boost career and internship and opportunities beyond St Andrews,” Brunner told The Saint. Drawing on experience solving “a major housing affordability crisis,” in the US Senate, Brunner also looks to ensure that the university plays “a more assertive role in providing housing affordability.” 

DR Q MANNIVANAN

Dr Q Mannivanan is the MSP for the Edinburgh and Lothians East region. They completed their PhD in International Relations at St Andrews last year. Before contesting the Holyrood elections in May 2026, Mannivanan worked as a community organiser, teacher, and policy expert. A member of the Scottish Greens, Mannivanan campaigned for “a more caring politics rooted in the working class, the queer, and the solidary.” Their campaign for Rector, as outlined in their candidate statement, draws from similar aims to centre “feelings of belongingness” through broader institutional coordination. “I now work where decisions on university funding, housing and transport are made. I can carry student concerns from Court to Holyrood,” Mannivanan told The Saint. They also expressed a desire to address the treatment of Stella Maris. “I’ll work along the existing rules while tabling proposals to reform the protocol openly, so no future Rector is removed for speaking up for students.”

DR CONOR PHILIP

Dr Conor Philip is a foundation year doctor in Dundee who graduated from St Andrews in 2026. “Understanding students’ experiences, ensuring their concerns are properly heard at Court, and working constructively with the established structures of the University,” are key to his vision. “[I] see the role as one of listening, scrutiny, and influence,” Philip told The Saint. For Philip, accessibility is central to this process. “I would want to spend time meeting students where they already are, through societies, sports clubs, arts and music groups, and other parts of university life.”

EDISON YAU

Edison Yau is a student doctor on clinical placement at the University of Manchester. Currently completing the final three years of his degree in Manchester, Yau is uniquely positioned to run for Rector while still a student. Having graduated from St Andrews this summer, his ambitions for the role of Rector draw on this experience. “As a medical student, I'm trained to build rapport, trained not just to listen superficially,” he told The Saint. Yau sees this ability as central to the interaction of the Rector’s pastoral and ceremonial role. “I think a Rector should focus on the core principle of student advocacy in the court,” he explained. “If one's action will jeopardise that ability to vote for three years, we have to consider that balance.”

Image Courtesy of the Saint