Gillian Evans

Gillian Rosemary Evans FRHistS is a British philosopher, and emeritus professor of medieval theology and intellectual history at University of Cambridge.

Evans was educated at King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham, followed by a degree in history from St Anne's College, Oxford, and a postgraduate diploma in education. She earned her PhD from Reading University writing about Anselm of Canterbury.

In 2002, Evans was appointed professor of medieval theology and intellectual history at Cambridge University. This had followed a long period of successive but denied applications for promotion to professorship. This long period was so notable that a scholar in an overlapping field at the University, Professor David Dumville, took the highly unusual step in a University Discussion (formal meetings of Regent House members) of wheeling in a trolleyload of Evans's publications, by way of demonstration of her output.

Evans is a campaigner for academic freedom and democracy. She is a member of Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards and qualified as a barrister to assist academics with grievances against their institutions. She regularly writes and speaks in opposition to managerialist trends in university administration. As an Emeritus Professor, she has continued relentless scrutiny of the administration of the University of Cambridge, submitting forensic contributions to many University Discussions. In a July 2020 discussion she challenged the constitutionality of the response of the University Council to the COVID-19 pandemic arguing that the powers of the Regent House, the sovereign body of the University, "were simply seized and handed over indefinitely by the Council and the General Board".