Dr Paul Ayris honoured in the Faces of UCL campaign

Posted on 26th August, 2026

Dr Paul Ayris (1957-2025) has been recognised in UCL’s Faces of UCL campaign for his work expanding access to academic knowledge and learning. Faces of UCL highlights the people who have helped shape 200 years of ground-breaking research, innovation, education and impact.

Paul joined UCL as Deputy Librarian in 1997 and went on to become Director of Library Services and later Pro-Vice-Provost LCCOS (Library, Culture, Collections and Open Science). He founded UCL Press, the UK’s first fully open access university press, and was a leading advocate for open science at UCL and across the higher education sector.

Under Paul’s leadership, UCL Press helped demonstrate how high-quality academic publishing could reach readers around the world without barriers to access. Its books and journals are free to read online, enabling students, researchers and wider audiences to engage with authoritative scholarship regardless of their circumstances.

Paul also played a significant role in advancing open science internationally, contributing his expertise to a wide range of sector organisations and initiatives. He was committed to building a more open, accessible and collaborative research environment and contributed to discussions on the development of open science in China and its potential benefits for the global south.

Alongside his professional work, Paul pursued his long-standing academic interest in Reformation history and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 2019. His book, Thomas Cranmer’s Register, was posthumously published by UCL Press in January 2026.

Paul passed away in December 2025, but his influence continues through the institutions, initiatives and communities he helped to shape.

You can read more about Paul’s work in his full Faces of UCL Profile.