The Wolfson Review 2021-2022

From

the President

Tutorial Report 07 The Masterplan 08

Student Profile: Jasmine Jordan 10

Saying Goodbye To Cambridge Again 12 Making History at the Cambridge Union 14 Bursar’s Report 15 Staff News 16

College Gardens 18

Evolving the Library 20 Student Profile: Matthew Hayes 21 May Ball 2022 22

A Year of Art & Music 24 Event Highlights 28

College Life

Development

PROFESSOR JANE CLARKE

What on earth is a Cambridge College for? I had an opportunity to consider this profound question while on a longpostponed visit to alumni in the United States.

Of course, a college must deliver academic excellence, support world class research, and offer opportunities for our students to excel in their studies. But any educational establishment would have those aims. What does a Cambridge college, and in particular what does Wolfson do, that makes us special?

One answer, coming across loud and clear from the members we met in the U.S. – members who hail from the 1970s, when Wolfson was still University College, all the way to current students – was that Wolfson was all about community, and an international community at that. It’s summarised neatly with the phrase: “If you come to Wolfson, you will meet the world”.

On the New York leg of our trip, Wolfson’s commitment to equality and inclusion and the importance of access to education and learning were front and centre. We were hosted by Dr Louise Mirrer, President and CEO of the magnificent New-York Historical Society and alumna and Honorary Fellow of Wolfson.

At the New-York Historical Society, we were given a guided tour of the exhibition, ‘Title IX’, celebrating the 50th anniversary of an Act that prohibited sex discrimination in education. This exhibition prompted us to discuss the work that we are doing at Wolfson to support access to educational opportunities to under-represented communities: from our support of the University’s “Get in Cambridge” initiative, our partnership with the Rowan Williams studentship programme, our bursaries from the Norma Emerton fund for Women in Science, through to our student and alumni-led work with the local charity CB mentoring.

Louise Mirrer made it clear that she shares Wolfson’s understanding that it is through the gift of education that we can enrich people’s lives – it is the basis of her work in the New-York Historical Society.

For the President, the last year answered questions about the true value of Wolfson and its international community.

What our alumni made clear they think is equally important is that Wolfson members feel included and valued when they arrive. Our egalitarian and inclusive culture plays an important role here. The College event on freedom of speech, jointly hosted last year with the WCSA Discourse Society, reflected the importance of being able to share and discuss entirely different, even contentious, views on the issues of the day in an environment that is supportive and inclusive – where we all learn from each other.

At an event in Washington, an entirely different aspect of the importance of our diverse community was on display. Here, I had a conversation with Wolfson Fellow and alumnus Dr Tom Grant, a Fellow at the Lauterpacht Centre who specialises in International Law. Recently, Tom took a sabbatical to take up the opportunity of working at the U.S. Department of State, where he served as Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning on arms control and international security.

How had Tom’s Wolfson experience contributed to his ability to do this job? He cited the invaluable conversations round the table at lunch or dinner: “Practically every day at Wolfson, you talk to academics and students working in disciplines outside your own field,” he said. “You learn their vocabulary, get insights into their ways of seeing the world, which might be very different from the way a lawyer sees things.

“In all my years at Wolfson, I’ve always been reminded that engaging with colleagues in your own discipline is only part of the vocation. You also have to make what you do intelligible to people whose expertise is in very different fields from your own. Above all, with students and Fellows of so many different nationalities, you get an entire range of perspectives on global policy issues. Belonging to Wolfson’s interdisciplinary community, you are constantly invited to reconsider your own work through fresh eyes.”

In California, home of Silicon Valley and all things high tech, we were hosted by alumnus Dr Ronjon Nag in his beautiful newly-designed passivhaus in Palo Alto. Since Ronjon is a serial inventor and entrepreneur, supporter of Wolfson Entrepreneurs’ Society (WES), and a sponsor and judge of the Wolfson Enterprise Competition, it was no surprise that our discussion was about how the research of Wolfson members can contribute to delivering a better world.

There was also a strong interest in what Wolfson is doing to contribute towards delivering a more sustainable planet. We were able to discuss how Wolfson’s Interdisciplinary Research Hubs - in Sustainability and Conservation, Global Health, and Gender – are specifically designed to build communities involving students, Fellows, staff, alumni, and their extended networks to create new solutions for global problems.

To facilitate these networks, this growing community of researchers, entrepreneurs, educators, and communicators, we have recently created a new department of College Networks and Alumni, headed up by Wolfson Fellow and former Director of Development, Sian Cook.

We also discussed the value of life-long learning, and the importance that Wolfson places on supporting incoming part-time Masters students – in Entrepreneurship, International Relations, Sustainability, and Business, for example – from across the world and from across industries: business and finance, international NGOs, education, civil service, and government.

And of course, in all our conversations, we discussed the future of Wolfson: our vision of a college that will attract the very best students and give them individually all the support they might need to excel in education and research; of the new Masterplan for the estate, and how we will grow our campus and facilities to give our students the environment they deserve; of our determination to support career development; how we will encourage creativity and entrepreneurship, and how we will deliver our mission to change the world for the better.

This was an enormously gratifying trip. I met Wolfson alumni from across the globe who are currently living and working in the US, all of whom held very fond memories of their time at Wolfson, and all of whom shared our common values.

So, what is a Cambridge college for? Well, it’s clear that Wolfson delivers so many different things for our members across the globe. However, it is also clear that, wherever they are in the world, wherever they came from originally, whatever course they did, and whatever their current role is, Wolfson members share a single thought: “When you come to Wolfson, you learn to see the world in a different way.”

I hope you’ll enjoy the new perspectives and the restless curiosity on show in this year’s Wolfson Review.

‘Wolfson members share a single thought: “When you come to Wolfson, you learn to see the world in a different way.

olfson welcomed a record number of new students in 2021/2022:  64 undergraduates, 286 full-time postgraduates and 143 part-time postgraduates. They were a wonderfully diverse group, coming from over 90 different countries and pursuing degrees in 19 undergraduate and 141 postgraduate courses.

The majority of our 2021/2022 full-time postgraduates will have completed all requirements for their degrees by the time you read this: 210 of them were pursuing one-year courses for an Advanced Diploma, LLM, MASt, MBA, MCL, MFin or MPhil. But our bumper crop of doctoral students – 76 full-time and five part-time – will continue, many of them providing valuable continuity in leading roles in WCSA, the Boat Club, the May Ball and the Wolfson Research Event, together (of course!) with our mature undergraduates.

I am so proud of how well all our students coped with the uncertainties of this past year: eager to resume in-person academic and extracurricular activities, but meeting the continuing challenges of life with Omicron with grace and good humour. There were anxieties, of course: exam formats changed for the third time in three years, and the return to in-person, timed assessments in many subjects created understandable concerns among students who had not sat a ‘regular’ exam in two years. But there were also triumphs. I am delighted to report that, despite the many disruptions of the past two years, 94.4% of our finalists in classed examinations achieved Good Honours (a First or 2.i), placing Wolfson 2nd out of 29 Colleges, and above the University average of 89.9%.

An impressive 40% of our finalists in classed examinations achieved a First, placing Wolfson 7th by this measure, and above the University average of 36.6%. While recognising that the Tompkins Table is not the most meaningful measure of academic achievement, it is nonetheless pleasing to read in Varsity that Wolfson has achieved its highest ever ranking this year: 21st overall out of 29 colleges. Credit for these accomplishments goes to our students for their persistence and determination to excel, but also to our hardworking team of Tutors, dedicated supervisors and Directors of Studies.

Over the past year, the College also extended its commitment to expanding access to Cambridge for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or groups under-represented in higher education, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. In partnership with the Cambridge Trust, Wolfson funded one of the first ‘Get In Cambridge’ Masters Scholarships for disadvantaged students of Black, Bangladeshi or Pakistani backgrounds, who have been historically under-represented in Cambridge.

Other widening participation initiatives included the Cambridge 21+ programme that supports prospective mature undergraduates from non-fee-paying school backgrounds to make a competitive application to Cambridge, and the STEM Smart programme, through which the College provided teaching and support for mature UK (non-fee paying) students who are hoping to apply to a STEM subject and have either experienced educational disadvantage or belong to a group that is statistically less likely to progress to higher education. The College was also delighted to welcome five mature students on the University’s first Foundation Year programme.

Among the many special events we celebrated this past year, the most joyous are, without a doubt, the days when we present students for their degrees in the Senate House. The pent-up demand for in-person graduation required the University to add three additional days for these ceremonies over the summer, yet the College still has a backlog of almost 500 students who have met all requirements for their degree since 2020, but who have not yet taken it. We look forward to welcoming each and every one of them back – with their guests – to celebrate their accomplishments.

94.4% of our finalists  in classed examinations achieved Good Honours (a First or 2.i)’

Last year, we took a big step in mapping out an exciting future for the College. Working with renowned architects Grimshaw, alongside extensive consultation with students, Fellows, staff, alumni, and the wider Wolfson community, we created a strategic plan to develop our beautiful nine-acre site.

The resultant Masterplan presents a range of options to improve and expand our accommodation and facilities over the next 20 years. These are still early stages, but the possibilities are exciting. They range from low-hanging fruit to ambitious new buildings and everything in between, with green and sustainable goals at the heart of every phase of the plan. We’ll share more information as our plans develop, but suffice to say this is something that we’re very excited to take forward.

Campus

Sustainability opportunities

· To develop a net zero carbon campus.

· To deliver net positive biodiversity, including habitat creation and native species planting.

· To harness biophilia and health and wellbeing, ensuring internal and external environments promote long-term physical and mental health.

· To implement circular design and procurement, including maximising material re-use, zero construction waste, and design for future flexibility.

Masterplan

imagining the Wolfson of the future.

You can find out more about the Masterplan on our website wolfson.cam.ac.uk/masterplan.

Many people don’t realise how egregious the U.S. incarceration system really is,” says Jasmine Jordan. “We have a quarter of the world’s prisoners, but only 5% of the world population.”

Jasmine joined Wolfson in October 2021 as a Gates Scholar and MPhil student in Criminological Research. This year, she starts her PhD in what is the next step in an ongoing academic journey committed to interrogating and reforming the U.S. criminal justice system and mitigating the harms of mass incarceration.

A native of Detroit who attended Michigan State University (MSU) to study Political Science, Jasmine was described by Dr John Waller, director of the Social Science Scholars Program at MSU, as “a thinker of rare clarity, a gifted writer, a courteous but tenacious advocate, and a fierce defender of civil rights”.

As an undergraduate, Jasmine carried out research on racial hierarchies, the self-segregation of African American and Latinx students in university dorms, and the misrepresentation of minorities in US history high school textbooks. She also served as Michigan State’s President of the Council of Disabilities and as Chief of Staff for a legal nonprofit which, among other roles, represents refugees at risk of deportation.

At Wolfson, Jasmine feels she’s found a perfect fit for the next phase of her research. “I’m thrilled to be here at Wolfson,” she says, “it’s an academic home well known for being egalitarian, diverse, international, and inclusive. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

In her first year at Wolfson, Jasmine’s research focused on the political and community participation of formerly incarcerated black women.

“In the U.S., Black women vote more often than any other group,” she says. “They are also far more likely to be incarcerated than white women. Mass incarceration really does disproportionately affect Black people compared to other ethnic groups in America. As a consequence, there are significant social and political consequences that we need to unpack.”

For her PhD, Jasmine will be taking this research further, exploring innovative methods of understanding the effects of women’s incarceration on their willingness to get involved in community organisations and movements, as well as their voting habits and political engagement.

“There is limited data that connects individual women who’ve been imprisoned with outcomes for families and communities,” she says. “So to answer the kind of questions I’m asking, I’ll need to add to existing data sets with new research, including my own web-based survey.”

The seeds of this research run deep for Jasmine. “The original spark was my parents,” she says. “My father is a historian of Black history, specifically black history in Detroit, and my mother is a teacher. As their daughter, I really had no choice but to learn about issues of social inequity and absorb the value of education!

“Eventually, I came to share my father’s fascination for the history of African American exploitation, resilience and activism, and my mother’s commitment to learning. Since then, I’ve wanted to assume a role in civil rights movements: movements that remain far from realising their goals.”

Growing up in Detroit, Jasmine has also seen racial inequalities first hand: “I was also inspired to undertake the research by my own observations of over-policing in my native city,” she says. “And the historical context here is important: it’s my firm conviction that the greater incarceration rates of Black Americans ultimately connects to the deep history of racism in the U.S..”

At the heart of all of this is the potential for change, for reform – something that Jasmine is deeply committed to achieving.

“My goal is to become a policy director for an organisation dedicated to ending mass incarceration,” she says. “It’s essential for criminal justice reform to be grounded in rigorous research and for its proponents to grasp the economic as well as the humanitarian arguments for reform. We need reliable data as well as passion.”

From what she’s done so far, it’s evident that Jasmine can deliver both.

JASMINE JORDAN

A fierce defender of civil rights” : this impressive Gates Scholar is aiming to reform the U.S. penal system.

Poetry

PROFESSOR GEOFFREY BROCK

ast year, the College had the wonderful experience of hosting Visiting Fellow, Geoffrey Brock, a renowned American poet and translator. Geoffrey joined Wolfson under the Arkansas Fulbright College Visiting Fellowship, which has been running since 1988. In the spring, he hosted Wolfson’ s World Poetry Evening, when College members joined together to celebrate poetry and read their favourite poems. During that evening, discussion turned to a well-known poem about Cambridge by Chinese poet, Xu Zhimo: a poem that is often reproduced on souvenir tea towels for tourists to buy when visiting the city today. Visiting Research Associate, Dr Yuchao Zhang, suggested the need for a refreshed English translation - and Geoffrey took up the challenge. Originally written in 1928, here is Geoffrey’ s new English version of Zaibie Kangqiao, published here for the first time, and written as he came to the end of his time at Wolfson in 2022

Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again

I’ll leave as quiet as I came, quietly waving goodbye to the quiet evening clouds hung in the western sky.

Golden willows by the river are brides in the setting sun; they glitter on the shining water, and shall in my heart shine on.

Those lily pads are rooted in mud, more rooted than I now am; oh, to sway in the current there in the gentle flow of the Cam!

The pool that’s shaded by these elms is full of not water but sky; rainbows spangle the duckweed where a spectrum of visions lie.

Chasing a dream? Pole up the river where grass is the brightest green; fill your punt with a haul of starlight and sing in its radiant sheen.

But as for me, I sing no longer— silent is the song of my leaving; the crickets have fallen silent too; all Cambridge is silent this evening.

I’ll leave as gently as I came, and gently I’ll wave goodbye, flicking my wrist as I turn to go, leaving each cloud in the sky.

This year, Christopher George became the first student from Wolfson, or any of the mature or postgraduateonly colleges, to have been elected President in the 207-year history of the Cambridge Union. Elected by members, he will head up a team of over 150 students and staff, beginning in Lent Term 2023. Christopher says he is honoured to be heading up what is the oldest debating society in the world and the largest student society in Cambridge.

“The purpose of the Union,” he says, “is to bring in new and different ideas, to challenge them and, importantly, to be challenged by them. We’re not an echo chamber. You’re meant to hear from people you disagree with, but in turn they have to listen to you.

“The principle of civil disagreement is at the core of democratic progress. By providing an appropriate space for it, new ideas can be spread and as a society we can get better.”

Christopher has already served as Events Manager and Debates Officer at the Union, and he believes those experiences have given him a vantage point to identify the areas where he can most add value.

“I believe we can make things better,” he says, “we can improve how we run things and be more open to members. People often overlook that sometimes fixing the small things can make a big difference.”

Nonetheless, Christopher has no illusions about the size of the task ahead. “You’re taking on a lot,” he says. “You have to love the place. You’re not just looking after other students, officers, and guests. There is the Listed building, the bar, the whole business side as well. I’ve also had to make sure I plan my degree around taking on the role.”

There are sacrifices, he says: there isn’t as much time for socialising and he

WOLFSON FIRST FOR CAMBRIDGE UNION

this or what we will do about that, but I’m in this because I really believe we can always get better – so I accept what comes with it.”

Christopher credits Wolfson as having been central to his time at Cambridge so far, giving him access to “a more diverse range of perspectives” than he might have heard if he’d gone somewhere else.

“Everyone here has a story to tell,” he says. “When you meet someone for the first time at Wolfson, you don’t talk about what you did for A Levels, but rather what you’ve spent the years since doing.

“There is a brilliant community here. The All Greys rugby team is my personal highlight, but students here are involved in the ADC Theatre, Footlights, Varsity, and loads of other activities, both in College and across the University.”

spends less time in Wolfson’s “brilliant bar” than he might otherwise. However, the opportunity is a unique one.

The Union has an extensive tradition of hosting prominent figures from all areas of public life, from Russell Brand, David Blaine and Julian Assange, to the Dalai Lama, President Ronald Reagan, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, Prime Ministers Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and John Major. And it has sometimes found itself the focus of national media attention too - though Christopher is ready for the spotlight it brings. “It’s odd when you see your name in Varsity or when people come up to you asking what our plans are for

Christopher’s personal and political views developed while he was in UC Berkeley, where he studied Public Policy and Political Economy for a year before coming to Wolfson. At the 2021 Wolfson Research Event, he honed in on conservative national identity and its role in American polarisation.

It’s clear that his research interests in History are equipping him not only for his position as President of the Cambridge Union, but perhaps for other positions further down the line too. The Union might just be the start.

‘ The principle of civil disagreement is at the core of democratic progress.’

Wolfson feels like a very different place compared to this time last year. The ‘temporary’ marquees have gone from the East and West Courts, the lawns have recovered, formal halls have resumed (twice a week), and the prepandemic buzz has returned.

It has not been completely plain sailing over the last year - we navigated the UK Government’s four-step roadmap for easing restrictions, only to be plunged into the Omicron phase of the pandemic - but we have more than coped. As I’ve come to expect, Wolfson staff rose to the challenges and have performed brilliantly throughout the year.

Financially, we ended the year ahead of where we expected to be when we set the 2021-2022 budget. While our conference business has not yet returned, our accommodation income from students, visitors, and guests was higher than anticipated, and our rather pessimistic assumptions about student numbers and fee income turned out to be unfounded.

Like all other colleges, we have had staff shortages, which have reduced our salary bill somewhat, but I am pleased to say that we now have a full complement of staff. We also had significantly lower capital expenditure than normal, because – for the second year running – we suspended our refurbishment programme. However, we were able to invest a large part of the Colleges Fund grant (the annual grant that we received from the better endowed Cambridge Colleges) in the Cambridge University Endowment Fund (CUEF).

The end result of higher income than budgeted, combined with the income distributions we received from the CUEF, is promising to yield a modest surplus. This has enabled us to sustain expenditure on student support and we are also going ahead with some much-needed capital expenditure on our estate.

Our summer 2022 project was to refurbish “H Staircase,” but looking further ahead, we are gearing up to start work on implementing the first phase of our Masterplan – which, as you will have read, is the strategic plan to develop our site over the next 20+ years.

Work on the Masterplan - with architects, Grimshaw - was completed in Michaelmas 2021, and we are now “planning the plan”. The first phase includes the construction of additional student accommodation, the decarbonisation and refurbishment of our existing buildings, the pedestrianisation of our site, and last but not least, a well overdue refurbishment of our kitchen and dining facilities.

We are currently in the feasibility stage, working with quantity surveyors, architects, environmental engineers, and kitchen consultants to identify options, costs, and planning issues. We will then be able to work out what is affordable from our own reserves and how much additional fundraising we will need to do.

A first priority for the estate, which is already underway, is a carbon baseline study so that we have a clear understanding of our current Scope 1 and 2 emissions. This will be followed by a decarbonisation plan to show us how to reduce and/or eliminate our carbon emissions as soon as possible. Being a Cambridge college, we naturally have lots of experts on sustainability amongst our students and fellowship, and we are aiming to combine forces with the environmental engineers to ensure innovative as well as practical solutions.

Another area of focus is the continuous improvement of our business processes and services. I am pleased to report that our new Business and IT Services Department, led by Paul Rowan and supported by our new Project Manager, Jennifer Ruggier, now has an expanded remit, which includes identifying opportunities to simplify our processes and eliminate waste wherever possible. Wolfson goes lean!

So, we are busy and very much looking towards the future. I do not think anyone could ever accuse Wolfson of being an ivory tower – we are a College that is engaged with the world, and we have far too much that we want to do!

‘As I’ve come to expect, Wolfson staff rose to the challenges and have performed brilliantly throughout the year.’

Expanding our Communications Team

Communications are essential to our growing success as a College – and we ’re excited about how our expanded Communications Team can tell the story of Wolfson and help us deliver the College’ s strategy. Following the appointment of Dr Nick Osbourne (front right) to head up the team at the end of 2020, we were delighted to welcome Joe Cotton (front left) as Communications Officer and Chantal Holland (centre) as Events Co-ordinator earlier this year.

There is no high table here, everyone eats together, and there is a real egalitarian and collaborative spirit,” says new Head Chef Tim Hurst “This is definitely a place where we can try new ideas.”

Tim joined the College in June, following many years as chef de partie and then sous chef at Jesus College. Teamwork and sustainability lie at the heart of his approach in the kitchen. “Students eat in the dining hall every day,” he says, “so I particularly want to find out what they think and get their ideas. We want to be sustainable in our choices, but it has to be imaginative, it has to be exciting. Sustainable choices and menus don t have to be boring.

Domestic Bursar Darren Smith says Tim was “exceptional during the recruitment process, ” which included a vegan cook-off with all the finalists

Paul Rowan, the new Head of the Business and Information Services Department, joined the College in April.

As head of the recently-formed department, Paul is responsible for the College’s IT provisions, as well as overseeing numerous process improvement projects and the application of Lean methodology across the College.

This is a thrilling time to be joining Wolfson,” he said. “Already, I’ ve seen an enthusiasm for simplifying processes and finding tech solutions to improve efficiency and interdepartmental collaboration. I m looking forward to working with staff from all departments to drive change and generally make everyone ’s jobs a little easier!”

Paul previously worked at Pembroke College as their IT Operations Manager and brings with him a wealth of experience in both IT and Project Management. He took over from Mirza Baig, an alumnus and Senior Member, who had headed up IT at Wolfson for seventeen years.

‘‘

The College was delighted to welcome Simon Crookall as its new Development Director in June. Simon joined from the University of Oxford, where he was Head of Philanthropy at the Voltaire Foundation. Prior to that, he was Head of Development and Alumni at the University of Lincoln. Simon has considerable experience as a fundraiser in both higher education and the arts. He has been General Director of Hawaii Opera Theatre, President and CEO of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Chief Executive

‘‘

At the end of a career of forty years within the University, the latter half being at Wolfson, Dr Lesley MacVinish retired at the end of June. Lesley had been Director of Studies for pre-clinical veterinary and medical students, including the Graduate course, as well as a Tutor, Admissions Tutor and, during the pandemic, Assistant Senior Tutor. In recognition of her contribution to outstanding teaching within the department, the Faculty of Biology awarded Lesley the University’s Pilkington Prize for Teaching in 2013. Having been a pivotal part of the teaching team at the Department of Pharmacology.

Lesley has been a Fellow of Wolfson since 2005 and has made an enormous impact on all who benefitted from her tutorial, academic, and pastoral care.

“The students are wonderful. I feel very lucky to have helped them make the best of their time at Wolfson and Cambridge. It is a glorious place to study. I absolutely loved my job!”

of Royal Scottish National Orchestra, where he provided leadership for a decade. Simon will lead the development and implementation of a new fundraising strategy for the College, which will include delivering on the new Masterplan objectives.

Dr Lesley MacVinish retires after four decades in Cambridge

Simon Crookall arrives to head up Development Team

It’s exciting that we already have a roadmap in the Masterplan,” says Simon, “and now what we need to do is to break that down into fundable packages and then start to raise the money for the first phase of work we hope will start in 2024.

HOW LONG WILL OUR JUDAS TREE LAST?

It’s a moment of transient beauty: Wolfson’s iconic Judas tree flowers for around three to four weeks each year, attracting people to College from far and wide to enjoy its splendour. In April, the bright pink flowers emerged again – allowing visitors another narrow window to appreciate its vivid beauty, before disappearing again for another year.

Judas trees can live up to 100 years in the wild. However, rotting at the base of the Wolfson tree could see the College centrepiece come down much sooner – so there could be a limit on the number of opportunities left to witness its dramatic flowering.

“I just don’t want it going down on my watch,” says Head Gardener Oscar Holgate, who has been keeping a close eye on the Judas tree in recent years since rot was discovered at the base of the right flank. “It wouldn’t take much to bring it down now. With enough heavy rain to weigh down the foliage and then a heavy breeze, that could be it.”

There is, however, a new tree growing at the centre of the Wolfson Judas tree. Although the left flank of the older tree is supported by two struts, Oscar says that once the right side goes, the left would also be cut back to allow the new baby tree at the centre to grow - and hopefully one day ascend to the iconic status of its forebear. It will have a lot to live up to, with many calling Wolfson’s Judas tree the best in Cambridge. “That’s the story of the garden really,” says Oscar, “it’s in a constant state of flux and there’s always something new to see, even when we lose parts that we’re fond of.”

More to come from the wonderful Wolfson gardens

The tree is just one of many highlights in the College gardens, including the magnolia in the sundial garden and the monkey puzzle tree, which this year was moved outside Fuchs House. The gardening team also have plans to offer more student vegetable planting areas, enable access to the fruit trees when ripe, as well as pickable herbs around College and a new “cutting garden” where College members can cut flowers to display in their rooms. The idea for this came when Oscar was told by a student that the bright

colours outside their bedroom window had helped keep them going through their exams, and wanted to take some back with them. Students can be seen making the most of the gardens throughout the year, and this year Librarian Laura Jeffrey created outdoor seating behind the library to offer even more study spaces for students to choose from

“

GREEN GARDENS Sustainability initiatives

This year has seen a greater number of green initiatives in the gardens, with work on soil analysis informing future sowing and planting plans in all sections of the gardens. There are now more water butts on site than ever, plants are only watered when in need, and fewer chemical sprays are used.

Oscar – who heads up the College’ s Green Impact Team – is deeply committed to putting sustainability at the heart of his team, and the impacts are evident from the increased amount of insects using the wildflower meadow behind the Chancellor s Centre to the upturn in waterbutts on site.

Everyone is encouraged to enjoy all areas of the garden as there are no private Fellows gardens; students and staff are encouraged to work and socialise in the garden spaces; and there is definitely a focus on biodiversity and sustainability from the gardening team.

It’s great to be in a College where the qualities and values of our College, like openness, collaboration and sustainability, are reflected in the environment and the garden”

Millie Race PhD student and WCSA Green Officer

We are at the start of a process of challenging the assumption that all books have a fixed place on the shelves,” says Laura Jeffrey, Wolfson Librarian and Research Skills Specialist. “The way we present our collections should be intuitive and reflect the current teaching and research priorities of the University and our members, not what they were in the past.”

Laura and the Library team kicked off a new project this year to relabel the entire Wolfson Library collection. The key aim is to make it easier for users to browse the shelves and find related readings. It also enables the team to reconsider the Dewey Decimal classification

scheme, as it is used in the College. The scheme used in libraries today is over 150 years-old, and while it has been adapted 23 times over the years, there are still parts that do not accurately reflect the world today, particularly as represented in academia.

Laura hosted an event, ‘Where Would You Look for books about women?’, in the spring, inviting Wolfson fellows, students, and members to question how knowledge is organised in libraries. Disciplines are constantly evolving and these need to be represented in the way printed resources are arranged on the shelves. Women, gender, and feminism were conflated, but now have more distinct groupings.

EVOLVING THE LIBRARY WITH THE INTELLECTUAL LANDSCAPE

This work is being extended to decolonising the organisation of works of literature which, conversely, had separate categories that no longer appropriately reflect the ways these texts are taught at Cambridge.

The physical space in the Library changed in the last year too: there is a new and welcoming enquiry desk to be found on arrival in the Reading Room; in response to a user survey, desks in the Sir David Williams Room have been adapted to create larger workstations; while a new outdoor study space at the back of the Library enables students to work in the open air.

The team experimented with how best to support the academic skills needs of our students by trialling both in-person and online workshops. It soon became clear that meeting less frequently, online, and at the weekends, was by far the preferred mode of delivery. This enables large numbers of part-time students, and others who work at a distance, to attend alongside their fulltime, resident peers.

And for those who prefer a different approach, students still meet with Library staff individually for bespoke support, while there were 15,000 views last academic year of the asynchronous resources available on the Wolfson College LibGuide

STUDENT PROFILE

MATTHEW HAYES THE ZOOLOGIST HELPING PROTECT UK BUTTERFLIES

Butterflies are under threat in the UK. Over three quarters of resident and migrant species are suffering from long-term declines. But how do we stop the downward trend? One Zoology PhD student is developing new strategies that could help.

Matthew Hayes works as a research assistant at the Museum of Zoology in Cambridge, leading on a public engagement project that has linked historical museum butterfly specimens to modern day conservation. He also was part of the team behind this year’s ‘Butterflies Through Time’ exhibition at the Museum of Zoology, which beautifully illustrated how thirteen butterfly species around Cambridgeshire have experienced changes over the last 200 years.

“I have always been fascinated by insects and I think it is their often alien, otherworldly behaviour that initially caught my attention,” says Matthew. “However, over the years, I have grown to appreciate how important they are to us as a food base for a wide range of

animals, while providing essential ecosystem services such as pollination and improved soil fertility. We rely on insects for crop production and would struggle to survive without them, but they are often overlooked as conservation tends to focus on larger and supposedly more ‘charismatic’ species. Publicity about the widespread, rapid decline of insects highlights the need for more research to better understand the challenges facing these animals.”

During his time as a student, as well as working at the Zoology Museum, Matthew has studied the ecology, behaviour, and habitat requirements of butterflies and other invertebrates in the UK so that appropriate management can be put in place to maintain biodiversity across fragmented nature reserves.

“More recently, I have specifically been looking at historical museum specimens,” he says, “investigating how losses from the past can help guide modern conservation efforts and engage new audiences with wildlife.”

Building on this work, Matthew is now looking to the future with his PhD, focussing on the impacts of climate change.“Global temperatures are projected to rise by 1.5–2.0°C by 2100 and climate change is set to become one of the leading causes of biodiversity loss into the future. This is especially true in the UK, where habitat loss and fragmentation has left many species restricted to small, isolated reserves and unable to respond to temperature change by moving across the landscape.

“Butterflies have a short life span and complex life cycle, making them acutely sensitive to environmental change. This has led to 76% of resident and regular migrant species in the UK suffering long-term declines.

“However, little research has assessed the sensitivity of whole communities of butterflies to temperature change or ways to buffer species from the negative impacts of temperature shifts within habitats and nature reserves they currently live in.”

Matthew is using different types of habitat management to see if it is possible to maintain a varied range of temperatures on nature reserves to protect more species from climate change in the future.

With butterflies being so sensitive to change, falling butterfly numbers can act as an early warning system for larger issues in the wider environment. In this way, butterflies are useful ‘bioindicatorspecies’ in that their presence can help indicate the health of the environments in which they live.

“If we can successfully protect

76%

them,” says Matthew, “we can protect whole communities of plants and animals in the process. I hope my research will result in finding simple, practical management options that can be replicated and expanded on to help protect communities of species against the negative impacts of climate change.

“This will enable conservation organisations across the country and beyond to act to preserve populations of species on isolated reserves.

Matthew is part of the Insect Ecology Research Group in the University’s Zoology Department, which is partnered with the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire. Their collaboration includes creating artificial butterfly banks on areas of nature reserves that were previously flat, and assessing the microclimatic temperatures these features create to see whether or not creating these habitats increases species abundance.

“The hope is that with more options available to them, butterflies and other

species will be able to locate areas suitable for them to survive on, even as regional temperatures continue to rise.

“The partnership with The Wildlife Trust is extremely important. As researchers, we get to visit and collect data from real nature reserves in the local area. The Wildlife Trust then has access to all of our findings and as conservation practitioners are able to put theory into practice. It is all well and good if researchers make a discovery, but it’s essential that people use those findings on the ground.”

For Matthew, Wolfson is a great base to do his research, and he is particularly impressed with the gardening team’s efforts to increase biodiversity onsite.

“With a zoology and conservation background, I have been extremely happy to see how engaged the gardening and site management team is about the prospect of improving grounds for wildlife and doing more to involve the students,” he says. Hopefully, that means more butterflies at Wolfson too.

of resident and regular migrant species in the UK are suffering from long-Term declines

After cancellations in 2020 and 2021, the College’s fairytale-themed May Ball finally materialised on 24 June 2022. ‘Once Upon A Time In Wolfson’ began as the dream of Nima Meyer, President of the 2020 May Ball that unfortunately never was. Nima’s successor, Else Ellermann, faced the same disappointment in 2021, meaning that it fell to PhD student An Tran to finally preside over the planned celebrations in 2022.

“We were determined to see this through and create something that was true to what was started all those years ago,” An said.

As in previous years, the May Ball Committee brought together a team of dedicated students, each responsible for a key organisational element, including managing the budget, booking musical and non-musical entertainment, arranging food and drink, designing decorations, and promoting sustainability.

On the night itself, Wolfson was transformed into a magical wonderland, with each area of the College decorated according to a different fairytale story, including Little Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland, and Beauty and the Beast.

Partygoers were met at the College entrance by a real-life horse-drawn pumpkin carriage, and inside the front court a traditional chair-o-plane fairground ride. Decorations in the gardens included giant mushrooms, a pirate ship, and over 3,000 handmade roses, as well as an impressive lighting display.

Inside the College, The Karen Spärck Jones room (KSJ) became the Witch’s Candy House, complete with an Escape Room game befitting Hansel and Gretel. The Old Combination Room (OCR) was occupied by the Mad Hatter and his Tea Party, and the Club Room featured Red Riding Hood’s trail through the forest.

Entertainment included a huge variety of performances across six separate

stages, with live bands, solo artists, and DJs throughout the night. There was also a roving magician, ceilidh dancing in the dining hall, and a silent disco on the West Court into the early hours.

The West Court - dressed up as Neverland from Peter Pan - also housed the main stage, where headliners Red Rum Club delivered an electrifying set that had everyone on their feet dancing. Guests enjoyed a delicious range of food from a variety of Cambridge’s favourite vendors, including Africfood, Aromi, Guerilla Kitchen and Jack’s Gelato.

This year, the College committed to new reusable cups, complete with Wolfson Bar branding, to greatly reduce the amount of plastic waste generated by the occasion. Thanks to this and many other innovations, the Wolfson May Ball was awarded a Platinum Certification as part of the Cambridge Sustain-a-ball scheme.

“Words cannot express our gratitude to everyone who supported and shared the magical evening that was Wolfson May Ball 2022,” said An, “And it was wonderful to see so many alumni present!”

An gave effusive praise to all the staff, volunteers and helpers that made this magical night a reality: the maintenance staff, bar and catering staff, housekeeping staff, gardeners and porters, as well as those in College supporting with the finances and logistics.

Wolfson President Professor Jane Clarke also lauded the May Ball Committee for their “incredible work and effort, alongside their studies,” to make the night such a success.

“We are extremely proud to have produced an event of this quality at the ticket price that we did,” said An. “While we acknowledge that May Balls may not be accessible to all, I believe that Wolfson May Ball is a fine example of how we can move closer to this, and ensure that everyone can enjoy this true Cambridge experience. We hope your fairytale dreams came true for one night, and we’re delighted that there was a happy ever after – after all!”

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM

COMMITTEE

Amikam Toren’s stimulating exhibition

Representations as a Matter of Fact’ curated by Professor Phillip Lindley, Bye Fellow, was the College’s Frangenberg Collection exhibition for 2021, and formed part of the Cambridge Festival.

Irini Bachlitzanaki won the third Wolfson College Cambridge Royal Academy Schools Graduate Prize, and presented The Combination Show, comprising works employing embroidery techniques to create representations of everyday objects.

Senior Member, Peter Donovan curated ‘The Art of Great Bardfield’ drawn from the Fry Art Gallery’s significant collection of British artists who lived in North-West Essex from the 1930s onwards. With works on show by seminal printmakers including Edward Bawden, Eric Ravilious, Sheila Robinson, and Grayson Perry, the exhibition proved very popular with College members and visitors alike.

...OF ART

Wolfson Fellow, Dr Anna M Dempster, curated ‘Kill or Cure’, which explored how the natural world has informed and inspired the medical sciences, presenting exciting contemporary work from 32 artists. Working in a range of media and styles, the celebrated British and international artists on show included Mat Collishaw, Charlotte Verity, and Julieta Hanono, alongside others exhibiting in Cambridge for the first time. The exhibition also featured Wolfson’s first display of video and digital art, thanks to a team effort from across the College. The exhibition’s ‘open call’ attracted a large number of submissions and provided a fantastic opportunity for wider participation from across the Wolfson community.

‘The Made and The Unmade’ exhibition included drawings, sketchbooks, and sculptures by John Atkin, re-conceptualising functional forms such as plum bobs, garment patterns, and maps into thought-provoking abstract assemblages.

Dr Yul Kang, Junior Research Fellow and Research Associate in the Department of Engineering, presented a solo exhibition of prints and drawings in ‘Home, Taken’, providing a timely visual critique of the contentious ‘no fault’ –or forced – British eviction laws and their impact on individuals and families.

The Choir’s Lent term concert performance of Lysenko’s beautiful Prayer for Ukraine brought the audience to its feet and helped raise almost £1000 for the DEC Ukraine appeal. The main theme of the concert celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams. The Wolfson choir resumed live rehearsals with social distancing … and were finally able to sing without masks.

...& MUSIC

The Music Society capped off the year with a two-day conference entitled The Growth of Music and Science to mark Professor Ian Cross’s retirement. The talks brought back many Wolfson alumni and friends, either in person or on Zoom, and topics ranged from music education, coding, hearing, psychology and music perception.

Music Society President and PhD musician Saman Samadi’s creation of the new ensemble CueMe (Cambridge University Experimental Music Ensemble) also included two Wolfson music students, violinist Daniel Phillips and saxophonist Eric Petzoldt. The group’s inaugural project was a stunning multilingual mix of musical improvisation, theatre, and poetry.

Second year philosophy undergraduate, Patrick Pan, was a finalist and prizewinner in the prestigious CUMS Concerto Competition, continuing Wolfson’s ongoing pattern of pianistic successes.

A performance by virtuoso Singaporean classical guitarist, Kevin Loh, was a highlight of our Music and Madeira series this year. The Mary Bevan Recital returned with a piano spectacular by CUMS Concerto winner, Mark Zang (Girton) and finalist, Wolfson’s own Patrick Pan. Sadly, this was the first concert without the late Professor Hugh Bevan.

18-24 October

COp26

COP26 at Wolfson was a week-long programme of green activities organised to tackle some of the big climate questions. The week encompassed cultural events, including the poetry of climate change; talks and resources on technology and nature-based solutions; events on the topics of sustainable development, human rights, policy and law; and a roundtable on urgency, action, ambition, and adaption.

7 NOVEMBER

DIWALI

WCSA International Students Reps Abbernaa Dhevi Kukananthan (Abby) and alumna Navleen Kaur organised an inaugural Diwali celebration, featuring a teatime social, stalls offering Indian crafts (with proceeds to Educate Punjab), a two-hour event in the Lee Hall showcasing various aspects of Indian culture, and an amazing Indian dinner in the Dining Hall.

EVENTS 2021/22

24 NOVEMBER LEE LECTURE

In November, geneticist, author, and broadcaster Dr Adam Rutherford delivered the annual Lee Lecture. Adam presented ‘Race, Scientific Racism, and Genetics’, arguing that, while contemporary genetics has thoroughly demolished the biological concept of race, its legacy persists in our data, our labs, and our scientific language.

25 FEBRUARY SCIENCE SLAM

The first Wolfson Science Slam brought together College scientists to explain their research projects in short tenminute talks, accessible to a wider audience – with amazing projects on display from all levels of study.

2022

14 FEBRUARY

THE ROLE OF FREE SPEECH IN SOCIETY

In Feb, Dr. Arif Ahmed delivered a talk on free speech, its role in society, its parameters, and how we reconcile different views. The talk was followed by a question and answer session moderated by Roger Mosey, Master of Selwyn College.

MARGINALISED WOMEN & SOCIALISM

This two-day hybrid workshop aimed to fill a gap in scholarship: by exploring the knowledge accumulated by scholars from fields beyond intellectual history – including social history, anthropology, and literary studies – about women from marginalised contexts during state socialism in Eastern and Central Europe and beyond.

27 APRIL WOLFSON’S WORLD POETRY NIGHT

Hosted by Professor Geoffrey Brock, poet, translator and Visiting Fellow, our World Poetry Day event was a big success and an affecting evening –as students, staff, Fellows, and alumni joined together to celebrate poetry, reading poems from many languages and continents.

28 APRIL ENTERPRISE COMPETITION

PhD students Ben Woodington (Wolfson) and Elise Jenkins (Trinity Hall) won the 2022 Wolfson Enterprise Competition with their pitch for bioelectronics start-up, ‘Opto Biosystems’ They beat four other shortlisted teams in a final judged by an international group of eight entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and executives.

29–30 APRIL WOLFSON RESEARCH EVENT

WRE showcases the latest groundbreaking student research alongside perspective-shifting keynote speakers. This year tackled everything from decolonising outer space and brain building to carbon capture and the value of true belief.

JUNE–JULY TREE TRAIL

As part of Wolfson Explores Growth and the Festival of Wellbeing, we launched our very popular tree trail in June – a self-guided tour of the varied and wonderful trees of Wolfson.

Tree Trail

31 JULY–7 AUGUST PART-TIME STUDY WEEK

Part-time Study Week is an annual opportunity for our part-time students to come together for a programme of events and activities in College – and to simply hang out! It includes peer writing sessions, library skills sessions, walking tours, a formal hall, and more.

(Left) Part-time study week.

HUMANITIES SOCIETY

As ever, the Humanities Society filled each term with varied and challenging talks, across the boundaries of Humanities and other fields of study. Talks ranged from covering a history of the world in one cathedral (Cologne), rap music s tussle with success and authenticity, the seminal influence of Germany’ s “father of children’s literature” , Christian Felix Weiße, and more.

SCIENCE SOCIETY

Science Society events continued to deliver cutting-edge and layfriendly talks, helping to understand how science and technology affect our lives now and in the future – from advances in stroke medicine to examining the first molecules on Earth and investigating whether biodiversity can make children happy.

CHANGE MAKERS: Part-TIME STUDENTS CHANGING THE WORLD

What is a part-time student? Well, at Wolfson, it can be anyone, from anywhere. Our part-time students are everything from UN advisors to police officers, senior physicians to playwrights, architects to home-based learners committed to developing their skills. Last year, we had over 300 part-time students studying courses across the University. What’s common to them all is that they share a drive to make a difference.

EKENE AGBIM

Ekene Agbim is a GP from South London who’s about to start her second year on the MSt in Healthcare Data: Informatics, Innovation and Commercialization course. Ekene’s interests are quite literally life or death: they’re about spotting ill health early to minimise potential impacts. In her first year as a part-time student at Wolfson, she completed evidence-based research in her local community and is focusing on how early warning scores can better identify unwell patients. “I hope to work more on lifestyle indicators in primary care medicine in the community,” she says, “so that we can use data to drive better health outcomes and keep more people out of hospital.”

Last year, Ekene was elected as the part-time students’ representative for the Cambridge Student Union and she believes part-time students are an untapped resource for the University as whole.

“There are plenty of opportunities for more networking between full-time and part-time post-graduates,” she says. “Part-time students are often tapped into the professional worlds that many full-time students are deeply interested in.”

Indeed, many of Wolfson’s part-time students arrive at the College looking to fix an issue they’ve identified in their professional worlds or to take new knowledge back to their roles. This is certainly true for Leah Bargota, parttime student on the MSt in Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) course. Leah works full-time with reduced hours as an Environment Manager at High Speed 2 (HS2), the UK’s planned new high speed train line and Europe’s largest infrastructure project.

Leah’s role in the project involves collaboration across a wide variety of teams, from engineering, engagement, property, and costing, providing environmental advice on design proposals. She also played a role in the development of HS2’s Environmental Statement.

LEAH BARGOTA

By studying part-time on the IDBE course, Leah has sharpened and extended her knowledge about the environmental obligations necessary across the entire HS2 project. “Studying part-time on the course has highlighted how environmental and sustainability principles need to be embedded in different aspects of projects,” she says, “and that everyone involved within the built environment, despite their background, has a role to play with reducing and avoiding impacts as well as a commitment to sustainability.”

Leah was also a runner-up in Cambridge Zero’s Carbon 13 Challenge, which sought early-stage proposals for scalable ideas to decarbonise activities in our everyday lives.

Following the challenge, Leah’s concept was taken forward as part of the Impulse Programme for Tech Innovators, an entrepreneur programme to help develop ideas and connect people with the aim to develop scalable innovations.

Left: Ekene Agbim

Below: Leah Bargota driving a high-speed train on a simulator at The National College for Advanced Transport & Infrastructure (NCAT) in Birmingham.

Part-time students are supported by a dedicated team of College tutors – Drs Debbie Pullinger, Jamie Trinidad, and Meg Westbury, who facilitate students’ involvement and provide advice on personal and non-academic matters.

SUHAIL KHAN

“The support that I got from Wolfson was exceptional right from the start,” says Suhail Khan, who last year completed his second year in the International Relations MSt.

Since 2005, Suhail has worked for the United Nations in different capacities, from an early career opportunity to work alongside Secretary-General Kofi Annan, through positions in the UN Secretariat and in the field, advising senior leadership on peace and security issues in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Today, he works as a Political Advisor to the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, which is one of the largest peacekeeping operations presently deployed, comprising approximately 14,000 military and 2,000 police peacekeepers. “I advise senior leadership on implementing the peace process, and on operations that protect civilians from violence, while regularly collaborating with UN member states,” he says.

Suhail wrote his thesis on the use of force and UN peacekeeping and says that “access to an academic community and chance encounters and conversations in College” were a vital aspect to his experience. “The PartTime Study Week in particular was a big help,” he says.

The annual Part-Time Study Week, dedicated to part-time postgraduates, has had a notable impact on many part-time students. During the week, part-time students live in College, making it easy to socialise and exchange ideas about their research in the cafeteria, College bar, and at Formal Hall. They also make use of the various study spaces around College to progress with their research and writing.

Additional scheduled sessions provide boosts to their social and academic life, including a College garden tour and a walk to Granchester, as well as regular writing workshops offered by Academic Skills Librarian Alberto Garcia Jr.

“Part-Time Study Week is a great way for Wolfson to reach out to our part-time student community and ensure students are taking full advantage of College life,” says Andrew Flower, part-time student welfare officer for the Wolfson College Students Association (WCSA). “The connections and cross-disciplinary discussions are often as important as the study during the week in terms of sparking new ideas. Since Wolfson College has the largest part-time student body of any college in Cambridge, we can offer many of these opportunities to our students.”

Dr Zen Gashi was one of a group of 30 part-time students who visited Wolfson College for the this year’s Part-Time Study Week in August.

DR ZEN GASHI

Zen is a senior physician studying a part-time Masters in Medical Education. His research involves interviewing doctors working and training in Emergency Medicine to investigate the current “e-portfolio” method of logging personal and professional development information for medical staff.

Suhail wrote his thesis on the use of force and UN peacekeeping and says that “access to an academic community and chance encounters and conversations in College” were a vital aspect to his experience.

Suhail Khan

At Wolfson, Zen has developed an app that could enable doctors to conveniently log their experiences and build a record to support their skillset, which is important information for career progression. It could also bring key stakeholders closer together around relevant information in real-time, including staff skills and experience, activity logs, and HR support.

“The opportunity to meet up with other fellow students in this week who are doing different degrees in College has been a godsend,” says Zen. “I know how to start your heart, but I didn’t know how to design an app; so, I think that the opportunity to talk to someone else who has a different view or who is now at the end of their research on this area is just great.”

You can find out more about part-time study at Wolfson and the Part-Time Study Week on the Wolfson College website.

At Wolfson, Zen has developed an app that could enable doctors to conveniently log their experiences and build a record to support their skillset.

Part-Time Study Week is a great way for Wolfson to reach out to our parttime student community and ensure students are taking full advantage of College life.

Pentathlon

SPORTS SHORTS

Golf

Golf Blues Wit Wannakrairoj and Philip Gerber played in the 133rd University Golf Varsity. And while Cambridge lost overall, Wit won his foursome match and Philip won his singles match.

Boxing

Volleyball

Wolfson had an excellent Cuppers run and finished third overall, after an initial defeat against an all-star mixed-college side thwarted their chances of reaching the final.

Netball

Armed with a new squad kit, the netball team performed well in the group stage of the Cuppers tournament, although unfortunately fell short of qualifying for the quarter finals.

Tony Finch played in the Number 1 position in the Varsity match at Guards Polo Club. The Cambridge side narrowly lost to Oxford this year after a closely fought match.

The women’s second boat won the Talbott Cup in March, and the men and women’s first boats won the John Dent Trophy in June. May bumps were tough on the Wolves this year with all teams dropping in the rankings - but there was so much support for everyone on the water!

Football

The combined Wolfson/Darwin Women’s team held onto mid-table position after last season’s league promotion to the second division. The side were knocked out in the quarter final of Cuppers this year, after reaching the final last year. The men’s side finished fourth out of sixteen in the College League, the joint-best finish in Wolfson’s history. They also made it all the way to the final in the MCR Cup, losing out to Cambridge Assessment 3-1.

Boat Club Rugby

It was a great year for basketball. The team were promoted in the College league and also won the Cuppers tournament - for just the third time in the College’s history!

Basketball

The “All Greys” made it to the semifinals of the Cuppers tournament, placing third overall: a club record. The team also raised over £1,000 for charity in this year’s Jack Merritt

Memorial Match

Blues

Charles Kelly

American Football

Terry Fawden Athletics

Angus Peters

Athletics, Rugby Vittorio Masina Basketball Takako Sahara Kitahara Basketball

Michal Slowak Boxing

Bernardo Delarue-Bizzini

Fencing (half-blue)

Frances Steele Football

Wit Wannakrairoj Golf

Philip Gerber Golf

Emily Arbuthnott Lawn Tennis, Real Tennis, Mixed Lacrosse (half-blue) Tadeusz Ciecierski-Holmes

Modern Pentathlon Zoe Starbuck Netball

Tony Finch Polo

Jure Zgubic Tennis

Carlo Sandoval

Volleyball

Francisco Javier De Haro Arbona

Volleyball

Mark Jenei

Fencing (half-blue)

Harry Deeks

Rugby league (half-blue)

George Carew-Jones Touch Rugby and Lacrosse 2s (both half).

EMILY ARBUTHNOTT

TENNIS ACE HAS EXCEPTIONAL YEAR

Wolfson was graced this year with the exceptional talent of MPhil Economics student Emily Arbuthnott, who had a remarkable year of sporting success.

Emily was the number one ranked player for Women’s Tennis Blues in 2021–22, was nominated in a final five shortlist for the Cambridge University Sports Person of the Year 2022, and – as part of the CU Lawn Tennis Club - was part of the University’s Team of the Year in 2022. Emily dominated the tennis scene while representing Cambridge, winning all five of her singles and doubles matches without dropping a set in the 132nd Tennis Varsity, as well as winning the Real Tennis Varsity in March 2022.

She was also part of the Cambridge team that won the BUCS Premier South division, in which Emily again went undefeated in BUCS league play in singles and doubles, winning all matches in straight sets. In the BUCS tournament, Emily took silver medals in singles and doubles, on both occasions losing out to a former WTA top 150 singles and top 100 doubles player.

Alongside tennis, Emily transferred her considerable talent across to the lacrosse pitch, where she played regularly for the Women’s Lacrosse 2nd team and the Mixed Lacrosse 1st team. In mixed lacrosse, Emily scored five goals and was awarded player of the match in the inaugural national final, which Cambridge won following a tournament with club teams from across the UK.

Now at the end of her Cambridge degree, Emily is looking towards the future. Although “going pro” always seemed like the next step for her, she is exploring her options before diving straight into a professional tennis career. “It’s really hard to let go of something that’s been such a big part of my life” she says, “but I do want to consider other possible paths. Although it would be hard to say goodbye to professional tennis without feeling like I’d given it my best.”

NEW FELLOWS

DR JANE YUEN YUNG CHUI

Dr Jane Yuen Yung Chui is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics researching Biophysics. She completed a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT, writing on the impact of miscible viscous fingering and the effects of motile bacteria. Her research interests lie at the intersection of biology and physics: understanding the science behind nature’s engineering. She is interested in designing experiments that elucidate fundamental physics at play that will help us understand complex mechanisms and processes necessary for all living things: for example, she has been studying the population dynamics of marine microorganisms under different environmental conditions.

DR MATT FARR

Dr Matt Farr is a philosopher of science specialising in the nature of time and causality. Much of his work has focussed on the directionality of time, and he is currently writing a book defending his ‘C-theory’: the idea that time is fundamentally directionless. Matt completed his PhD in

Philosophy at the University of Bristol, before taking up postdoctoral research fellowships at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Time (2013-2014) and the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry and Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems at the University of Queensland (2014-2017). Since 2017 he has been a Research and Teaching Associate in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge.

where he uses genetic and genomics methods to study G-quadruplexes in human cells. He also works closely with colleagues at the Department of Chemistry.

DR ARUSHI GARG

DR SEAN FLYNN

Dr Sean Flynn is a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow at the CRUK Cambridge Institute and a Wolfson College alumnus. His research focuses on DNA structure and gene regulation. Sean is interested in understanding the role of quadruplex DNA in basic biological processes and identifying mechanisms by which it regulates gene expression. Sean is based at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute,

Dr Arushi Garg is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Criminology. Previously, she has held a lectureship at the University of Sheffield, as well as teaching positions at the University of Oxford. Before that, she read for the DPhil, MPhil and BCL at the University of Oxford (Hertford and Magdalen) as a Rhodes Scholar and a Mann Senior Scholar. Arushi s research deploys feminist and postcolonial theory to analyse the operation of the criminal justice system, particularly in India and other South Asian jurisdictions. She is especially interested in empirical analyses of law, and in what qualitative methods can teach us about the context and enforcement of the law.

DR EMMA KING-SMITH

Dr Emma King-Smith is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Physics, working at the intersection of chemistry and machine learning. Emma’ s

area of research is focused on providing practical solutions to synthetic chemistry challenges via the predictive power of machine learning. She is interested in reaction outcome prediction: if given some molecules, how do they react? Machine learning, with its astonishing predictive power, is a potential solution to recognising the subtle patterns that govern the seemly random outcomes of complex reactions.

DR SEBESTIAN KROUPA

Dr Sebestian Kroupa is an historian of the early modern life sciences and medicine in global contexts. His current project, funded jointly by the Leverhulme and the Isaac Newton Trust, investigates early modern exchanges of plant knowledge and practice between Asia and America. Dr Kroupa has published on indigenous tattooing in the Philippines, long-distance networks of knowledge exchange and Renaissance geography, and co-edited a special issue of the British Journal for the History of Science on science and islands in Indo-Pacific worlds.

DR DONATAS KUPČIŪNAS

Dr Donatas Kupčiūnas is a Research Associate at the Centre for Geopolitics, Department of Politics and International Studies. In addition to running the Centre’s Baltic Geopolitics strand, Donatas co-teaches the MPhil course on the History of European Geopolitics and supervises undergraduate students on the subject of International Conflict, Order and Justice. His research interests include modern international history, relations between East/ Central and Western Europe in the interwar period, cultural and intellectual history of diplomacy, geopolitics of the Baltic sea region, international law of global security and contemporary Russian foreign policy. Donatas’s post is fully-funded by a generous anonymous donor.

DR ZSóFIA LóRÁND

Dr Zsófia Lóránd is an intellectual historian of feminism in post-WWII state-socialist Eastern Europe, focusing on Yugoslavia, Hungary and the German Democratic Republic. She received her PhD at the Central European University in Budapest and held positions at the European University Institute in Florence and the Lichtenberg-Kolleg in Göttingen afterward. For eight years, she worked as an SOS helpline

volunteer and trainer in the field of domestic violence. Zsófia’s current project is the first comparative and transnational intellectual history of feminist thought and women ’s rights discourses in three East-Central European countries: the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, and Yugoslavia from 1945 until 1956, the early years of de-Stalinisation. Her book, The Feminist Challenge to the Socialist State in Yugoslavia, was published in 2018.

PROFESSOR JULIAN PARKHILL

Professor Parkhill is Marks and Spencer Professor of Farm Animal Health, Food Science and Food Safety in the Department of Veterinary Medicine. Julian joined the Sanger Institute in 1997 working on the genomics of major human pathogens. His current research interests focus on the evolution of bacterial pathogens. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Oxford, a Visiting Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2009, the American Academy of Microbiology in 2012, and the Royal Society in 2014.

Dr SAMUEL ROBERTS

Dr Samuel Roberts is a postdoctoral research associate at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology working on the chemistry of the origins of life. Sam’ s current work focuses on the origins of the mechanisms of translation in Biology, i.e. how genetic code gets converted into proteins. These studies

have centred around building tRNA – the molecule which ensures the correct amino acid matches the correct codon sequence - in a prebiotically plausible manner. Sam is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and supervises undergraduate chemistry for the natural sciences courses.

DR KARLA SAYEGH

Dr Karla Sayegh is Assistant Professor in Organisation Theory & Information Systems at the Cambridge Judge Business School. A social scientist and ethnographer of work, she studies how experts change their ways of working in response to radical change, with an interest in healthcare organisations. Karla holds a BSc in Economics from the Wharton School, a BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Yale University and a PhD in Management (Strategy and Organization) from McGill University.

Dr GRAHAM SPICER

Dr Graham Spicer is a Research Associate in the Department of Physics, working to build new endoscopes for early cancer detection. Dr Spicer’ s current research focuses on developing new modes of spectral endoscopy for the early detection of oesophageal and gastric cancers. He works to bring new spectral endoscopes to the clinic where they can be tested in real patients to determine benefit. His research is interdisciplinary, spanning the fields of optics, engineering, and clinical medicine, part of a project funded by the EPSRC with Dr Sarah Bohndiek.

Dr ELIZABETH (BETH) TURK

Dr Beth Turk is a Research Associate and Affiliated Lecturer in the Department of Social Anthropology. She is also a Curatorial Consultant for the National Museum of Qatar. Dr Turk’s research explores health-related practices and

strategies in Mongolia, with particular focus on ‘alternative and nature-based therapies. The research will illuminate the ways in which public administration and national constructions of culture shape practices that influence health and wellbeing, revealing mechanisms by which cultural forms change more generally.

Dr ALEXANDRA (ALI) WIGZELL

Dr Ali Wigzell is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Institute of Criminology. Her research focuses on the emotional and ethical dimensions of youth justice intervention, with a particular interest in the place and effects of professional love’ in such contexts. Dr Wigzell’ s current research project examines the contours of care and its ethical dimensions in the youth justice (child–worker) professional relationship, through an ethnographic and participatory approach.

JUNIOR RESEARCH FELLOWS ON THE MOVE

Our Junior Research Fellows (JRF) always go off to do great things. Here’s where a selection of our recent JRFs have headed.

FELLOWS’

Dr Rao’s research has centred on understanding the links between play, learning, development, and wellbeing. She accepted a new Senior Researcher post at NESTA, London, starting in November 2022.

to

Dr Davidson is a comparative psychologist and a behavioural ecologist with a keen interest in the development, function and evolution of cognition in wild animals. After joining the College as a JRF in 2019, she has accepted a new lectureship position at The University of East Anglia in January 2023.

Dr Kouli became a JRF in 2020 after completing her PhD at Wolfson. This year, she became a Research Scientist at Sanofi Kymab, based at the Cambridge Babraham campus.

Dr Mukoyama specializes in international relations and comparative politics. He joined Wolfson as a JRF in Easter Term, 2021. He’s now an Associate Professor at the Institute for Future Initiatives, University of Tokyo.

Bye-Fellow wins Polish Academy of Sciences prize

Bye-Fellow, Dr Cezary Kucewicz, won the Early Career Researcher prize (Humanities & Social Sciences category), awarded by the Polish Academy of Sciences, for his book, The Treatment of the War Dead in Archaic Athens: An Ancestral Custom. The first-time paperback was published by Bloomsbury in late 2020. Cezary is Assistant Professor at University of Gdańsk.

Dr Jamie Trinidad, Wolfson Fellow and Director of Studies, was appointed to the rank of King s Counsel. Dr Trinidad – who is from Gibraltar – is one of the first new KCs to be appointed since the reign of George VI, and the first from Gibraltar to 'take silk' since 2019. Within the legal profession, appointment as King's Counsel ('KC', during the reign of a King) or Queen's Counsel ('QC', during the reign of a Queen) has been described as 'a mark and recognition by the Sovereign of the professional eminence of the counsel upon whom it is conferred

It's a great honour to be recognised in this way for doing work that I love,” said Dr Trinidad, and I'm pleased to follow in the footsteps of former members of the Wolfson College Governing Body who have attained the rank of Queen' s Counsel, such as Sir David Williams, who was appointed an honorary QC in 1994, and Lord (Lawrence) Collins, who was one of the first solicitors to be appointed a QC in 1997.

Earlier in the year, Dr Trinidad was awarded the prestigious Round Table Peter Lyon prize for an article which assessed whether the population of Gibraltar is a genuine ‘people’ with the right to self-determination under international law. This followed a co-edited 2021 book, which assessed the 2019 Chagos ruling, shining a light on one of the most significant legal decisions of the century for the law of decolonisation and self-determination.

FELLOWS

PROMOTIONS

Fellow and Director of Studies, Dr Frank Tietze was promoted to Professor (Grade 11) in the Department of Engineering. Within the Institute of Manufacturing, Frank pursues research at the intersection of innovation, intellectual property, and sustainability management. He also has a keen interest in entrepreneurship and innovation economics. Frank teaches technology, innovation, and IP management courses to graduate and undergraduate students, and also executives. He runs the ‘Innovation and Strategic management of Intellectual Property’ (4E1) for Cambridge engineering and ISMM students, is module leader for the MET ‘Technology and Innovation Management course and responsible for all MET 2B industrial projects.

Wolfson

We were delighted to congratulate several Fellows who were promoted by the University last year.

Fellow and Tutor, Professor Giles Yeo was promoted to Professor (Grade 12) in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry. Professor Yeo is a geneticist interested in studying the brain’s control of food intake and body weight, and how these might be dysregulated in obesity. His latest book, Why Calories Don t Count, was published in 2022. Giles also presents science documentaries for the BBC, including Horizon and Trust Me I’m a Doctor. He is a regular on podcasts and has his own podcast, Dr Giles Yeo Chews the Fat.

This includes working with a diverse range of datasets including epidemiological, genomic, serological, and behavioural data. He works closely with an established network of collaborators across laboratories, field-based epidemiologists, hospitals, and public health agencies.

DE- COLONISING RESEARCH

DR STEPHEN WILFORD

Decolonisation is one of the most vital and rapidly changing areas of research in academia today. At Wolfson, some of our Fellows are employing a decolonial frame to broaden the scope of their research projects and respond to the legacies of colonialism.

When we talk about decolonisation, we don’t just mean the historical process by which former colonies achieved their independence,” says Wolfson Fellow and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Music Dr Stephen Wilford. “Rather, what we are talking about is an approach to research that understands that colonialism is something that has shaped our world in profound ways.”

Dr Wilford’s research focuses on sound and music in Algeria, an area he’s been interested in since becoming acquainted with Arab music in France in the 1990s. Many Algerian artists were making their recordings in France at the time after escaping the violence of the Algerian civil war.

Dr Wilford is exploring these dynamics in his upcoming book, ‘Music and Sound in Franco-Algerian Encounters’ (Liverpool University Press, forthcoming), which is constructed around a number of case studies: from visual depictions of music-making in Algeria during the period of French colonial rule, to the contemporary Franco-Algerian hip hop scene, to the recent anti-government protests in Algeria since 2019.

“In the case of my own field, it is clear that even sixty years on from Algerian independence, the effects of colonialism continue to shape the politics and culture and lives of that society today,” he says. “These legacies are crucial to understanding the music scene in Algeria, not just in terms of influences, interchanges, and movement, but also what people are making music about, and why.”

Decolonial approaches can expand the frame of a research project in other ways too. For Wolfson Fellow and Director of Studies in History, Dr Anjali Bhardwaj-Datta, decolonisation provides the means to uncover histories that would otherwise have gone ignored or suppressed by colonising states and actors.

“There is a big difference in writing about mainstream histories and the history of marginal groups, like women for example,” says Dr Bhardwaj-Datta. “I call women a marginalised group because of striking absence in the archives, which were produced by the colonial state.”

Dr Bhardwaj-Datta, a gender historian of twentieth century South Asia, is aiming to redress this imbalance in her book, titled ‘War, Migration and Decolonisation in India 19391965’ (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming). Her aim is make a reading of the archives against the traditional grain, in order to find the gaps and identify what was not reported.

Dr Anjali Bhardwaj-DattA

“It’s complex because even the elite women who participated very prominently in the anticolonial struggles don’t really feature in the archives, so you can imagine what happens when you look for women from lower castes or social classes – there’s almost nothing at all.”

By using alternative forms of knowledge such as oral histories, Dr Bhardwaj-Datta is able to recover some of those lost narratives. “I rely on a range of interdisciplinary methods to explore those diverse histories of gender in marginal groups, not only caste, religion and class, but also women of different communities,” she says.

Dr SEBESTIAN KROUPA

Junior Research Fellow Dr Sebestian Kroupa is also interested in developing a more comprehensive account of world history, shifting the frame from European-focussed – or ‘Eurocentric’ – accounts to ones that take cross-cultural exchanges into account. His current work focuses on the development of natural sciences and medicine in the early modern period.

“Historical scholarship now shows that science and medicine were borne of cross-cultural encounters among a wide range of groups, across cultures, gender, and social status around the world,” says Dr Kroupa. “Modern science and medicine were not solely produced by a few prominent white Western men,” he adds.

His upcoming monograph, ‘Plants on the Move: Georg Joseph Kamel SJ and the Making of CrossCultural Knowledge in Southeast Asia, c.1650–1750’, reconstructs how knowledge was produced at the frontiers of different empires by a variety of actors, including Filipino wise women, Muslim traders, Catholic missionaries, and European scholars.

“In one chapter of the book, I’m looking at how a panacea known only to a few indigenous communities in the Philippines became a globallymarketed pharmaceutical product available to consumers worldwide,” says Dr Kroupa.

He traces this history back to early Jesuit missionaries, who in addition to spreading Christianity also took local indigenous medicines to global markets, often for immense profit. “There are a lot of complex questions here about power relations and exploitative practices, all of which are part of the history of modern science and medicine,” he adds.

In addition to addressing power relations, decolonisation for Dr Kroupa is about connecting with local knowledge and reversing the tendency to adopt a European perspective. “We need to work more closely with Indigenous communities and Indigenous sources to try to build more inclusive histories. That’s what really enables us to see what was happening in these processes,” he says.

Historical scholarship now shows that science and medicine were borne of cross-cultural encounters among a wide range of groups, across cultures, gender, and social status around the world.’

This inclusive approach marries closely with the methods used by Wolfson Junior Research Fellow and social anthropologist Dr Beth Turk, who has worked closely with local medical practitioners and healers in her study of health and cultural heritage in Mongolia.

Dr Turk is based in the Mongolia & Inner Asia Studies Unit (MIASU) at the Department of Social Anthropology, which has been proudly collaborative since it was cofounded by Professor Caroline Humphrey and Professor Urgunge Onon in 1986.

“By linking up Mongolian researchers with those from ‘global North’ backgrounds, MIASU has sort of been part of this decolonizing movement before the buzzword became trendy,” says Dr Turk. “I think it’s good to look for the precursors to these approaches, because it can help with some of the pushback that might characterise decolonisation as a recent or superficial phenomenon.”

Last year Dr Turk spent five months on fieldwork incountry, working in tandem with Dr Uranchimeg Ujeed who conducts research in the Inner Mongolian semi-Autonomous region of China.

“One of the things we’re looking at is the process by which cultural heritage is formed, and how that happens differently on either side of the Mongolian-Chinese border,” says Dr Turk. “We’re interested in what gets included and what gets left out of this heritage, as well as the actors and power relations behind those decisions.”

Early findings suggest that the Mongolian Ministry of Culture has played a significant role, via academic institutions, to make bids to the UN to enshrine certain practices as protected cultural heritage. Some of the motivation for this appears to be nation-building in response to cultural pressure from China, but there’s also vested economic interests to promote the widespread adoption of what is being branded as traditional Mongolian medicine.

DR BETH TURK

In keeping with decolonial methods, Dr Turk’s research will be followed by an exhibition co-planned by Curatorial Fellows from both Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, along with the Cambridge-based research team, in collaboration with Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. She is hoping key outputs from the collaboration will be available to Cambridge members and the public through the annual Cambridge Festival.

Each of these four Fellows sheds light upon the advantages provided by a decolonial approach to research, which provides a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of histories previously told from just one perspective, as well as recognising how colonial legacies continue to affect many aspects of society today.

For Dr Wilford, the Fellowship and student body at the College has felt very engaged in these matters. “Wolfson really feels like a place that’s open to talking about issues like decolonisation, postcolonialism, racism and similar issues,” he says.

Dr Datta agrees: “This fascinating work is happening at Wolfson because of such a diverse fellowship and student body, and I feel a sense of pride that I can be a part of that.” Indeed, being a part of a community committed to exploring these ideas creates fertile ground to find new approaches and news connections beyond subject frameworks: “What I find exciting,” continues Dr Datta, “is that, while individual scholars are investigating colonial and decolonisation movements in their own unique ways, we can still find how interconnected our work is.”

John, with Professor Jane Clarke, signs his donation to create a new PhD scholarship.

THE MAN WHO MASTERED PRESSURE

Half a century after he studied at Wolfson, John Hughes (Civil Engineering, 1969) is back at the College. Relaxing in the Club Room, it’s barely ten minutes before he finds himself in spontaneous conversation about rowing with thirdyear English student, Liam Tayler. “I’ve been meaning to get into it,” says Liam, “but I’m a bit hesitant. It’s quite a commitment.”

“You should do it,” says John, instantly, “the comradery you’ll develop is wonderful: and that makes such a difference to your experience.”

John certainly found comradery in sport when he was at Wolfson – and there’s proof a few metres away from where he’s sitting: his name is on the commemorative oar hanging above the College bar, alongside his fellow crew from 1970.

“Rowing really helped me find my place at Cambridge. I played on the College squash team too – and that introduced me to two different groups of people. Through sport, I had a wonderful introduction to College life.”

John is not back just to talk about rowing, however, but to sign off a

significant donation to the College –supplemented by a University donation – that will create a new PhD scholarship at Wolfson.

The John Hughes PhD Studentship

The John Hughes PhD Studentship will cover tuition (at the Home rate) and maintenance costs for a PhD candidate in any subject. It’s a magnificent opportunity for a prospective PhD student to study at the College.

“During my time at Wolfson, I was lucky enough to be supported by funding for four years,” says John. “That funding was essential for me to study, and it also enabled me to travel across Europe and the U.S for research.

“Those trips were foundational to my development and created so many memories: in particular, I remember a visit to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where I was part of a team from the Cambridge Soil Mechanics Department who won an engineering competition. Those kinds of experiences are so important, and I’d like others to have the same opportunity that I had – to get the chance to follow their ideas.”

An innovator who has left a legacy John’s donation will leave a significant

legacy at Wolfson – and he has left no small impact with his own research and invention since arriving at Wolfson all those years ago.

John was the first at Cambridge University to conduct research on the pressuremeter, an instrument for measuring the strength and stiffness of soil and rock. Today, pressuremeters are used widely in geotechnical engineering, on land and water, whether it’s building onshore and offshore wind energy, bridge construction, tunnelling, rail and highway infrastructure, and port and harbour development. Many of them use the version developed by John himself.

“The first pressuremeter was developed in the U.S. in 1953, but it had limited capabilities,” says John. “My approach was to change the original design to include accurate measurements of the strain and pressure by using modern electronics and mathematics to develop more accurate analysis of soil properties.”

On the hunt for an equation

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, John’s academic journey was sparked by an experience as a young engineer in Canada. He was working on a new railway line, building what they thought

was the last landfill in a series of embankments. They were just about to finish, and had left the site for a celebratory meal, when the fill collapsed.

“The question was, why had it collapsed? What kind of pressure had caused it?” he says. Shortly after, he began to think about how it was possible to accurately measure the stress within the soil, so as to better inform projects such as tunnel building and general construction.

“There had to be a mathematical answer to the problem,” he says. “I came to Wolfson to find the solution to a problem – to find an equation basically.”

John chose Cambridge after seeing Professor Kenneth Roscoe, from the Cambridge University Department of Engineering, lecture in Vancouver. After hearing Professor Roscoe, John knew that the kind of work he was interested in was happening in Cambridge. But it was still a great leap to go all the way to England. For one thing, John was the first of his family to go to university.

“My grandfather, who fixed steam trains, wondered why on earth I was at school. My father left at 13, too, and had no real education. So it wasn’t like I was going to Cambridge with any advice about what college to go to or anything.”

Once he arrived, however, John found a social tribe at Wolfson – and a department to support his ideas.

“My supervisor seemed to be keen on what I was trying to do,” he says. “Most students at that time didn’t come with a specific problem they wanted to solve – but I did. And Cambridge had the equipment to help me solve it.”

And solve it he did.

“Essentially, I built a miniature boring machine, and instead of building it to work horizontally, I built it to work vertically, to measure the stresses in the ground.”

Eventually, a Cambridge company –now Cambridge Insitu – visited the lab and saw the great potential in John’s prototype, turning the idea into a modern machine. “I was most interested in fixing the problem and handing it on,” says John. “I’ve seen what the company has done all over the world. And I’ve done the same thing with my own companies, with the same tech-nology –though I’m not nearly as good at making it as them. They improved it immensely, so it’s really owing to them that it got to where it is now.”

Passing the baton

Indeed, John’s basic idea is now –fifty years later – still being used by Cambridge Insitu, and by companies all over the world, on projects from the Second Severn Crossing, the HS2 in the UK, and the Jubilee underground extension in the UK, to the Bangkok wastewater outfall tunnel in Thailand and the Canadian Site C Clean Energy hydropower project.

John s name on the oar above the College bar.

“It’s pleasing that the same technology is still being used today,” he says. “Not many technologies largely stay the same over fifty years. It’s still answering the question I tried to answer half a century ago.”

After running pressuremeter companies in Canada and the U.S., John is now retired, but this year he is publishing a book about his life’s work.

“The now-manager of Cambridge Insitu said that we should put something together about our lives in the business,” he says. “I had never thought about that, but thought that was a good idea. So that’s what we’re doing now – putting a hundred years of experience into one book.” The book reflects a clear strain that runs throughout John’s life: it’s about passing on knowledge, passing on benefits from one generation to the next. His new book, The John Hughes PhD Scholarship, and his legacy in ground engineering are all testament to that noble ambition.

Pressuremeters, based on John’s prototype, are used all over the world.

PHILANTHROPY IN ACTION

Many Wolfson students must overcome extreme financial challenges in order to take up their place at Cambridge. The College is dedicated to doing all we can to support them, but our own resources are limited. The support we receive from donors enables us to make a real and significant difference in the lives of many exceptional students each year.

Over the past few years, several large anonymous gifts, including two in 2021/22 totaling over £425k, have enabled us to partner with other University institutions– Departments, Faculties, the Cambridge Trust – to offer fully funded PhD studentships to our top postgraduate applicants. The value – and impact – of a donor’s gift is routinely more than doubled in these partner-funding arrangements.

In every case, these awards –whether small or large, to support academic or extracurricular activity – enabled students to make the most of their Cambridge experience and had a significant positive impact on their wellbeing. The College is enormously grateful to everyone whose gifts allow us to support so many students in so many ways. Thank you!

Fully funded PhD studentships

In 2021/2022, nineteen Wolfson doctoral students and two Masters students were fully funded through such partnerships. An additional three Masters students received partner-funded awards that covered their maintenance costs during their year of study.

Awards to undergraduates

Another significant source of support is the Alborada Fund, which in 2021/2022 provided generous awards to support thirteen undergraduates – six in Medicine and seven in Veterinary Science, as well as two PhD students in medical research. Based on merit and financial need, these awards support a cohort of students that has seen available public funding shrink in the past few years.

Unanticipated hardship

Donations to the Student Support Fund enable us to provide assistance to students who find themselves in unanticipated hardship. This has been incredibly important for students whose research has been delayed by the pandemic, or whose family circumstances have been altered by the current economic and political turmoil around the world. Here again, the College uses our own modest hardship grants as ‘seed money’ to support students’ applications for larger grants from University funds. Our aim in every case is to leverage our funds to ensure the maximum impact of each gift.

Supplementing maintenance loans

We know that many of our students live on a proverbial shoestring: about half of our current undergraduates receive the maximum Cambridge Bursary, a meanstested grant that the University offers to supplement the available government maintenance loans. In 2021/2022, a generous donation of £50,000 covered the full cost of the College’s required contribution to this bursary scheme, which provided £364,000 in financial support to our students.

Hardship funding

A three-year grant from the Santander Foundation enabled the College to offer means-tested awards to its most economically vulnerable undergraduates. These small awards of £500 or £750 enable students to take up extracurricular activities or cover unanticipated expenses or shortfalls in funding. After three years of Santander Bursaries, we have seen a significant drop in the number of applications from undergraduates for hardship funding. Students also report a significant drop in their anxiety levels and an improved ability to focus on their studies.

Named after Wolfson’s first President, John Morrison, the Morrison Society was established in 2008 to recognise all those who have notified us that they have included a legacy in their will. Members’ names are displayed in a special commemorative book and we are delighted to invite Society members, with a guest, to an annual event to show our appreciation for this important commitment. We are grateful to the following, and to those members who prefer to belong to the Society anonymously.

THE MORRISON SOCIETY

Dr Donald Adamson JP FRSL

Mr Michael Albrecht

Ms Lynette Alcántara Mr Graham Allen

Mr Robert Amundsen

Dr Roger Bancroft Dr Peter Beaumont Dr William Block Mr Conor Bowman Mrs Susan Bowring

Dr R Harry Bradshaw Mrs Doreen Burgin Mr Robert Burgin Mr Timothy Cartledge Miss Mary V Chisholm Dr Brian D Cox

Mr Sandy Cross Dr Thomas Davies FFPH

Professor Nicholas de Lange FBA DD

Dr Peter D Eath

Mr Peter Donovan Mr Colin Dunnighan

Professor John Edwards

Mrs Monika Erlinghagen

Dr Martin Evans

Mr Alan W Farrow

Professor Thomas C Fischer and Brenda

A Fischer

Mr Robert Fishwick

Dr David Frost FRSA

Professor Conor Gearty FBA

Dr John Gibbins FBA

Dr Steven Hand

Mrs Carol Handley

Professor David Hargreaves

Mr David Harris

Dr John Harvey

The Reverend Dr Peter Hayler

Dr Mellor Hennessy Dr Andrew Herbert OBE

FBCS FREng, in memory of Mrs Jane Herbert

Mrs Lynn Hieatt

Mrs Sylvia Hopkinson

Mr Anthony Hopkinson

Mr J Ieuan Jones

Professor Adrian Kent Dr Edward Kessler MBE

The Hon Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC KC

Professor Gordon Kingsley

Philip Kirk Esq

Ms Lorie Konlyn

Mr Jonathan Lee Ms Dawn Leeder

Mr George Liebmann

Mr Jonathan Louth

Professor William Lubenow

Mrs Angela M Lucas

Professor Peter J Lucas FSA

Dr Matthew Gibson Lynas

Mr John Sanford McClenahen

Professor Derek McDougall

Marjorie J McKinney

Mr Richard C Meade

Professor Roger Middleton

Mr Dale Mills

Lady Sally Oliver Dr Ian O’Neill

Dr Karen Ottewell

Dr Stefan Paetke

Mr Ray Palmer

Mr Clive Powell

Dr Dorrie L Rapp

Dr John Rees

Mr Charles Reese Dr L John Reeve FRHistS

Dr Helen Reynolds

Dr Peter Roberts FSA FRHistS

Ms Joan Sadler

Mr Barry Saunders

Dr Margaret E Shepherd

Dr Laurence Smith

Professor George P Smith II Dr Anna Snowdon

Professor Anthony Swain Miss Christina Symonds

Mr Michael Tindale

Professor Christopher Todd

Dr Christopher Town

Mr John Ward

Mr David Weatherup

Dr Janet West

Dr Margaret Whichelow

Professor John White Dr Joan M Whitehead.

LIST OF DONORS

For the financial year 2021-2022.

* Indicates member of the President’s Circle.

AMr Neeraj Agarwal (2005)

Ms Vinyo Aidam (2007)

Mr Akinfela Akoni (1996)*

The ALBORADA Trust

Mr Peter Aldred (1976)

Mrs Julia Aldridge (1987)

Mrs Lenore Alexander (2007)*

Professor Robin Alexander FBA FAcSS (2003)

Mr Graham Allen (1999)* Dr Martin Allen FSA FRHistSoc (2004)*

Professor Alfred Aman Jr (1983)* Amazon

Mr Robert Amundsen (1979)

Mrs Olayemi Anyanechi (2002)*

Apple Inc

Dr Carolina Armenteros (2005)*

Dr Zoltan Asztalos (1999)*

Mr Mark Ayre*

B

Mr Mirza Baig (1996)*

Professor Paul Barford (2009) and Dr Carol Barford (2009)

Emeritus Professor David Barker AM (2005)

Miss Terry Barringer (2009)

Professor Dr Winfried Baumgart (1974)

Mr Jonathan Beart (1993) Dr Peter Beaumont (1990) Mr David Bennett (2005)

Ms Jane Bevan*

Professor M Cristina Bicchieri (1976) in memory of Professor Mary Hesse FBA (1965)

Emeritus Professor Alan Bishop (1974)

Dr Simon Blackwell (2015)

Dr Elizabeth Bland (1981)

Dr William Block (1965)*

Mr Paul Bompas QPM (1988)

Mr William Bortrick FRSA (2005)*

Dr Richard Bourgon (2006)* Mr Antoine Bovon (2011)* Mrs Susan Bowring (1971)* Mr Mark Boyce (1993)

Dr R Harry Bradshaw (1990) Dr Andrew Brown (2001) Dr Douglas Brown (2001)

Mr Paul Brown (2007)

Dr Richard Brown (2005)

Professor Evan Bukey (1993)

Mrs Marie Burt in memory of Mr Leonard Burt (1974)

Dr Simon Butler (2012)

Professor Robin Butlin (1986)

Dr Colin Byrne (1985)

Mrs Lilian Chan Keller (1979)*

Dr Nadezda Chernenko (2008)

Professor James Cherry (2000) Mr Karti Chidambaram (1993)*

Dr Uven Chong (2008)

Dr Lonny Chopin (1977)*

The Estate of Dr Cyrus Chothia FRS (2002)

Professor Michael Churgin(1992) Mr Christopher Clarke (2017)*

Professor Jane Clarke FMedSci FRS (2017)

Professor Adam Clark-Joseph (2007)

Wesley Clymer

The Rt Hon the Lord Collins of Mapesbury PC LLD FBA (1975)*

Ms Marie-Anne Coninsx (1977) Ms Dahlia Constantine (2006) and Mr Justin Constantine Emeritus Professor Robert Conti (1990) and Mrs Elle Conti*

Sian Cook (2016)*

Professor Ann Copestake (2000)*

Dr Brian D Cox (1996)*

Mr Carlo Crooks (1996)

Dr Patrick Crouch (1994)

Dr Nicholas Cutler (2001)

D

Dr Thomas Davies FFPH (1996)

Mr D Frank Davis (1972)*

Mr Lee Davis (2018)*

Mr Robert Davis MBE DL (1979)

Dr John Dawson (1991) and Mr Andrew Cox (2009)*

Mr Michael De Frank (1973) on behalf of De Frank Family Charitable Fund

Mr Paul Deal (1994)

Dr Anna M Dempster (2014)

Mrs Lesley Dingle (2001)

Mr Miles Dodd*

Mr James Dodds (2007)

Mr Peter Donovan (2001)*

Professor Timothy Duff FRHistS (2004)

Mr Colin Dunnighan (1992)

Professor Marguerite Dupree FRHistS FAcSS (1982)

Dr Justyna Dymerska (2002)*

E

Dr Alexandra East (2012)

Dr Owen Edwards FRCP (1977) and Mrs Josephine Edwards (2007)*

Dr Susan Elliston (1976)

Dr Hannah Friedman Elson (1970)

Mrs Susan Eltringham (2005) Dr Akilesh Eswaran (1995)*

Dr Anna Forde (2006)

Mr Aidan Foster (2000)

Mr Andrew Franklin*

Professor Mac Frazer Jr (1979)

Professor H John French (1979)

Dr David Frost FRSA (2000)

Professor Paul Fullagar (1984)*

G

Professor Conor Gearty FBA (1980)

Professor Charles Glassick (2002)

Mr David Goode FRSA (2010)

Professor Ian Goodyer OBE

FRCPsych FMedSci (1989)

Dr Christina Green (1977)

Mr Colin A Greenhalgh CBE DL (1990) and Dr Vivienne Greenhalgh

Mrs Margaret Greeves (2006)*

Ms Lesley Griffiths (1987)

Ms Tian Gu (2015)

Dr Conrad Guettler (1994)*

Dr Audrey Guinchard (2009)

Mr D G (Ben) Gunn CBE QPM (1979)

Mr Bryan Guttridge (1996)

H

Dr Sepehr Hafizi FHEA (2015)*

Dr Hannelore Hägele (1998)

Mr Christopher Hale (1982)*

Professor Michael Hall (1982)

Dr Gerhard Hancke (2003)

Dr Steven Hand (1994)*

The Hon Kenneth Handley AO KC (1995)*

Dr Ulrich Hardt (1983)

Ms Britta Harper (2002)*

Dr David Harris (1975)

Dr Terance Hart FRSC (2009)* Dr Catherine Harter (1998) Dr John Harvey (1966)

Mr Richard Hayes (2009) Mrs L M Henry (1999)

Mr Randolph Henry (1968)*

Dr Andrew Herbert OBE FBCS FREng (1981)*

Professor Shael Herman (1987)

Mrs Lynn Hieatt (2000)

Ms Sayuri Hiwatashi (2001)

Mr Jeffrey Po Hang Ho (2006)

Dr Stephen Hoath FInstP (2011)*

Mr Ryan Hocking (2012)

Professor Thomas Hodgson (1984)

Mr Rick Holman (1979)*

Mr Kevin Hopkins (2009)

Mr Anthony Hopkinson (2007)

Mrs Sylvia Hopkinson (2007) Mrs Anne Horne (2008)

Mr Boyang Hou (2019)*

Dr Jeremy Hudson (2011)

CProfessor David Cadman (1982)

Office of Intercollegiate Services Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Ms Laura Campbell (1988)*

Mrs Deborah Carnwath (2015)

Mr Timothy Cartledge (1992)*

Dr Glenn Cartwright (2005)* and the Glenn Cartwright Charitable Foundation

Ms Lydia Challen* Dr Esther Y S Chan (2009)*

F

Dr Ursula Field-Werners (1999)

Dr John Firth FRCP (2000)*

Professor Thomas Fischer (1990)

Mr David Fisher (1981)*

Mr Richard Fisher FRHistS (2003)

Mr Robert Fishwick

Professor Peter Fitzgerald (2009)

Mr Thomas Fitzmaurice (2011)

Mr Pravind Hurry (1993)

I

Mrs Charlotte Image-Flower

Professor Keiichi Ishikawa (2013)

Mr Manzurul Islam and Mrs Mehreen Islam* Dr Balaji Iyer (1997)

Professor Myles Jackson (1987)*

Dr Laura Jardine (2004)

Dr Oliver Jardine (2004) Mr Joel Jennings (2003)

Mr Lucas Xiaofeng Jiang (2003)*

Dr Gordon Johnson (1993) and Mrs Faith Johnson (1993)*

Mr Gregory Johnson (1987)

Mr J Ieuan Jones (1996)*

Dr Priscilla Jones (1984)

Mr Richard Joseph (1998)* on behalf of Joseph Joseph Ltd

KMr Kei Kanamori (1995)

Dr Kriti Kapila (2004)

Dr Adrian Kelly (2019)

Dr Allan King

Mrs Ruth King (2006)*

Mr James Kinnier Wilson (1968)

Mr Bill Kirkman MBE (1967) and Mrs Anne Kirkman (2017)*

Professor Gordon Klein (1970) in honour of Alec Tait PhD

Mr Maxim B Klimov (1996)*

Mr Dean Kline (1983)

Dr Claudio Köser (2013)

Mr Hans Kühn (1989)*

Mr Pavan Manocha (2013)*

Dr Ferial Mansour Tucker (2001)

Professor Ivana Markova FBA FRSE (1967)

Dr Josef Martens (1988)*

Mr Jon Marti (2007)*

Dr Luis Claudio Martins de Araujo (2014)

Professor Duncan Maskell FMedSci (1997)*

Professor Irving Massey (2014)

Dr Timothy Massingham (1999)

Emeritus Professor Yukiko Matsushima (1981)*

Mr John McClenahen (1986)

Professor Derek McDougall (2005)*

Professor Thomas A J McGinn (1978)*

Marjorie J McKinney

Dr Tim Mead (1997)

Mr Richard C Meade (1999)* in honour of Christine Meade

Mr Jeremy Meek (2009)

Dr Barbara Metzler (1990)

Mr Jonathan Meuli*

Dr Paul Mignanelli (2010)

Mr Will Miller (2009)

Mrs Ann Miller Watkins (1969)

Dr Graham Mills (2014)*

Mr John Mills*

Dr Louise Mirrer (1974)*

Mrs Velda Moog (1984)

Professor Brian Moore FMedSci FRS (1983) and Dr Hedwig Gockel (2009)*

PDr Stefan Paetke (2010)*

Mr Ray Palmer (1995)

Dr Michael Pelt (1973)

Dr Robert Pilsworth (1975)*

Dr Graham Pluck (2008)*

Dr Julia Poole (1978)

Dr Jocelyn Probert (1998)*

Q

Professor Vincent Xiaoguang Qi FRAI (2011)*

Mr John Quenby

R

Ms Vicki Raphael (1973)

Dr Reehana Raza (1990)

Mr Charles Reese MA (2008)

Mr Andrew Reid (2000)

Mr J Brad Rendle (1996)

Dr Helen Reynolds (1984)*

Dr Alan Rickard (2005)

Dr Sam Ridgway (1970)*

The Revd Canon Dr Keith Riglin FRSA (1998)

Mr Luigi Rizzo*

Dr Brian Robertson (2012)

Mr Henry Rogers (1974)*

Mr James Rogers (2007)

Dr Antti-Veikko Rosti (2000) and Dr Judy-Ann Rosti (1999)*

Ms Karen Rothmyer (2012)*

LProfessor Peter Landrock (1995)*

Mrs Janet Lash (1974)

Professor Paul Latimer (1989)

Professor Anthony Lavers (1987)

Dr Jianning Le (1987)*

Dr Sandra Leaton Gray (1998)

Ms Dawn Leeder (2001)

Dr Adah Leshem (1980)

Professor W B Leslie (2002)*

Mr Edwin Lewis (2003)

Mr George Liebmann (1996)*

Mr Hsin-Hin Lim (1999)

Dr Janet Littlewood (1984)

Ms Chiaw Pen Lo Siong Shou (1993)

Mr Jonathan Louth (1997)

Dr Marie Lovatt (1980)

Dr Eric Yu-En Lu (2003)*

Ms Yidi Lu (2005)*

Professor Peter Lucas FSA (2000) and Mrs Angela M Lucas (2002)*

Professor Kai Hong Luo (1988)

Mr Robert Lyford (1976)

Mrs Merry Lymn (1972)

Mr Peter Morgan*

Mr Richard Morgan (1971)

Dr Steven Morrison (2008)

Mrs Marilyn Motley (2001)

Mr John Mott FREng (1996)

Professor Paul Murdin OBE FRSA (1990) and Mrs Lesley Murdin (2005)*

Professor Gillian Murphy FMedSci (2002)*

N

Mr and Mrs Stephen H Nacol Esq FRSA*

Professor John Naughton (1989)*

Dr Peter Newman (1985)*

Professor Irene Ng (2009)*

Mr Bjorn Nielsen (1990)

Dr Nikolay Nikolov (2008)

Mr Peter Norman (2007)

Professor Celia Nyamweru (2004)

o

Mr Bernad Oldfield (1988)

Mr Michael Russ (2001)*

Dr John Rutter (1988)*

S

Mrs Ursula Sainsbury (2007)

Mr Sumio Saito (1995)*

Mr Asela Samaratunga (2001)

Santander Universities UK

Professor Susumu Sato (2008) and Professor Akiko Sato (2008)

Mr Barry Saunders (1986)

Ms Linda Saunt (1980)

Professor Frederick Schauer (1977)

Dr Henrik Schoenefeldt (2006) and Reverend Stacy Rand

Mr Tony Schweitzer (1984)

Dr Antonio Scial (2007)

Professor Charles Scruggs (1977)

Mr Robert Shaw (2008)

Dr Margaret E Shepherd (1985)*

The Late Mr Richard ‘Dick’ Shervington DL (1992)*

Ms Aysha Shoman (2008)*

Dr Helen Siedel (2010)*

Professor Richard Taylor (2004)

Dr Chyng Wen Tee (2003)*

Mr Anthony Teo (2006)*

Dr Charisse Thomas (1993)

Ms Corinne Thomas (2017)

Mr Keith Tibbenham (1974)

Ms Anne Ticehurst (2006)

Dr Evelyn Tichy (2009)

Dr Hassan Tofighi Darian (2011)

Dr Gianpaolo Tommasi (1985)

Hon Justice Edward Torgbor CA FCIArb (1966)*

Dr Christopher Town (2005)

Dr Lore Tulasiewicz in memory of Witfold F Tulasiewicz (1982)*

Mr Ezekiel Tuma (1999)*

U

Mr Tomasz Ujejski (1985) and Mrs Allison Paech Ujejski (1985)*

V

Dr Jan van Dieck (2006)

Professor Joyce VanTasselBaska (1993)

Dr Evy Varsamopoulou (2009)

Mr Jerome Vidal (1996) Dr Franck Violette (2014)

W

Professor John Wall (2002)

Dr Jinhong Tracy Wang (2009)

Mr John Ward (1995)*

Mrs Sandra Waters (1971)*

Mrs Ann Miller Watkins (1969)

Mr James Watts (2016)

Mr David Weatherup (1977)*

Dr Peter Webster (1997)

Mrs Rosalind Weston (1972)*

Dr Margaret Whichelow (2004)*

Professor John White (1974)

Dr Joan M Whitehead (1976)*

Professor Linda Wicker (2007) and Dr Roger Briscoe (2004)*

Professor Clark Williams Jr (1986)

Dr Olwen Williams (2001)

Mr Roy Williams (1991)

Lady Sally Williams (1980)* Dr Lucy Wilson (2007)

Mrs Rachel Wilson (1990)

Mr Scott Wilson (1995)

Mr Casey Wojcik (2016)

Professor Paul Wolfson (1993)

Dr Meng Yan Matthias Wong (2015)

Mrs Custis Wright (1999)*

Dr Catharine Wyss (1993)

MMr Pascal Maas (2010) and Dr Tamara Maas Steijger (2009)*

Dr Donald MacDonald (1994) and Dr Mary MacDonald (2007)*

Dr Tomáš Mach (2007)*

Dr Lesley MacVinish (2004)

Mr Daniel Magill (2005)

Mr John Magill (1984)*

HE Dr Mafouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz CBE (Hon) GCMLJ FRSA (2013)*

Mr William Manion (2011) and Mrs Sara O’Neil-Manion*

Dr Christopher Oldstone Moore (2007) and Dr Jennifer Oldstone-Moore (2006)

Lady (Sally) Oliver (1976)

Professor Steven Olswang (1993)

Dr Ian O’Neill (1994)

Miss Patchara Ongkittikul (2014)

Mr Michael O’Sullivan CMG (1984)

Professor Philip Otterness (1977)

Dr Karen Ottewell (2004)

Mr Keith Ovenstone (1997)

Mr Paulo Silva (2007)

Mr Ian Skeate (1998)

Mr Ian Smith

Dr Anna Snowdon (1968)*

Mrs Maureen Sullivan Kennelly (1973)

Dr Sue Swaffield FRSA (2000)

T

Dr Shadia Taha (2007)

Professor James Tattersall (1988) and Mrs Terry Tattersall

Dr Paul Taylor (2001)*

Z

Ms Cristina Zametzer (2001)

Dr Chao Zhang (2015)

BUILDING oN OUR CONNECTIONS

For students, this will mean access to networks of resources, skills, knowledge and expertise that will better prepare them for life after Wolfson – and give them even more tools to find their place and make an impact, regardless of background.

“Everyone should be able to fulfil their potential, to make the biggest impact. Our goal is to draw on our alumni and networks to provide lifelong sustainable programmes around career support, funding, and job opportunities – for everyone.”

There have been so many great alumni events, bringing together not only the whole range of members from the Wolfson community, but from across Cambridge and the world.

“And there are going to be more ways and means for people to be engaged,” says Sian, “so all I can is - stay connected and get involved! You just don’t know what impacts you might have once you come together with others in the Wolfson community.”

As of 1 June this year, Sian Cook, Wolfson’s outgoing Development Director, took up a new role as Director of College Networks – and as Sian explains, it’s a unique approach amongst Cambridge colleges.

It’s fair to say that Sian Cook is pretty well connected within the Wolfson community. As Development Director, she spent five years at the centre of many College events and initiatives, meeting alumni and members from across the world. It made sense, then, that Sian would pioneer a new role as Director of College Networks. It’s a role, she says, that builds on the flourishing soceties, networks and communities across the College.

“We already have wonderful networks that bring our communities together, from our Hubs to our Societies and our annual programmes in SE Asia and the USA,” she says. “The purpose of the College Networks Office is to strategically develop these networks of influence, engage more meaningfully with Wolfson’s members, and partner with likeminded individuals and organisations that share the College vision to make a difference in the world.”

‘Our goal is to draw on our alumni and networks to provide lifelong sustainable programmes around career support, funding, and job opportunities – for everyone’

Sian Cook

A look back on a year of coming together

One of the great highlights of last year for the Alumni Department was the return to in-person events. It was wonderful to welcome so many people back to College and to engage and reconnect in person after so much time apart. Thank you to everyone who attended our events this year and for helping to make them such a success. We have been lucky to have made so many wonderful new memories together and I very much hope that we will be seeing you again very soon.

ALUMNI WEEKEND

We began our academic year with a very successful Alumni Weekend, which included a panel discussion hosted by President Jane Clarke and past President, Gordon Johnson. They were joined by Wolfson alumni and students in a discussion about the distinctive role Wolfson has played in the development of Cambridge as a major international university.

The weekend also featured tours around College presented by Wolfson alumnus, Matthias, and College gardener, Oscar. It was wonderful to see the gardens looking so beautiful and to hear from our students about the Wolfson community’s efforts and achievements in sustainability. The weekend also saw the return

of 2021’s postponed Wolfson Garden Party; accompanied by a Steel Drum band, students, alumni, staff, and friends alike joined in a conga and danced the afternoon away.

FESTIVE & EASTER MARKETS

We also launched a new addition to our calendar: Festive and Easter Markets. With carols, brass bands, and decorations at the Festive Market, and games, eggs, and a huge viewing of the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Races at the Easter Market, these brand-new events were a big success, and had something for everyone to enjoy –we can’t wait to bring them back year after year!

MAY BUMPS

In June, we loaded up our cars with College prosecco and strawberries and headed to the river for the May Bumps. With a generous donation from an anonymous benefactor, we were able to provide a delightful Hog Roast and vegetarian options for everyone! Despite the rowing not totally going our way, the weather was certainly on our side and a fantastic day was had by all.

OF THOSE WHO GRADUATED IN THE PAST 5 YEARS FOUND WORK IN AN ORGANISATION WHERE THEY HAD A NETWORK LINK.

CHANGE MAKERS: THREE WOMEN MAKING AN IMPACT

DR LOUISE MIRRER DR KAREN ALVARENGA AMI KOTECHA

As part of International Women's Day this year, we spoke to alumnae who are making an impact around the world.

THE MUSEUM CEO INSPIRING YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT DEMOCRACY DR LOUISE MIRRER L

ouise Mirrer (1974) is concerned about the state of democracy and its apparent wane in the 21st century. This concern has motivated much of her recent work at the New-York Historical Society, where she is President and CEO.

New York’s first museum, the Society was founded in 1804 by eleven men who had lived through the American Revolution.

Key to her work was the establishment of a new “Academy for American Democracy” that aims to educate 30,000 New York City sixth graders (age 11-12) each year about the roots of democracy in the ancient world, its centrality to the “experiment” of the American founding era, and the beliefs around American citizenship today.

“I am concerned to encourage underserved, innercity students to exercise their right to vote when they reach voting age. This privilege of democracy appears not to be very much valued today, with voting percentages of the American public appallingly low,” says Louise, who studied at Wolfson from 1974-1976 in the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics.

“My work is also motivated by my belief, banal as this may sound, in the importance of knowing the past, and I am also motivated by my deep-seated belief in the importance of immigration, especially as it has benefited and shaped the history of the United States.”

Louise, an Honorary Fellow at Wolfson, is continuing to deliver life-changing education in the US, much of which spotlights and aims to unravel some of the key issues in US society today: “I’m particularly proud of our exhibitions and educational programs around slavery and civil rights, which help people to comprehend the racial tensions and racism we experience today.”

Turning international environmental policy into reality

Karen Alvarenga (1999) left Wolfson in September 2003 with a PhD from the Department of Land Economy on Climate Change and Distributive Justice. After returning to her native Brazil, she has had a fascinating career and is committed to ensuring practical changes in environmental, social, and governance issues to improve the lives of Brazilians and have a positive impact on the planet.

Karen grapples with many big questions in her work. Key among them is finding out how to translate United Nations multilateral environmental agreements – such as climate change and biodiversity, green finance, chemicals, corporate social responsibility, poverty reduction, and improvement of people’s livelihoods - into practical national legislations.

“I hope I can be an agent who motivates and assists others to be more aware of ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues,” she says, “enticing them to think more deeply about what each of them can do, inside their zone of control and influence, to care about environmental issues and, if at all possible, to have a positive impact on the planet and on people’s livelihoods.”

DR KAREN ALVARENGA

Since she left Wolfson in 2003, Karen has held a variety of advisory and consulting roles, ranging from international organisations to the private sector.

“I decided at some point that I would have two careers running in parallel,” she says. “One would be the day-to-day job that assisted my employer in their ESG journey and paid my bills. Another would be to, independently, contribute on an individual basis by providing food for thought regarding ESG issues for all interested stakeholders.

“To that end, I set up my own individual mission, vision, and goals. This was such a turning point in my well-being and sense of self fulfilment. I identified what I would like to achieve in my spare time in tandem with my values and principles and went around researching, publishing, teaching and doing a lot of workshops, all in collaboration with universities, botanical gardens, NGOs and governmental institutions.”

As Co-Founder and Head of Venture Investments at Amro Partners Real Estate Partners Limited, a company that invests in institutional grade multidwelling real estate assets in the UK and in Iberia, Ami Kotecha (1989) is aiming to build a sustainable future. “My singular focus is on sustainability – on how I can best contribute, as a real estate investor, in making our built environment more resilient and adaptable,” says Ami, who came to Wolfson in 1989 to study for an MPhil in the Department of Economics.

Amro has a focus on technology start-ups that drive transformational change in the residential and commercial property sectors. They can participate as an early-stage investor and a knowledge partner, and the company has committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon for all new investments by 2025.

AMI KOTECHA

Ami’s goal is clear: investing in sustainable real estate and in technology solutions that enable a greener built environment. The challenge is huge in the sector, but Ami is certain about the contribution she wants to make: “I’m focused on change: on developing methodologies for greening our buildings at pace and at scale by adopting agile processes and investing in innovative solutions.”

While entrepreneurship beckoned at an early age, Ami relishes the opportunity to engage, promote, and support other people on their journey too. “My first start-up was a books and vinyl records library in our small apartment in Mumbai,” she says. “Since then, I have set up several successful businesses in Africa, Europe, and the UK. What I have enjoyed most is the multiplier effect of business – the ability to support and give a leg up to many others along the way.”

THE GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH HUB

When the Global Health Hub was founded in 2020, the hope was that the Wolfson community would come together, bringing insight and expertise from across disciplines and sectors, to make an impact on this critical issue. In the two years since its inception, Wolfson members have certainly not disappointed.

Fellows, students, staff, and alumni have all come together to organise events, conversations, and share knowledge and resources as part of the Global Health Hub. Crucially, it has seen members of all stripes and disciplines discuss and debate how to approach some of these most difficult global health challenges we face.

“Global health is as much about the health of people as it is about the health of our planet,” says Wolfson Junior Research Fellow, Dr Adrián Cazares, “and it is therefore influenced by multiple interconnected activities, ranging from research and education to economy and policy making.

“Wolfson understands that the first step to addressing complex global challenges is to ignite the conversation amongst people with very different expertise, but sharing common goals, to foster synergies and bridge gaps between disciplines. I believe this is what the Global Health Hub is all about, a unique space where we share and discuss our approaches and efforts to achieve sustainable Global Health.”

Student Imogen Sharkey Ochoa, currently in her final year of Graduate Entry Medicine, was impressed with what she discovered last year: “I am a very new addition to the Hub,” says Imogen, “and I’m so excited to engage with the diverse research and national backgrounds of everyone in the group.

“From our meetings so far, the Hub looks to be a space for sharing research and improving its global impact by taking advantage of the wide spectrum of Wolfson students and staff, and I am privileged to be a part of it!”

Many of the events organised by the Hub last year faced up to some urgent global health issues. In March, for example, the Hub’s ‘Decolonise Vaccines, End the Pandemic: Why we need to break pharma monopolies and win a new approach to global health’ event shone the spotlight on global vaccine equality. Asking big questions about who has access to healthcare and why, and how we challenge global power from within our institutions of education, it was an event that spurred collaboration and urged action: exactly what the Hub was set up to do.

Wolfson Fellow, Dr Tolu Oni, who spoke at the event, is excited about how the Hub is bringing together different perspectives to make a genuine impact:“The Global Health Hub provides a platform from which to explore the edges of transdisciplinary research and practice with members of the College and wider public,” she says. “I have particularly appreciated the intimate and provocative conversations the hub engenders, enabling participants to exchange experiences

Wolfson understands that the first step to addressing complex global challenges is to ignite the conversation amongst people with very different expertise.

'

(Left) Visit from Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore. From left to right: Ms Serene Goh, Professor Kah Leong Lim, Professor Benjamin Seet, Professor Nick Wareham, Professor Joseph Sung, Professor Lam Khin Yong, Professor Louis Soo Jay Phee, Professor Tok Han Lim and Professor Steve Evans.

share perspectives – and wacky ideas – from diverse contexts, challenge the status quo and on approaches to improving population health globally.”

This approach was evident in so many Global Health Hubs events last year. Masters student, Natasha Salant, hosted the ‘UK Students for Global Health’ national conference on the theme of “integrating mental health into primary care: a global challenge”; talks and panel discussions with external guests were on offer throughout the year; and there were dynamic workshops, including an interdisciplinary workshop on play and family wellbeing.

The community forged new connections and built on partnerships internationally, too, including a visit from scholars from the Lee Kong Chian Medical School, Nanyang Technological University, The National Health Group, and CARES, Singapore. It’s this community approach, the bringing together of different perspectives, that is so exciting to everyone involved.

“The Global Health Hub represents an excellent opportunity to bring together some of the leading researchers, students and wider community who are interested in the health of populations across the globe,” says Wolfson Fellow, Dr Henrik Salje. “To make meaningful advances in global health, we need to work across different disciplines, borders and communities, to share knowledge and resources. I look forward to being part of the future growth and success of this community at Wolfson.”

Wolfson’s Research Hubs are a catalyst to bring together our international Fellows, students, alumni, members and other partners from differing disciplines to better progress the pressing problems in our world today.

The Hubs have benefitted from significant gifts from The Hoath Family, and generous anonymous donors who have supported their running costs and related studentship and research awards.

Gender Research Hub

Wolfson College’s Interdisciplinary Research Hub on Gender aims to create an open and active channel for discussions about gender and support gender-related research by college members.

Sustainability & Conservation Research Hub

The Wolfson College Interdisciplinary Research Hub on Sustainability & Conservation convenes interested individuals and organizations to inform, educate and explore disruptive solutions to the destruction of the natural world

New Hubs

At the time of writing, we’re planning the launch of at least one new Hub: The Black Research Hub. Look out for an announcement soon.

You can read about all the Hubs, and find out how to get involved, on the Wolfson College website.

IN MEMORIAM

These are the names of our members who have passed away, or whose passing we were made aware of, between July 2021 and August 2022.

Reverend Professor David Baguley

18 March 1961 - 11 June 2022 (Alumnus, 2000, Fellow 2006)

Group Captain Arthur ‘Bruce’ Blackney 29 November 1934 - 5 January 2022 (Alumnus, 1967)

Mr Geoffrey Crompton

5 May 1933 - 18 July 2021 (Wolfson Course, Michaelmas 1980)

Dr David Dymond FSA FRHistS

11 May 1933 - 20 August 2021 (Senior Member, 1990)

Professor Robert Finnegan 17 September 1941 - 23 December 2019 (Visiting Scholar, 1991)

Dr Alexander ‘Sandy’ Fraser 8 June 1937 - 13 June 2022 (Alumnus, 1966)

Professor Robert Kubicek 19 November 1935 - 9 October 2017 (Visiting Fellow, 1982)

Mr Richard ‘Dick’ Shervington DL

19 April 1937 - 28 March 2022 (Alumnus, 1992)

Dr Clifford ‘Bill’ Squire CMG LVO 7 October 1928 - 14 October 2021 (Fellow, 1987)

Professor John Smith

3 April 1947 - 19 September 2021 (Visiting Scholar, 2000)

LEE SENG TEE

16 April 1923 – 29 July 2022 (Honorary Senior Member, 1974-1986) (Honorary Fellow, 1986-2022)

Professor John Toye

7 October 1942 - 13 November 2021 (Fellow, 1972)

Dr Gee Tsang

29 March 1938 - 29 October 2021 (Visiting Scholar, 1986)

Mr John Weller

18 July 1943 - 11 May 2022 (Wolfson Course, Easter 1980)

Professor Toshiharu Yamamoto College informed 1 June 2022 (Visiting Scholar, 1985)

Long-serving members of staff who have passed away:

Mr Philip Fordham passed away 2 October 2021 (Employed November 1996 - May 2011)

Mrs Anita Stone passed away 8 February 2022 (Employed March 1994 - August 2008)

REVEREND PROFESSOR DAVID BAGULEY

18 March 1961 – 11 June 2022

Fellow 2006-2016, Alumnus 2000-2005

Senior Member 1995-2000 & 2005-2006

Professor David Baguley, a leader in the field of audiology, was a fellow of Wolfson from 2006 for ten years until 2016 when he became Professor of Hearing Sciences at the University of Nottingham. Professor Baguley, who was brought up in Manchester and Ipswich, obtained a BSc and MSc from the University of Manchester.

He worked for more than 30 years as a clinical scientist in the NHS, rising to become a Consultant and head of audiology services and cochlear implants at Addenbrooke’s Hospital where he developed the small unit into a centre of excellence.

He obtained his PhD on the physiology of tinnitus from Cambridge in 2005. As an international leader in his field, particularly tinnitus, he wrote more than 200 scientific articles and a number of books on hearing related subjects.

His work attracted wide recognition, and he was much in demand as conference speaker. He received the International Award in Hearing from the American Academy of Audiology in 2006 and he served as Chair of the British Society of Audiology (2009-11) and President of the British Tinnitus Association (2015-19).

He was ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 2011.

OBITUARIES

MR RICHARD ‘DICK’ SHERVINGTON DL

19 April 1937 – 28 March 2022

BA 1995; MA 1999; Senior Member 2000-2022

Dick (as he was always known) Shervington came to Wolfson in 1992 as a mature student to read Social and Political Sciences. He had gone straight from Bancroft’s School into work.

After National Service with the Essex and Royal Anglian regiments, he continued to be active in the Territorial Army. He worked in the City, ending a distinguished career as Head of Human Relations with Price Waterhouse.

Such was his presence in Cambridge that he was once, sitting in the Porters’ Lodge soon after arrival, mistaken for being the new President of Wolfson.

Since boyhood, he had enjoyed rowing, and rowed for the College with the top mens’ crews at a time they were rapidly moving up the divisions. This was not without some concern because he was by far the oldest student rower on the river, and rumour has it that the Boat Club insisted he keep a heart monitor nearby.

His enthusiasm for Wolfson rowing resulted in generous support for the Club, and with Tom Davies was the driving force in founding the Friends of the Boat Club. He’s the ‘Dick’ in the then new eight named ‘Tom Dick and Barry’, and his wife Inga also had a boat named after her.

He was serious in his studies and greatly enjoyed the subject. He was open-minded and enjoyed debate - always undertaken with a lively sense of humour. Living in North Essex, he and Inga continued to be active in College after Dick’s graduation.

His was a life of robust, joyful public service. He greatly valued and kept up connections with his school, his regiments, his business associates, and his college. He served as a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Essex and President of the Essex Branch of the British Legion.

He was buried with military honours alongside his wife Inga in the churchyard of St Mary’s, Stansted, on what would have been his 85th birthday.

Fellow 1988-1996

Senior Member 1996-2021

Bill Squire had a long and varied career (mainly, though not exclusively, in the Diplomatic Service) that culminated in being UK Ambassador to Israel (1984–1988). On retirement he was appointed the University’s first ever Development Director and became a Fellow of Wolfson. The creation of a University Development Office was controversial and contested, even by those within the Departments who urged Cambridge to ‘get its act together’ on the fundraising front. Establishing the office in a culturally sceptical if not downright hostile evironment, and with next to no administrative or financial support, was a tough challenge even for a seasoned diplomat. But it says much for Bill’s huge intelligence and calmly philosophical and scholarly frame of mind that by the time of his retirement he had won over countless gainsayers.

A very special part of his work was to emphasise the value, and necessary importance, of seeking positive and imaginative collaborations, both within Cambridge and in the competition for public and philanthropic funding without. His was no mendicant approach, nor one that sought to run a top-down programme. This was ideal for the Cambridge situation where, as he fully recognised from the start, Colleges were part of the mix. Without Bill’s patient and careful preparations it would have been impossible to run such a successful operation as ‘Collegiate Cambridge’s 800th Anniversary Campaign’, and to have seen the development in University and Colleges of alumni and networking structures as we see today.

In 2006, Bill’s wife, Sarah, became President of Hughes Hall and, as a Head of House spouse, he continued to work quietly and effectively for the greater good of Cambridge. He valued the opportunities Wolfson gave him for insights into the changing university world, and his elegantly argued book ‘University Fundraising in Britain’, should be a compulsory examination text for any potential development officer.

DR LEE SENG TEE Hon FBA AAAS

Honorary Senior Member (1974-1986) Honorary Fellow (1986-2022), as well as one of the College’s most generous and visionary benefactors.

Born in Singapore on 16 April 1923, Dr Lee was the second son of late philanthropist and businessman Lee Kong Chian. After graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics in 1950, Dr Lee was Chairman of the Lee Group of Companies, based in Singapore, which included rubber and pineapple plantations and canneries.

Dr Lee’s long association with Wolfson began with the matriculation of his daughter for the study of Classical Chinese in 1973. Following a visit to the College, thenSenior Tutor Dr Peter Lowings offered to drive Dr Lee and his wife back to Cambridge station. During the short but fateful trip, the discussion turned to the problem of ‘pineapple fruit collapse’, which was having a devastating impact on Dr Lee’s Malaysian pineapple plantations.

As a plant pathologist, Dr Lowings was intrigued by the problem and arranged for research student Lim Weng Hee to carry out an investigation, supported by a special Wolfson scholarship funded by the Lee Pineapple Company. Working between Cambridge and Malaysia, Lim identified the cause of the problem as a bacterium transmitted by ants, and recommended several measures to prevent future disease outbreaks. Dr Lee was delighted with the initial results of the research, so much so that he forged a close relationship with Wolfson, and began a long campaign of philanthropy that would shape development of the College for years to come.

Dr Lee’s munificent generosity enabled the College to undertake ambitious construction projects, starting with a College Hall, which was envisioned as a central venue for academic and cultural life at Wolfson. The Lee Seng Tee Hall was opened in 1990 on the occasion of Wolfson’s 25th Anniversary, during a ceremony that began the College’s Silver Jubilee celebrations.

Following the Lee Hall, work began in earnest on a new College Library, again generously funded by Dr Lee. The foundation stone for the library was laid in 1992,

the same year that the Betty Wu Lee garden, named in honour of Dr Lee’s wife, was opened adjacent to the Lee Hall. The garden was designed to combine English styles with Southeast Asian ones, most notably, a replica of the bandstand from the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Dr Lee also donated several sculptures to the College, including the stone horse in the Betty Wu Lee garden, the marble lions outside the Lee Hall, as well as the bronze Armillary Sphere and stone guardians at the Lee Library entrance. His interest in art also led him to present the College with the Lee Seng Tee Collection, which consists of 55 paintings and several artefacts from Southeast Asia.

After being on display around College for many years, select pieces from his collection featured in a special exhibition titled ‘The Diasporic Brush’, curated by Wolfson student Yong Jun Tan in honour of Dr Lee Seng Tee. The exhibition combined paintings from the Lee Seng Tee Collection with the works of six young artists of the SiawTao Chinese Seal-Carving, Calligraphy and Painting Society, in a dynamic exploration of the changing meanings of ink and identity in Singapore.

In addition to these cultural contributions, Dr Lee also left a strong legacy on the College’s intellectual life, endowing the annual ‘Lee Seng Tee Distinguished Lecture’ Series on the occasion of the College’s 40th Anniversary in 2005. The prestigious lecture series became a cornerstone

of the College’s event calendar, and Dr Lee showed great interest in reading the text of the lectures, which were sent to him in Singapore. Dr Lee also endowed the ‘ST Lee Public Policy Lecture’ – now hosted by the Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) at the University of Cambridge.

Dr Lee’s support was not limited to Cambridge either. His generous contributions to higher education awarded him with international recognition, including both an Honorary Fellowship of the British Academy in 1998, and a Foreign Honorary Membership of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001.

Dr Lee Seng Tee passed away in his hundredth year on 29 July 2022, and the Wolfson College flag was flown at half-mast for three days in his honour. Dr Lee will be fondly remembered at Wolfson as a great and generous man, highly interested in the development of the College and committed to his philanthropic projects. For generations to come, the academic journeys of all Wolfson members will take place in an environment shaped by the generosity and vision of Dr Lee, for which the College remains forever grateful.

(Below left, below right) : Dr Lee’s generosity enabled the College to build both the Lee Library and the Lee Hall.

(Above) Dr and Mrs Lee Seng Tee outside the Lee Hall, with former President Gordon Johnson, his wife, Faith Johnson, and Dawn Can, granddaughter of Dr and Mrs Lee.

(Left) Dr Lee Seng Tee on a visit to Wolfson College in 1998, accompanied by 4th Wolfson President Gordon Johnson, and Professors of Japanese and Chinese, Professor Richard Bowning and Professor David McMullen.

PROFESSOR JOHN TOYE

7 October 1942 – 13 November 2021

Fellow 1972-1980

John Francis Joseph Toye attended Christ’s College grammar school in Finchley and was inspired by his history teacher to apply to study at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he won a scholarship, read History, was awarded a first-class degree and won a scholarship to Harvard.

He returned home to take up a post in the Treasury but after two years’ experience of the civil service, he decided it was not for him, and he studied the economics of poor countries at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, where he was appointed as a Research Fellow. His PhD thesis was on the relation between public expenditure and development planning in India. John, his wife, Janet, and their baby daughter spent eight months in India during 1971–1972, with John visiting the capitals of each state in order to investigate their use of public expenditure.

On return to the UK, he became a Graduate Assistant at the Centre of South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge from 1972–1974, followed by other roles in the Overseas Studies Committee: Research Officer, and Assistant Director of Development Studies from 1975–1980, and a Fellow and Tutor from 1972–1980 at Wolfson where he was part of a team delivering a government funded ODA scheme to train up the public services for work in post-colonial contexts.

John worked as Director of Research Coordination at the Commodities Research Unit Ltd in London and New York from 1980–1982, continuing as Non-executive Director from 1982–1985. In 1987, John was appointed Director of the highly influential Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and Professorial Fellow of the University of Sussex, a position he held until 1997. When John arrived, the IDS was still suffering from the halving of its core government grant five years earlier. He succeeded in raising alternative funding to pursue a better defined programme of academic research. His commitment to IDS and its staff, as well as the difficulties of the Director’s job, were widely appreciated. As an extraordinarily distinguished researcher and influential policy maker in development studies he was much in demand to advise Governments, NGOs and other institutions.

In the course of his career, he consulted with the National Audit Office, the Department for International Development, The Commonwealth Secretariat, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and many other agencies, and was a member of, or led, professional assignments in over twenty-five overseas countries.

HER

MAJESTY

QUEEN ELIZABETH II

1926 – 2022

Wolfson College was deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty the Queen in 2022. “This is a profoundly sad moment for the UK and the Commonwealth, and indeed for the millions around the world who have been inspired by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” said Wolfson President Professor Jane Clarke.

The connection between Wolfson and the Queen runs back many decades. The College was in fact officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 9 November 1977, in the year of her Silver Jubilee. Accompanied by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, then Chancellor of the University, The Queen marked the occasion by unveiling the commemorative panel which is now located in the Dining Hall.

The Royal Opening ceremony took place under a marquee in the Eastern Court, during which Queen Elizabeth told those present: “I doubt very much if a reigning sovereign has ever before laid the foundation stone of a College at the other place and subsequently opened another of the same name at Cambridge.

“I congratulate the University, the many benefactors and the architects and builders who have brought this place to life. I wish it all success for the future and I have much pleasure in declaring Wolfson College open.”

Honorary Fellow Ms Marie-Anne Coninsx, who was a student at the time, reflected on the occasion: “I keep an unforgettable memory of when the Queen and Prince Philip formally opened Wolfson College in 1977,” she says. “We were all so very excited and impressed with her visit.”

Forty-five years later, on the occasion of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the College celebrated with a garden party to which neighbours from Barton Road and Barton Close were also invited. The College Choir sung under the same commemorative panel unveiled by the Queen, and celebrants enjoyed refreshments including champagne, scones, and strawberries and cream.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be fondly remembered at Wolfson, not only for her countless contributions as Britain’s longest serving monarch, but also – in the words of Wolfson’s first President, John Morrison – for her “enormous encouragement” at the College’s Royal Opening.

Wolfson College

Barton Road

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Telephone: +44 (0)1223 335900 wolfson.cam.ac.uk

Wolfson College Cambridge is a Registered Charity, No. 1138143.

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Published in 2022

by Wolfson College Cambridge, Barton Road Cambridge CB3 9BB.

©Wolfson College, 2022.

Editor: Nick Osbourne. Contributors: Joe Cotton and Finola O’Sullivan.

Design: Smith (www.smithltd.co.uk).

Photography: Cover Image: Alex Lau. Additional photography: Joe Cotton.

Image credits: Julian Benjamin Martin Bond

Dr Hannah Forde Cambridge Insitu

The Fry Art Gallery Alex Lau

New York Historical Society Dan Pollard Tristan Selden.

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