College Highlights

Welcome to our two new Junior Research Fellows, pictured above, who joined Queens’ this October: Dr Rosa van Hensbergen (English) and Dr Elsa Noterman (Geography).

Fellows

Many congratulations to Professor Julia Gog, David N. Moore Fellow in Mathematics, who has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her “services to Academia and the Covid-19 response”. Julia is a leading expert in the use of mathematical modelling to understand and help control the spread of infectious diseases and has served on SAGE throughout the pandemic.

Earlier this year, she also received the prestigious Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture from the Royal Society. This award will fund the creation of resources for use in schools on infectious disease modelling, to share the humanitarian side of mathematics. By showing school pupils the mathematicians and scientists involved, Julia also hopes to challenge preconceptions of who STEM
researchers are.

Professor Andrew Rice, Hassabis Fellow in Computer Science, has been promoted to a Professorship at the Department of Computer Science & Technology. Andrew has been a Fellow of Queens’ since 2010 and is currently Director of Studies for first year Computer Science students.

Professor Lisa Hall has been awarded the 2020 Oxburgh Medal from the Institute of Measurement & Control, for outstanding contribution in the field of environmental science and engineering.

An inscription in The Round was unveiled in recognition of Lord Eatwell’s Presidency of Queens’ and as a personal gesture of thanks from the Fellows. The then Vice-President, Professor Richard Weber, said:

“Lord Eatwell initiated a project in 2008 to transform the Round from a puddle-strewn car park to the beautiful College entrance and way to the Mathematical Bridge that it is today. It is the most traversed part of the College and the perfect place to mark his stewardship of Queens’.”

We are delighted that Mairi Hurrell has been elected
to an Honorary Fellowship. Mairi joined as the College Nurse in 1993 and became the Welfare Adviser in 2013. She retired in 2015, but returned for six months in 2020 to provide cover.

The Mairi Hurrell Fund is now open to donations
which are specifically to help students with their mental and physical health (more information on page 23).

“Mairi is such a special person; she combines endless love and care for the students and our community with her dedication over many years at Queens’. As the pandemic took hold we called on Mairi to support us even though she was retired. Mairi not only came to help, but added her wise and compassionate experience. Her planning has helped us make the College as safe as it is.

One night I was in College at about 10pm, attending
to a student who was in trouble, and I saw Mairi in the Health Centre, still working to make things just right. If I had not been there nobody would have known! She embodies humility and dedication.

Whilst pondering how we could acknowledge her service and say thank you to her publicly, I floated the idea of an Honorary Fellowship. There was not only uniformity in agreement but a sense that there could be nobody who would more deserve to be the first staff member in living memory to receive this honour. I know many will feel like I do; that we are blessed to have worked with Mairi.”

From The Revd Tim Harling, Head of Welfare & Dean of Chapel

Professor Julia Gog OBE

Lord Eatwell unveiling the new inscription

Mairi Hurrell

The Revd Tim Harling

In Memoriam

We deeply regret to announce the death of His Honour Judge Stuart Bridge (1977). Stuart was a distinguished and long-serving member of Queens’ as an undergraduate, Fellow, Admissions Tutor and, latterly, Life Fellow. The thoughts of everyone at Queens’ are with Stuart’s widow Professor Beverley Glover (Fellow) and their family and friends.

There will be a memorial service for Stuart at Queens’ when it is appropriate to host full numbers in the College Chapel again.

Tom Chesworth

Max Jones

Paul Norris

Joshua King Prizes

Congratulations to the 72 third and fourth year undergraduates who were awarded Firsts and Foundation scholarships this summer, and especially to the three winners of the Joshua King Prize for academic distinction: Tom Chesworth (Music), Max Jones (Natural Sciences) & Paul Norris (English).

Tom is now studying for an MA at Manchester in Gender, Sexuality & Culture, researching the
tensions between transgender rights activism and poststructuralism.

Max is working as a Senior Lab technician in the Department of Plant Sciences (Cambridge), researching disease resistance in bananas. He starts a PhD in wheat genetics at the John Innes Centre (Norwich) in February.

Paul is working as a pastoral assistant at Fisher House, the Roman Catholic chaplaincy in Cambridge.

“The English degree is already proving very helpful, giving me confidence in writing, editing and delivering sermons. More importantly, it’s allowed me to entertain different ideas with some critical detachment, keeping me from becoming complacent or dogmatic. I’d like to direct my future career towards writing, particularly about the environment.”

Academic Highlights

The inaugural Silvia Breu Prize, recognising exceptional teaching in Computer Science in memory
of Dr Silvia Breu (1976-2018), a Queens’ Teaching Associate, has been awarded to Michael Dodson (2005 & current PhD). Silvia was a popular and highly effective supervisor as well as a supportive and caring individual who made a significant, positive impact on the lives of the students she taught.

Rob Bates (PhD, American History) will take up a Frank Knox Visiting Fellowship at Harvard University. Rob came to Queens’ from Newcastle upon Tyne, where he went to school and read his Undergraduate and Master’s degrees, at Newcastle University.