Newsletter print copy by Lucy Cavendish College

Graduation Ceremonies 2010-11 Clockwise from top left: Claire Lea and Lisa Tomlinson, Sara Jackson and Jane Anderson, Graduands rehearsal Sat 14th May 2011 (photo courtesy of Hanne van der Berg), Hanne van der Berg, Fran Milnes with sons Caspar and Roker

Contents From the President

Chancellor’s Visit on 24 March 2011

Gwenllian, Lady Borysiewicz

Women’s Word

New thinking on women and the need for creative leadership

Lucy Cavendish Singers

College Talks and Research Evenings

Fellows’ News

Report on the Library

Report from the Archivist

Report from the Curator

Report on the Gardens

George Perry Memorial Garden

Report from the Bursar

Report from the Domestic Bursar

Senior Porters

Report from the Admissions Tutor

Report from the Senior Tutor

College Prizes, June 2011

Development Report

Feedback from the Frontline

Telling our Transformational Story

Student news

A year in the life of a boat club

Alumnae News

Esqire Bedells

In Memoriam

Our medics ‐ where are they now?

Formal Hall schedule for 2011‐12

Photographs: Terri Pattison, Philip Mynott & Michael Cameron

| Page 1

From the President Professor Janet Todd

Another wonderful and challenging year

Cambridge. She is described in more

at Lucy Cavendish College. During this

detail later in this newsletter but I want

time we implemented a new structure

to say here how grateful we all are

in College: a Council, consisting of

for the interest she is showing in the

members elected by the Governing

College. Two other very involved people

Body as well as the College officers and

have been our Visiting Fellows, Professor

student representatives. We have found

Susan Philips and Dr Jocelynne Scutt,

this new structure works very well since

from Canada and Australia respectively.

we meet every fortnight and so can

They took a very full part in College life

address both strategic and day‐to‐day

and in June organised a ‘Conversation’

matters.

on women’s leadership: how women make change in organisations and

To help ensure our financial future we

society. This excellent event brought

have put an excellent College team in

many high‐achieving women to the

place with a new Head of Development

College and focussed minds on the

and Assistant and new Communications

challenges of being female leaders in

and Marketing Manager. Together with

what is still substantially a man’s world.

our loyal alumnae body and with the

Professor Todd by Geoffrey Humphries

College Bursar and Domestic Bursar this

Another new addition to our College

will ensure that the College has a secure

is the best‐selling crime writer and

base as it goes forward with its mission

poet Sophie Hannah. Since becoming

Fiction editors and literary agents

to transform women’s lives. With the

a Fellow Commoner, she has visited

also attended and we had a full house

help of the whole community and

us often, and has energetically helped

of interested Fellows and students.

external well‐wishers we will continue

plan Women’s Word, chairing many

Sophie Hannah talked briefly about all

to provide women of great ability with

sessions and (appropriately) introducing

5 short‐listed entries and noted, ‘Any of

an education of uncompromising quality

the crime panel. She has also very

these books would have been a worthy

in what are undoubtedly turbulent

generously sponsored a Lucy Cavendish

winner. I think they all stand a good

economic times. In the coming year we

College Prize for Fiction of £1,000 a year

chance of getting published.’ For my

hope to develop our estate so that we

for three years.

part, I thought the whole competition was tremendous and most of the

can improve our accommodation and This prize goes to an unpublished

submissions of a very high standard. I

woman author over the age of 21 for a

thoroughly enjoyed judging the entries

You will find details of student activities

novel that marries literary merit with

and in the process learning about

in the following pages, together with

what Sophie calls ‘unputdownability’.

growing up in a crematorium, being a

an account of some very pleasing

This first year we had nearly 200

Dhalit in India or working in a late‐night

examination results, including nine

submissions, which Sophie and I read

chippie or a sleazy bar in Glasgow-

Firsts, and some excellent sports

over several weeks. We then, after

among many other weird and wonderful

achievements. I will concentrate here on

much discussing and arguing, drew

situations. The winner of this year’s prize

the Fellowship. Among our new Fellows

up a shortlist of 5 submissions; those

was Eva Hudson for ‘The Loyal Servant’.

and visitors I must single out Gwenllian

entrants with their partners were invited

Sophie called it ‘a brilliantly paced

Lady Borysiewicz, a medical doctor and

to the prize‐giving dinner on the evening

contemporary British political thriller,

wife of the new Vice‐Chancellor of

of Thursday, 9 June 2011.

with a strong female lead character.

facilities for the support of our students.

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Perfectly balanced between

Mitchell has gone to a lectureship at

been to formal hall, do come and

character and plot, very gripping and

the University of Strathclyde and that

inspect the new arrangement.

suspenseful.’

Sarah Ogilvie will be leaving us to be Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre, tied to a Readership in Linguistics at ANU in Canberra later in the year. There are too many events to describe or even note here but I will mention just a few in which I have been particularly involved. First of all must be the

Professor Todd and Sandi Toksvig

farewell visit of the outgoing Chancellor Sophie Hannah and Eva Hudson

of Cambridge University, the Duke

Women’s Word, which I started when I

of Edinburgh. He spent considerable

arrived, has now had its third successful

One very exciting development

time in the College, was extremely

year. I very much wanted the festival

this year is our success in attracting

affable and gracious, and showed (I

to be an annual event at the end of

support for two new Junior Research

think) unfeigned interest in what we

the Easter term and I think this is now

Fellowships. Trinity College announced

are planning for the future. He climbed

assured. We had the usual creative

a Newton Trust scheme for the less

to the top of the Library and was free

writing workshops over one weekend,

well‐endowed colleges in which they

in his judgement on some of our less

followed by talks and lectures in the

would share the cost of new JRFs

symmetrical buildings. The visit was

next. These were packed to capacity;

with teaching duties. We speedily

a great success: all of us appreciated

audiences heard speakers such as P.D.

put in a bid and were successful:

it and the festive mood was much

James, Dorothy Rowe, Wendy Cope,

hence the Isaac Newton‐Dorothy

enhanced by the sun and a great show

Natasha Walters, Allison Pearson and

Emmet Research Fellowship for

of flowers.

Lyndall Gordon and pondered such

English and Law. We also obtained

questions as whether there is a female

a Henslow Research Fellowship for

brain and whether men much read

Science, Engineering and Maths, in

fiction written by women. The festival

collaboration with the Cambridge

weekend opened with a drinks party

Philosophical Society. We have also

at which guests were entertained by

been successful in obtaining support

the Lucy Cavendish Singers under

from the Newton Trust for another

Katharina Megli and then after dinner

time‐limited Teaching Fellowship and

by our guest speaker, the wonderfully

Dr Tereza Cindrova‐Davies joins us in

The Chancellor meeting students

witty Sandi Toksvig. She was especially good on what one might do in a family

October to teach physiology.

with a daughter’s thong when a pirate As valuable new people join us, others

In this year too my portrait by Geoffrey

sadly have to leave. Our College

Humphries, an English artist resident in

Lecturer in Sociology, Mirca Madianou,

Venice, was unveiled at a drinks party

We hope to organise another gala

is moving to the University of Leicester

in the library foyer. Subsequently it

dinner next year and also have

as a Senior Lecturer and Lorna

was moved to the dining hall, where

academic talks related to Women’s

Williamson, Medical and Research

all the Presidents’ portraits now hang.

Word throughout the year. Since 2013

Director for NHS Blood Transfusion and

In the twilight or dark, some of them,

is the bicentenary of the publication

Transplantation, is changing status from

including mine, could hardly be seen;

of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice I

a Fellow to a Fellow Commoner. In the

with the generous help of two of the

can’t pass up the opportunity to focus

nature of things we have constantly to

students in English, we have now had

on romance for the festival. Talks of

say goodbye to Research Fellows, but

lights placed above all of them, and the

course, from both critics and creative

we are very pleased to know that Kate

effect is splendid. If you have not lately

writers inspired by Jane Austen and the

costume is required.

| Page 3

romantic tradition, but also perhaps

Townsend, narrated by our Honorary

be going again this year). These events

films and concerts. We are still, as you

Fellow Anna Ford.

allow me to spread the word of LCC,

can see, at the visionary stage. I have

about which many people–and this is

just given the annual Jane Austen

of course amazing—still do not appear

Society lecture in Chawton with a talk

to know.

on ‘The real Mr Darcy’ and the idea of a Cambridge conference in 2013 was met

I have taken part in a few broadcasts

with such enthusiasm that I thought of

too. With Posy Simmonds and Anna

entitling our festival ‘Mr Darcy comes

Maxwell Martin I did a programme on

to Cambridge’, but we have two years

Austen’s childhood stories.

in which to think how best to celebrate this great moment. Perhaps we should

Katharina Megli and Anna Ford

have a Regency ball?

Most recently I have been interviewed by Amanda Vickery for a BBC2 documentary about Jane Austen as a

My own work has been a bit on the

publishing writer. The film crew came to

back burner this year for many personal

the College, stayed through the morning

reasons (the happiest of them being

and well into the afternoon, and I was

my daughter’s marriage in April—with a

very pleased that I could persuade

delightful reception at Lucy Cavendish

them to film some of the gardens; I

College) but I have published a short

hope these scenes make it into the final

guide to Pride and Prejudice, and I am

version but one can never be sure. In any

collecting essays for a new Companion

case the session with me is in my office,

to the same novel for Cambridge

the George Bidder Room of College

University Press.

House.

I am hoping the international

Since they want some footage from

contributors to this will come over for

the huge American Society, a serious

the Women’s Word celebrations of 2013.

conference with some very whacky

My media events and lectures have

aspects, held this year in cowboy

also this year centred on Jane Austen,

country in Fort Worth, the programme

Whatever we do, I hope the Lucy

although last year’s talk on a Venetian

will not be broadcast until the autumn. I

Cavendish Singers will be singing

garden was repeated on Radio 3. I spoke

hope you enjoy this Newsletter. To those

suitable songs for the occasion. They

at the Society of Women Authors who

of you who have not visited the College

are now an extremely valued part of

met at the College and also addressed

this academic year I have only one

the College and in February we had a

the University of the Third Age in

message: be sure to do so in the next.

wonderful Valentine’s Day concert of

Cambridge and the Jane Austen Society

music from them, along with poems by

in York. I talked for the first time this

such writers as Ogden Nash, Thomas

year at the Saffron Walden Literary

Hardy and Philip Larkin, and prose

Festival and for the 5th or 6th time at

passages from Jane Austen and Sue

the Cheltenham Literary Festival (I shall

| Page 4

Chancellor’s Visit on 24 March 2011

The weather was glorious and the

life whilst at Cambridge. On his last

gardens were looking beautiful when

visit to Lucy Cavendish College in June

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh visited

1998 the Library did not exist.

Lucy Cavendish College on the morning of 24 March. The visit was to mark the

The President presented the Chancellor

end of his term of office as Chancellor

with photographic prints of the College

of the University of Cambridge, and the

by Terri Pattison, a member of staff at

related role of College Visitor for Lucy

Lucy Cavendish.

Cavendish. Although the visit was after the end of term over fifty students were present to meet the Chancellor and Vice‐ Chancellor, and they were delighted that they stopped to speak to all of them, along with Fellows and staff. The letter from the Chancellor’s Private Secretary to the President following the visit said: ‘He much enjoyed meeting the Fellows and students, and was struck by the tremendous range of their research, their studies and indeed their enthusiasm’. The Chancellor visited the top floor of

The College is awaiting the outcome

the Library to get a good view over the

of the election of the new Chancellor

site and hear about the proposals to

of the University of Cambridge as they

create more student accommodation,

will also be the new College Visitor.

so that more of the College’s students can experience a fully collegiate life

| Page 5

Gwenllian, Lady Borysiewicz Honorary Member of the Combination Room

proud parents when they were both

Becoming an Honorary Member of the

undergraduates at Cambridge.

Combination Room at Lucy Cavendish has been invaluable. I am privileged to

Catherine is now completing her

have a College attachment in my own

hospital training as a dermatologist in

right, and the warm welcome I have

London and Rachel is a Postdoctoral

experienced is deeply appreciated.

Fellow in Statistics at the University of

I have found the College to be a

Kent.

welcoming and vibrant community

Throughout my career I have dealt with all aspects of Medicine but have developed a particular interest in Child Health and Gynaecological problems. I was born in Llanidloes Mid‐Wales, a Welsh‐speaking market town. My

Because of my husband’s frequent

family later moved to Carno, and was

moves relating to his medical career, I

there when Laura Ashley set up her first

have been a principal in four separate

business. Then we moved to Llanarth in

partnerships – Northolt (Middlesex),

Ceredigion.

Cambridge, Cardiff and lastly Ealing. Patients develop a special bond and

In 1969, I started my medical studies at

trust in their doctor and therefore it

the Welsh National School of Medicine

has not always been easy to establish

in Cardiff. I graduated in 1974 and

oneself anew in a practice. However,

continued with my postgraduate studies

the experience has undoubtedly made

in South Wales, focussing on Paediatrics

me a better doctor, learning to be more

and Obstetrics while working as a junior

flexible in understanding the needs of a

doctor. These studies culminated in

patient and certainly giving me a great

Diplomas of the Royal Colleges in Child

deal of experience working in different

Health and Obstetrics.

communities.

I started in General Practice in 1978 and

Moving back to Cambridge last year,

gained my MRCGP a few years later. Our

was a major change in my life. I retired

two daughters, Catherine and Rachel,

as a General Practitioner and took up

were born in 1979 and 1982. We were

the role as Vice‐Chancellor’s wife.

| Page 6

of students and scholars with its own special atmosphere as a college for mature women. I look forward to continuing to engage actively with the College.

Women’s Word Voices and Creativity: 24 to 26 June 2011

In 2012, Women’s Word will again have a gala dinner, talks by writers, a film screening and discussions in June, but will also continue throughout the academic year with a series of lectures from writers, distinguished academics and thinkers. Friends and alumnae of Professor Todd with P.D. James

the College will be warmly invited to all these events. The annual Women’s

Crime Panel

Fiction Prize, sponsored by Sophie Women’s Word success leads on to even bigger things in 2012 and 2013 The 3rd annual Women’s Word Festival was held in June 2011 at Lucy Cavendish College. Workshops and lectures were packed to capacity to hear speakers such as P.D. James, Dorothy Rowe, Wendy Cope, Natasha Walters and Allison Pearson. The audience at the glittering opening night dinner were entertained first by the Lucy Cavendish Singers and then by guest speaker Sandi Toksvig, who regaled us with her stories about life as a student at Cambridge University. She spoke informatively

Hannah, will again culminate in an awards ceremony and dinner. In 2013, the 3‐day Women’s Word Festival makes a full come‐back to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. President Jan Todd, a renowned Jane Austen scholar, comments: “We will really push the boat out for the 2013 Women’s Word Festival and we fully intend to honour Austen’s idea of good company by

Professor Todd with Natasha Walter and Allison Pearson

ensuring that the annual festival will be full of ‘clever, well‐informed people who have a great deal of conversation”.

about great women pioneers in literature and education.

Drinks of the lawn before dinner with Sandi Toksvig

| Page 7

New thinking on women and the need for creative leadership

The Panel (left to right): Tamara Rajah, Anji Hunter, Margaret Mountford, Moya Greene and Jan Hall

A ‘Conversation’ at Lucy Cavendish

a new dimension of recognition to

they build and how they support and

College ‐ The need for Creative

women’s leadership.

mentor others, particularly junior

Leadership, Implications for Women

colleagues.Creative leaders also Professor Janet Todd, President, said:

recognise where they can best apply

On June 16th, 70 women from the

“Our goal was to bring together women

their distinctive talents and how to

worlds of business, science, technology,

leaders to push the boundaries of

take well‐calculated risks, and they

philanthropy, social enterprise and

conventional thinking on leadership. A

are confident – even assertive. Being

academia gathered at the College to

measure of our success is that women of

confident and assertive does not mean

discuss the challenging and complex

different ages, experiences and stages

conforming to a particular (masculine)

environment in which we operate.

in their careers, from five countries in

model, however, as women leaders need

More than ever, in these difficult

addition to the UK attended, all with

to develop their own distinctive style.

times, we need to find, new and

something valuable to contribute to

Too often, women hold themselves

creative approaches to leadership. Our

advancing the conversation on this

back by seeing themselves as less than

discussion highlighted that women are

important topic”.

they really are, and they devalue their

ready to take up the challenge. The discussion concluded that creative

own achievements, however great their talents.

The event entitled ‘Creative Leadership

leadership depends on more effective

in Difficult Times: A Conversation on

means of collaboration: ‘mutuality’ is

Margaret Mountford, formerly advisor

Women Making Change’ was sponsored

the core idea of the new leadership.

to Lord Sugar on the television series

by Barclays Wealth and Addleshaw

Although women leaders tend to be

The Apprentice, moderated a panel of

Goddard LLP, and is the first of the

particularly good at developing and

four audacious women who agreed that

‘Women & Leadership’ events Lucy

nurturing networks, they need to be

challenging times create opportunities

Cavendish College will host to bring

more strategic in the kinds of networks

for women willing to take risks.

| Page 8

Jan Hall, one of the UK’s leading

did not qualify her to speak on women’s

Monica Burch, senior partner at

headhunters, addressed leadership skills

leadership was fallacious: ‘You’ve got 10

Addleshaw Goddard LLP, event sponsor,

for women.

years of knowing what’s going on in the

summed up the event: ‘What events like

world of business.

this make you realise is that women are

Anji Hunter, Group Head of

succeeding in business, in education,

Government and Social Affairs at Anglo

Who better to tell women what

academia, NGOs and at senior and

American, one of the world’s largest

leadership is all about?’ The need for

leadership levels.

mining companies and the only one

strong mentorship and networks,

headed by a female CEO, observed

particularly enabling young women to

The next issue is not about getting

that as CEOs, women generally pay

learn from those more experienced,

women into those positions but

more attention to issues related to

and reaching across international

understanding why there aren’t more

their workforce, often taking criticism

boundaries, was strongly endorsed by

women in them already and what needs

because these are seen as ‘soft’ issues.

the participants.

to happen to change that.

not soft at all, but an essential part of

Barbara‐Ann King, Head of Female

The Lucy Cavendish event helped with

the daily business of a responsible and

Client Group at Barclays Wealth,

understanding that issue and showed

sustainable company.

event sponsor, said ‘The diversity of

us that part the conversation is about

In today’s global environment, these are

women taking part today confirms

understanding and working together

Moya Greene, CEO of Royal Mail, said

for us the need to continue holding

and learning from one another’s

women need to prepare themselves

these conversations and to ensure that

experiences.

financially to chase opportunities. She

we focus on different approaches to

confided how, from an early stage

leadership to secure a stronger future.

We hope this will be the first of these

in her career, she always put aside a

It was pleasing to see women from all

discussions, so keep an eye out for

‘transition’ fund, savings that allowed

fields forming a collective voice and the

the announcement of the next Lucy

her to pursue risky career opportunities.

conversation gave confidence that that

Cavendish ‘Women in Conversation’.

She always had this ‘reserve’ money

future will focus on action, drawing on

at hand to parachute her out of sticky

the strengths of the women themselves

situations and into new challenges.

and their diverse range of expertise. ’

Sparking a lively debate about the need for business, society – and women – to allow men to step into care‐giving roles, she encouraged women to ‘outsource’ certain family and home responsibilities if these are not what they are good at. Women need to give up the guilt, and expend their energies on those areas where they can best apply their talents, not try to do it all themselves. Tamara Rajah, McKinsey & Co consultant and named by Management Today as one of the UK’s top 35 women under 35, spoke on the issue of confidence. She noted that she was firmly told by a male colleague that her notion that ‘only’ 10 years experience

| Page 9

Lucy Cavendish Singers Katharina Megli, Director

Several exciting new dimensions have been added to the Singers’ performances this past year. In July last year we sang for 250 guests at a gala dinner in St John’s Great Hall. After foody songs from the gallery between several of the 12 courses we moved to the main floor for our after‐dinner set. To catch the attention of the well‐fed and watered company, we brought along a fiddler, a guitarist and an acoustic bass player and gave the audience a taste of jazz and bluegrass. Since then our talented players have taken part in every concert, opening our programmes up to a whole new realm of musical possibilities. members was packed with general

Water‐colourist Lesley Fotherby

Another major development was the

carol singing for an audience well

continues to attend rehearsals with

big step into paying public concerts.

warmed up by mulled wine and cake.

paint box and brushes, capturing in

The first was a well‐attended Saturday

The children’s choir, which has become

her inimitable way the singers and

lunchtime at Emmanuel United

a fixture of this event, sang two carols:

musicians in action. She very generously

Reformed Church in October 2010

a simple lullaby involving children as

lets us use her work in our publicity and

and the second, a cocktail hour in

young as four and a more difficult piece

her paintings of the choir can been seen

the Bateman Auditorium at Gonville

to challenge the 10‐14 year olds.

on the Singers’ web and Facebook pages

& Caius College in March 2011 which

as well as in Chris Beetles’ art gallery in

virtually sold out. At our charitable

The College hosted a full house for a

lunchtime concert in the Michaelhouse

Valentine’s Concert on 13 February,

Centre on 21 May there was standing

featuring Anna Ford as reader. Poetry

room only, showing the strength of the

and prose, selected by Jan Todd and

following the Singers have developed

Maria Purves, was woven into an

in Cambridge over the past two years.

immensely varied musical programme

St James’, London.

to create a quirky and moving tribute The 3rd Annual Carols at Lucy in

to the many facets of love. In early

December, a beautiful candle‐lit

May the Singers entertained College

event around the Christmas tree in

Benefactors in Warburton Hall with

Warburton Hall, was declared by an 11‐

music for a spring afternoon and the

year‐old audience member to be “the

academic year was rounded off with

best Advent Carols ever”. A seamless

five of the Singers performing at the

programme of music by the Singers

drinks reception before the opening

Plans for next year include Cruel Sisters

and Christmas readings by College

dinner of the Women’s Word festival.

– a Hallowe’en event on 23 October

| Page 10

in Warburton Hall, Remember me, my

All of the Singers’ public performances

For more information on our future

dear ‐ an early evening concert in the

have been enthusiastically received and

engagements and past programmes

Bateman Auditorium at Gonville &

we continue to work extremely hard

look us up on the College webpage or

Caius on 12 November 2011, the Carols

for artistic excellence. In my view the

visit the Lucy Cavendish Singers on

around the tree at Lucy Cavendish

concert at Michaelhouse in May was

Facebook.

College on 3 December, a possible

of the highest standard achieved so

cabaret in early Spring 2012 and a

far by the choir, described by audience

Fitzwilliam Museum promenade

members as “professional”, “thrilling”,

concert.

“moving” and “utterly unique”.

College Talks & Research Evenings Dr Ruth Jones, Vice‐President

We have been fortunate in attracting

We are arranging an exciting

From the academic year 2011‐12 these

excellent speakers to the Thursday

programme for 2011‐2012, and these

research evenings will be open to all

evening lectures which take place before

talks will in future be known as the

members of the College Community,

Formal Hall. Highlights have included

Women’s Word Lecture Series.

and the first talk on 15 November 2011 will be given by Professor Ruth

talks by Julie Spence, former Chief Constable of Cambridge, on the role of

Three very interesting and diverse talks

Cameron, and Lucy Cavendish alumna

the police and a discussion on Obsessive

on Fellows’ Research were also given

and post‐doctoral researcher Dr Rose

Compulsive Disorder (OCD) between

this year.

Spear. The talk is entitled ‘Materials and

poet and author Joanne Limburg and psychiatrist Richard O’Flynn, based on Joanne’s recent memoir The Woman Who Thought Too Much.

On Tuesday 26 October 2010, Dr Kate

their Uses in Medicine’.

Mitchell described her research in a lively presentation entitled, Desiring Divas: Women at the Theatre in Nineteenth Century Italy. On Tuesday 22 February 2011, Dr Hong Jin and Dr Vera Weisbecker educated us all with their lecture entitled Development: From the Central Dogma to Macroevoution. And on Tuesday 10 May 2011, Dr Edith Esch and Dr Henriette Hendriks tested our knowledge of language at a Linguistics at Lucy forum. The lectures took place after supper, and

Joanne Limberg

were accompanied by dessert wine and coffee.

Dr Rose Spear

| Page 11

Fellows’ News Dr Anna Sapir Abulafia published

J.H. Gwynne and R.E. Cameron,

her Christian-Jewish Relations 1000-

“Using Small Angle X-ray Scattering to

1300. Jews in the service of medieval

Investigate the variation in Composition

Christendom (Longman [Pearson

across a Graduated Region within an

Education]) in January 2011 and ‘The

Intervertebral Disc Prosthesis”, in press,

Jews’, in A Social History of England,

available online, Journal of Materials

900-1200, ed. Julia Crick and Elisabeth

Science: Materials in Medicine, 2010,

van Houts (Cambridge, 2011), 256-

21(2), 787 - 795

64. During her sabbatical year she gave guest lectures at UCLA, UC

N. Davidenko, J.J. Campbell, E.S.

Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz

Thian, C.J. Watson and R.E. Cameron,

in October 2010; she spoke at the

“Collagen-Hyaluronic Acid Scaffolds

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in

for Adipose Tissue Engineering”, Acta

Munich in January 2011 and delivered

Biomaterialia, 2010, 6(10), 3957 – 3968

a lecture at the UCL conference on ‘Conflict and Cohesion: the Literature of Jewry in Medieval Europe’ on 15 February 2011. She is due to speak at the third Religiosità e civiltà conference in Brescia on ‘Conoscenze, confronti, influssi reciproci tra le religioni (saec. X-XIV), 15-17 September 2011. She has used her sabbatical to start on her new research project concerning ‘Jews and Muslims in Christian Law and Politics, c. 1140-c. 1300’.

Professor Ruth Cameron writes: My research in pharmaceutical and medical materials has continued to progress well. Research is ongoing in materials for orthopaedic and cardiac applications, drug delivery and the development of artificial tissues for drug development. Industrial and academic collaborations continue within Cambridge, the UK and the international community, and clinical trials are ongoing on materials studied. Results from the group have been published in peer reviewed journals and at international conferences and aspects of our work featured in the national press. Publications : Amongst the 26 papers published this year are: P.R. Laity, M.D. Mantle, L.F. Gladden and R.E. Cameron, “Magnetic Resonance Imaging and X-ray

| Page 12

P.R. Laity, L. Han, J.A. Elliott and R.E. Cameron, “Variations in Compaction Behaviour for Tablets of Different Size and Shape, Revealed by SmallAngle X-Ray Scattering”, Journal of Pharmaceutical Science, 2010, 99(10), 4380 - 4389 L.M. Mullen, S.M. Best, R.A. Brooks, S.Ghose, J.H. Gwynne, J. Wardale, N. Rushton and R.E. Cameron, “Investigating the binding and release characteristics of insulin-like growth factor-1 from a collagen-GAG scaffold for use in osteochondral repair”, Tissue Engineering Part C, 2010, 16(6), 143-1448 J. Pan, X.Han, W. Niu, R. Cameron and D. Farrar, “A Model for Biodegradation of Composite Materials Made of Polyesters and Tricalcium Phosphates”, Biomaterials, 2011, 32(9), 2248‐2255

Microtomography studies of a

L. Han, P.R. Laity, R.E. Cameron and

gel-forming tablet formulation”,

J.A. Elliott, “Density and Plastic Strain

European Journal of Pharmaceutics and

Evaluations, using Small-Angle X-Ray

Biopharmaceutics, 2010, 74(1), 109-119

Scattering and Finite Element

Simulations, for Powder Compacts of

Group’ in the Faculty of Education,

In preparation: Evans M. and Esch E.

Complex Shape”, Journal of Materials

been kept busy on the College side

(eds.) Special Issue on Second Language

Science, accepted for publication April

as member of the Council and a few

Teacher Development, Commissioned by

2011 doi: 10.1007/s10853-011-5559-8

other activities aiming to raise the

the Language Learning Journal.

S. J. Kew, J. H. Gwynne, D. Enea, M.

research profile of the College in Applied

Abu-Rub, A. Pandit, D. Zeugolis, R.

Linguistics, and language study more

Evaluation

A. Brooks, N. Rushton, S.M. Best

generally, with the other Fellows of the

Scientific Committee of the Maison des

and R. E. Cameron, “Collagen Fibre

College who work in the field. She will

Sciences Humaines Lorraine: meeting on

Biomaterials for Tendon and Ligament

be retiring in a year’s time but according

8‐9 December in Nancy.

Regeneration”, Acta Biomaterialia,

to her diary, will need a little more time

accepted for publication June 2011 doi:

to bring to completion a number of

10.1016/j.actbio.2011.06.002

projects.

Events/Talks Invited Chair to the Festival of Ideas event: ‘Raising Bilingual Children:

Mrs Julie Dashwood’s research over

The Chinese translation (of the second

Strengths and Challenges’ on the 23rd

the last 18 months has focused on

edition) of The Bilingual Family will be

October 2010.

Italian theatre in the eighteenth and

published this Summer (in August) by

nineteenth centuries, and in particular

Peking University Press

Invited adviser to the Bilingual

on the career of the actress Adelaide

Education Symposium organised by the

Ristori, the theatre of her times and

University of Cambridge International

the playwrights with whom she was

Examinations Section (19‐20th April

particularly associated. As part of

2011).

this study, Julie has also researched eighteenth‐century Italian theatre,

Sociolinguistic Seminar, Faculty of

including the relationships between

English ‘Attitudes towards English: the

scenic design, spectacle, Opera and

case of a French lycee in Senegal’ 12th

Court theatre.

November 2010.

This part of her work led to an invitation

With Dr Henriette Hendricks, organiser

from the National Gallery to be

of the talk given by Professor Rosamund

interviewed for a podcast on theatre

Mitchell (University of Southampton)

and painting in the work of Canaletto

on ‘The role of teacher gesture in early

and Marieschi, both of whom trained as

L2 vocabulary learning’. Lucy Cavendish

scenic designers as well as painters, in

College, 17 February.

association with the current exhibition

Edited Books

at the National Gallery entitled ‘Venice:

Esch. E. and Solly, M. (eds.) Due 2012.

With Dr Hendricks: Presentation

Canaletto and his rivals’.

The Sociolinguistics of Second Language

on ‘Linguistics at Lucy’, Anna

The interview, part of podcast episode

Education in International Contexts ,

Bidder Evening 10th May 2011. Part

50 (December 2010), can now be viewed

‘Linguistic Insights Series No XX, Berne,

2:’How languages Unite and Divide

at http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/

P. Lang.

Communities’

Articles (Journals)

Dr Henriette Hendriks writes: I had the

Dr Edith Esch has, together with

Esch, E. (Submitted ‘Comparative

good fortune to be on sabbatical this

the usual postgraduate teaching and

Education’ on 17‐01‐2011 ) ‘English

year. It allowed me to work on research

coordination (M.Phil course on research

and French Pedagogical Cultures:

that now needed to get published. I

in second education), PhD students, and

Convergence and Divergence in

finished approx. eight papers in the

organisation of the series of Research

Cameroonian Primary school teachers’

same number of months, some of which

Seminars ‘Second Language Education

discourse.’

were (or are about to be) published in

podcasts/

| Page 13

and came out swimming on the other side of two months of lectures. You may well hear from them in the future as the next generation of Chinese linguists. During my stay in China I also went on a lecture tour, speaking on various subjects including the English Profile Project (a project with which I am involved in cooperation with some colleagues at the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics and Cambridge Assessment), and some journals, others in edited volumes. And two more papers are to be written over the summer. Three of the papers deal with child language acquisition of Chinese in comparison with English. I wrote them with my former PhD student, Dr Yinglin Ji. I have a special bond with China, as I did a Masters in Sinology at the University of Leiden Netherlands, and then continued working with the Chinese language in the context of my research on first and second language acquisition. Because of my relation with China, I occasionally have the pleasure of being invited by Chinese Universities to lecture there (mostly on language acquisition and always using English as the medium of education). This year I was invited

of my work on motion expressions in languages as diverse as English, French and Chinese. At the last University on the tour, China Ocean University in Qingdao, I was awarded a Guest Professorship. My guess is that I will probably end up teaching some courses there as well in the near future. It was, as always, a very rewarding trip, with lots of good memories to live on for the next couple of years. I have had a good time recharging my batteries, and am now ready to return to the busy life

Professor Christine Howe’s research focuses on issues that are simultaneously relevant to psychological theory and educational practice. Two important strands are: a) children’s reasoning in mathematics and science; b) children’s peer relationships, and patterns of peer interaction. Both strands are well represented in Christine’s publications (see below), and also play a prominent role in an ongoing, ESRC‐funded project. This project has occupied a great deal of

at Lucy Cavendish and the University.

Christine’s time during 2010‐2011,where

Publications Hendriks, H., & Hickmann,

development and Year‐7 implementation

M. (2011) Space in second language

of interlocking mathematics and

acquisition. In: Vivian Cook and

science modules entitled ‘Fractions,

Benedetta Bassetti (eds.) Language

Ratios and Proportions” and ‘Forces

and Bilingual Cognition. Hove, UK:

and Proportional Relations’. At the

Psychology Press, 315‐339.

same time, Christine has participated

she has had primary responsibility for the

in a seminar at the House of Commons

by the University of Foreign Language

Ji, Y., Hendriks, H., & Hickmann, M.

on how children learn, and advised

Studies in Beijing (BeiWai). I have been

(2011) Typological issues regarding the

the Department for Education

there in 2003 and 2006, and was guest

expression of caused motion events in

on curriculum development in

Professor at their National Research

Chinese and in English. Linguistics, 49.

mathematics and science. She was

Centre for Foreign Language Education

interviewed by the ESRC for their

from 2007‐2010. I had a wonderful

Ji, Y., Hendriks, H., and Hickmann,

‘International Benchmarking Review

two months teaching a fantastically

M. (in press) How children express

of UK Psychology’, and (in a range of

enthusiastic group of students. Sixteen

caused motion events in Chinese and

capacities) has assisted with research

girls and one boy plunged into the

English: universal and language‐specific

development at the local, national and

exciting world of language acquisition,

influences. In: Lingua.

international level.

| Page 14

Publications

blogosphere and amongst more

we need to embed the mathematics

traditional publications. I have been

learning within the bioscience and I have

Tolmie, A.K., Topping, K.J., Christie, D.,

experimenting with the use of Twitter

some exciting plans, derived from my

Donaldson, C., Howe, C., Jessiman, E.,

(@SCIENCE_ETC) and have found that

research, to make more innovations in

Livingston, K., & Thurston, A. (2010).

there are some very useful nuggets of

my lectures next year. I have also taken

Social effects of collaborative learning

information in there amongst all the

on the role of specialist study support

in primary schools. Learning and

potential for time‐wasting.

tutor at the Disability Resource Centre

Instruction, 20, 177‐191. Hunter, S.C., Durkin, K., Heim, D, Howe, C., & Bergin, D. (2010). Psychosocial mediators and moderators of the effect of peer‐victimization upon depressive symptomatology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51, 1141‐1149. Baines, E., & Howe, C. (2010). Discourse topic management and discussion skills in middle childhood: The effects of age

where I help students with specific A major observation that came from

learning disabilities such as dyslexia

my survey is the changing nature of

and dyspraxia as well as students with

mathematics teaching within bioscience

Asperger’s Syndrome. This is incredibly

subjects. Over the last decade the

rewarding and it has been fascinating

mathematical content of A level

to look with greater depth at different

sciences has decreased and “teaching‐

learning styles and how teaching styles

to‐the‐test” means that those who have

can influence learning.

taken A level maths can typically do extremely well at exam questions but

I continue to be involved with

not be able to apply their knowledge in

Cambridge AWISE (Association for

the bioscience context.

Women in Science and Engineering) and gave a talk at Arup in London last

and task. First Language, 30, 508‐534.

December on creating sustainable women’s networks. CamAWISE

Howe, C., Nunes, T., & Bryant, P. (2011).

continues to work closely with Lucy

Rational number and proportional

Cavendish: we had a memorable

reasoning: Using intensive quantities to

breakfast meeting in January to

promote achievement in mathematics

celebrate the 100th anniversary of Marie

and science. International Journal of

Curie’s Nobel Prize and the start of the

Science and Mathematics Education, 9,

International Year of Chemistry.

391‐417.

Bridget Chukualim (first year PhD

Dr Jenny Koenig writes: There has been

student in Biochemistry at Lucy

a dramatic increase in interest in the

Cavendish College) was instrumental

mathematical training of bioscientists

in helping us to link up with women in

and I was asked to give a talk last

Nigeria and Lucy Cavendish alumna

November at the University of Reading

Ailsa Benton shared her experiences of

on this topic. This led to a survey of

applying Chemistry to her work at the

UK Higher Education Institutions and subsequent report which is to be published by the Higher Education

British Antarctic Survey (see article on At University level I believe we need

Academy UK Centre for Bioscience.

to be very much more explicit about

I experimented with the creation of a

approach that has been drummed into

blog (http://biomaths.wordpress.com) where I keep a collection of short articles on issues as they arise both in the

p48).

breaking students away from the A level them and get them to start thinking as scientists in using quantitative approaches creatively. But to do this

| Page 15

published in ‘Women: A Cultural Review’ no 23, issue 2 (2011). Dr Maria Purves writes: My research is primarily focused on religion in the literature of the long Eighteenth Century, and the Gothic. It has been a busy year.

Dr Isobel Maddison has recently published an article “Trespassers will be prosecuted”: Dorothy Richardson among the Fabians” in Literature and History Vol 19 (2) Autumn 2010. In March 2011, Isobel spoke on

In the summer I gave a paper entitled

‘Elizabeth von Arnim Shaping

“The Explained Supernatural in an

Mansfield’ at ‘Shaping Modernism:

Irrational Age” at the International Gothic Association’s bi‐annual conference in Heidelberg. The paper My monograph ‐ The Gothic and Catholicism: Religion, Cultural Exchange and the Popular Novel, 1785 – 1829 ‐ was a finalist for the International Gothic Association’s Alan Lloyd Smith Memorial prize awarded for the best book published on the Gothic in the last two years. In early 2011 my essay ‘Don’t Look Now: disguised danger and the disabled woman in Daphne Du Maurier’s macabre tales’ was published in

Katherine Mansfield and her Contemporaries’; a two‐day international residential conference in association with the Katherine Mansfield Society held in the Faculty of English. She also chaired a session on ‘Tradition and Transgression’. Publications A review: ‘Weaving and Unweaving: The Nets of Modernism’ will be

| Page 16

will be published in a special edition of the journal “Textus” in 2012. I am currently editing a volume based on the proceedings of my 2010 conference at Lucy, ‘Women and Gothic’. There was some interesting, lively, cutting‐edge research presented at the conference and I’m very pleased to have been asked to edit this publication, which will undoubtedly reflect the uniqueness of the event.

“Demons of the Body and Mind”, a

At the end of October (appropriately

collection of essays on disability

enough!) I will be giving a paper on

in Gothic literature. Reading this

Victorian ghost story writer (and

essay brings back happy memories

provost of King’s College, Cambridge)

of long afternoons in the Firestone

M. R. James at a conference at the

Library at Princeton reading through

University of Exeter. The paper is

a private collection (which had only

entitled “A warning to the Curious; the

just been opened to the public) of Du

‘nicely‐managed’ mind of M.R. James”

Maurier’s letters to her great love Ellen

and it examines the possibility that

Doubleday of the Doubleday publishing

James’ affinity for the ghost story — as

empire. Du Maurier was a fascinating

well as many aspects of his personality

and complex woman, and a great

— may be understood as the expression

writer.

of autistic spectrum disorder.

Dr Jane Renfrew writes: Last summer

As a non‐stipendiary fellow and an

discussions for further publications and

I spent some time in Normandy visiting

affiliated (non‐stipendiary) university

documentaries.

Romanesque churches and cathedrals

lecturer, I have risen to the challenge of

and saw the Bayeux Tapestry for the

taking on additional international and

In addition to academic writing I

first time. In the autumn I visited the

European consultations to supplement

have contributed editorial content

Naxos museum to work on material

my teaching.

and cultural commentary to a variety of mainstream publications. I was

from the Keros excavations and later visited Neolithic sites in the Orkney

Research, Publications

interviewed about my interdisciplinary

Islands.

and Research Profile

work on French national television

Last academic year I became

news (TF1) in the summer and I was

I have continued my researches into

coordinator of the Cambridge

also interviewed on an Italian national

Early Bronze Age evidence for the

Counterculture Research Group: this

television arts show at Christmas.

cultivation of olives and vines in

reflects my own interdisciplinary

Greece, and also into the weaving

interests as my work incorporates

I have continued as an active Fellow

of mats and cloth as shown by

comparative law, cultural studies and

of the Royal Society of Arts, with a

impressions on the bases of handmade

in particular the idea of the outsider.

particular focus on education initiatives.

pots of the same period from the

This seminar group that brings together

Similarly, I remain an active Member

excavations at Daskalio and Kavos

specialists from History, English,

of PEN International which promotes

south on Keros in the Cycladic islands.

Sociology and Theology, amongst

free speech and works on behalf of

others, and meets frequently during

persecuted authors around the world.

In May this year I went to Hong Kong

the year, as a forum to discuss ongoing

for the 4th International Contemporary

research, and welcomes a variety of

Art Fair, and whilst I was there I was

guest speakers. My role as co‐ordinator

delighted to meet up with our former

continued into this academic year and

Lucy Cavendish student, Margaret

we were able to secure a number of

Yang, who is now the CEO of the Hong

high‐profile speakers including the San

Kong Sinfonietta, Hong Kong’s second

Francisco based author Gerald Nicosia

orchestra. On my next visit I hope to

(Jack Kerouac’s biographer).

Generation PR (the UK’s largest cultural

As a member of the AHRC‐funded

lectures, symposiums and cultural

catch up with more of our Hong Kong alumnae.

Last summer I had artwork shown in a group exhibition at Tate Modern. I have also been made the first creative in residence of Idea Generation Art Gallery and PR company. It is a great opportunity to be represented by Idea PR company) and I will present public

European Legal Development

events and have a solo exhibition at the

Dr Yvonne Salmon writes: This year

Project (Cambridge Law Faculty) my

end of the residency.

I have continued with my role as an

comparative law study of French legal

Affiliated University Law Lecturer

development was published in 2010

for the Land Economy Department

by Cambridge University Press in the

and I have been responsible for

series Comparative Studies in the

two courses. I reprised my 2009‐10

Development of the Law of Torts

role as coordinator of the Private

in Europe (Ibbetson and Bell, eds). I

Law paper and also re‐established

contributed the third chapter of the

a Law & Economics paper for final

fourth volume, “Technological change

year students. My research interests

and the development of liability for fault

are interdisciplinary and span law,

in France”.

languages and literature and this year I have also been an undergraduate

I am currently completing a

and PhD supervisor with the English

four‐language dictionary of legal

Faculty.

terminology, which is a fascinating

Dr Fiona Walter’s recent academic

comparative law exercise and am in

work has concentrated on the early

| Page 17

diagnosis of cancer and she has

diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in

gained funding from Cancer Research

children: a systematic review. BMJ 2011;

UK’s National Awareness and Early

343:d4092.

Goodbye to

Diagnosis Initiative for an interview study, set between Cambridge

Crockett R, Sutton S, Walter FM, Clinch

and Edinburgh, titled ‘Why do

M, Marteau TM, Benson J. Impact on

some patients present with thicker

decisions to start or continue medicines

melanomas? A qualitative exploration

of providing information to patients

of patients’ symptom detection, help‐

about possible individual benefits and/or

seeking decisions, and experiences of

harms: A systematic review and meta‐

the pathways to diagnosis.’

analysis. Medical Decision Making. 2011 e‐print

This year she’s been invited to present her work nationally in Bristol, Durham

Kadri SR, Lao‐Sirieix P, O’Donovan M,

and London, and internationally at the

Debiram I, Das M, Blazeby JM, Emery

University of Aarhus, Denmark. She

J, Boussioutas A, Morris H, Walter FM,

Dr Mirca Madianou, who has been

also continues to work closely with

Pharoah P, Hardwick RH, Fitzgerald

Fellow and College Lecturer in SPS since

colleagues at the University of Western

RC. Acceptability and accuracy of non‐

October 2004, has just been appointed

Australia and had another successful

endoscopic screening test for Barrett’s

to a Senior Lectureship at the University

trip there in February spending several

oesophagus in primary care: cohort

of Leicester and will be leaving the

weeks analysing two early cancer

study. BMJ 2010; 341:c4372.

College at the end of September 2011.

diagnosis studies. Fiona has also led the development of a Diploma in Primary Care Research which has been piloted from October 2010, and is delighted that the General Board and the Board of Graduate Studies have recently approved a recommendation from the Degree Committee for the Faculties of Clinical Medicine and Veterinary Medicine that this becomes an MPhil. in Clinical Dr Kate Mitchell was appointed

Science (Primary Care Research) from 1

Sutasoma Research Fellow in October

October 2011. Dr Lorna Williamson was appointed

2008 for three years, Kate specializes

Recent publications include: Walter

Medical and Research Director for NHS

in nineteenth‐century Italian women’s

FM, Scott SE, Webster A, Emery JD. The

Blood Transfusion and Transplantation

historiography, women in the public

Andersen Model of Total Patient Delay:

from 1 October 2007 and since then,

sphere in early post‐unification Italy

a systematic review of its application

through pressure of work, has not been

(as actors, singers, artists, novelists,

in cancer diagnosis. Journal of Health

able to be as active a member of the

journalists, essayists), Italian feminism

Services Research & Policy. 2011.

College Governing Body as she would

and nineteenth‐century Italian opera,

wish. She has recently been elected a

theatre and early cinema, with a

Fellow‐Commoner.

particular focus on the figure of the diva

Usher‐Smith JA, Thompson M, Sharp S, Walter FM. Factors influencing the

and female spectators. In December

presence of diabetic ketoacidosis at

2010 she was awarded a Lectureship in Italian at the University of Strathclyde.

| Page 18

Oxford Dictionaries, Australia. Sarah will be leaving us in December 2011 to take up this post.

Visiting Fellows and Scholars Professor Susan Phillips, Director and

New Research Fellows

Professor of the School of Public Policy

The following appointments have been

in Canada, was a Visiting Fellow here

made with effect from 1 October 2011:

and at the Centre for Charitable Giving

and Administration, Carleton University

and Philanthropy at the Cass Business Dr Vera Weisbecker was appointed Greenwood Bidder Research Fellow in January 2010 and works on palaeontology and comparative anatomy. In March 2011 Vera took up a post in Germany, but subsequent to this we are delighted to report that Vera has been appointed a Lecturer at the

Non‐stipendiary Greenwood Bidder

School, City University, London for

Research Fellowship.

the academic year to undertake comparative research on women in

Ms Alice Denton is working on the role

leadership in the third sector.

of FAP+ cells in tissue regeneration in the immunology research laboratory of

The Hon Dr Jocelynne Scutt, Australian

Professor Douglas Fearon.

feminist barrister & human rights lawyer, writer and film maker, was

Sutasoma Research Fellowship.

University of Queensland. She will take

Ms Tiffany Bergin is a criminologist and

up her post in November 2011.

will be looking at how to ensure that the criminal justice system can continue to operate efficiently and fairly despite dramatic spending reductions. Isaac Newton ‐ Dorothy Emmet Research Fellowship. Dr Emanuela Orlando will look at the

a Visiting Fellow at Lucy Cavendish College for the calendar year from October 2010, while she undertook research on women as leaders in anti‐ war movements. Professor Phillips and The Hon Dr Jocelynne Scutt were the co‐organisers of a conference on “Creative Leadership in Difficult Times: A Conversation on Women Making Change” which was

role of the European Union in enhancing compliance by private companies with human rights and environmental standards when engaging in business Dr Sarah Ogilvie was appointed Alice

activities that directly or indirectly affect

Tong Sze Research Fellow in October

developing countries.

2009 working on the preservation of dying languages. She has been a

Henslow Research Fellowship.

lively contributor to College life and organised a centenary celebration

With support from the Philosophical

of the lives of Mai Mai Sze and Irene

Society, the College has appointed a

Sharaff in the Lent Term 2011. Sarah has

Henslow Fellow in mathematics, Dr

recently been appointed Director of the

Stephanie Jaquot, whose specialist field

Australian National Dictionary Centre

is probability at the Statistical Research

at the Australian National University

Laboratory. She was selected for the

(ANU) in Canberra, Australia. Her role

Cambridge University Women’s Blue

includes being Reader in the Linguistics

Boat and rowed against Oxford in the

Department at ANU and Chief Editor of

Boat Race in 2008.

Professor Philips welcoming delegates to the conference

| Page 19

held at Lucy Cavendish College, on 16 June 2011 (see article on page 8)

Emeritus Fellows

Dr Maria Elena Placencia, Reader in Spanish Linguistics at Birkbeck College,was offered a Visiting Fellowship for the Easter Term and summer of 2011 while undertaking a contrastive study between Quinto and Spanish. Dr Setsuko Wake-Naota is an Associate Professor in English at Kobe College for women in Western Japan and was here as a Visiting Fellow for a calendar year from August 2010, to undertake research on British Romanticism. Professor Lisa Zurk, Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Portland State University, Oregon, USA, was

Emeritus Fellows with Dr Jane Renfrew meeting the Chancellor in the library, during his visit to Lucy Cavendish College on 24th March.

a Visiting Fellow for the Easter Term 2011 while working with Professor Lynn Gladden and Dr Mark Spivack on topics of both THz imaging and underwater

We were delighted to celebrate the 80th birthdays of two of our distinguished Emeritus Fellows this year.

acoustic sensing. Ms Louise Söllner, was an MPhil student at Lucy and is now working towards a PhD in Munich. She was offered a Visiting Scholarship for the Lent Term 2011 to undertake research on “The nostalgic camera: Photography and self-performance in Cuban American Literature and Visual Art”.

| Page 20

On 9th February Betty Tucker and her

On 1st June, Natasha Squire and her

guests joined us at Governing Body

guests joined us, and Natasha regaled

supper, and Betty entertained us with

us with anecdotes from the early days

stories of her career in biological science

of Lucy Cavendish when she was Senior

in Cambridge.

Tutor.

Report on the Library Catherine Reid, Librarian Dr Jane Renfrew, Fellow Librarian

The Library building passed the 10th

One of the areas to develop as a

anniversary of its opening in December

multifunctional space is the Library

2010. The occasion was marked very

Foyer. A start had been made by

quietly as over the past year the library

adding a new seating area with a hot

staff have been busy providing new

drinks machine, funded by donations,

and established library services to an

proceeds of book sales and by the

increasing number of Lucy Cavendish

Joan Simms bequest to the Library. In

students.

addition to reference books, magazines and library catalogue computers, the

During the last year, more than 700

Foyer now offers a space for group

new items have been added to the

working and relaxation. It is also used

collection and the annual book loans

for exhibitions and book sales.

continue to increase. The Library study spaces have also been in demand, to

The Kwi Ok Yeu room at the top of the

such an extent that a “hot desk” system

Library provides an area for informal

was introduced during the Easter

study and taking a break. In addition

term to allow students to find a space

to its sitting area, this room contains

The Librarian has continued to be

to study for exams. At the beginning

the Scribbling Women collection, an

involved with the ebooks@cambridge

of the last academic year the new

expanding donated collection of novels

project which is a collaborative venture

Heritage Online library catalogue was

by women which can be borrowed on

between College, Department and

launched to enable students to search

an informal basis by all members of

Faculty libraries and the University

the library holdings and check their

College.

Library. Students benefit from having access to nearly 2000 electronic books

reader account via the internet. Online renewals have also been introduced so

The Library has welcomed a number

provided by this project. The Librarian

that borrowers can check and renew

of visitors over the past year, and

has been involved in providing ebooks

their loans via the online catalogue.

continues to promote its collections

training courses for Cambridge library

The library staff have been looking

through a number of exhibitions. The

staff and gave a presentation with a

into new methods for communicating

Cambridge Library Group held its

colleague on the ebooks@cambridge

with members of College and have

annual Garden Party at Lucy Cavendish

project at the libraries@cambridge

introduced a College Library news and

College last summer and was given

conference in January 2011.

information service via the CamTools

a tour of the library as part of the

virtual learning environment.

evening’s events, which included

The Fellow Librarian is very grateful to

an exhibition of the first College

Catherine Reid, Librarian, Joan Harris,

The Library Sub‐committee is currently

President’s children’s books from the

Assistant Librarian and Gill Saxon,

investigating how space should best be

rare books collection.

Library Assistant for all their hard work over the past year meeting the needs of

used to meet student needs, as library services and the technology used to

On the 24 March 2011, the University

our students and creating a welcoming

provide them continue to change.

Chancellor, Prince Philip, came to the

atmosphere in the Library. We are

The Library aims to meet a range of

Library during his visit to the College

all looking forward to seeing familiar

needs for students, Fellows, staff and

and was able to view an exhibition of

and new visitors to the Library in the

conference guests.

books by College Fellows.

coming year.

| Page 21

Report from the Archivist Karen Davies

Accessions

weekend, organised by the University Office of External Affairs and

Over the last twelve months the Archive

Communications, on 10 and 11

has received three significant deposits

September. Open Cambridge is a

of personal papers. The first belonged to

weekend of tours, talks and open

Elaine Denby, the architect of Oldham

access in which University and College

Hall. Donated by Liz Sutherland, first

buildings and collections go on show for

cousin of Elaine Denby, they include

families, local residents and community

records relating to Oldham Hall and a

groups.

commission in April 1985 to consider possible building projects to service

In the previous two years the College

the planned expansion of the College.

Library has offered guided tours of the

Lewis Braithwaite, son of Margaret

Library and the opportunity to view an

Braithwaite, presented the College

exhibition in the Library Foyer featuring

with the Papers of the Cambridge

items held in the Archive. In 2009 we

Language Research Unit (CLRU) which

featured the life of Anna McLean Bidder,

was established in the late‐1950s based

and in 2010, to commemorate the

on Margaret Braithwaite’s idea that the

centenary of her birth, we chose Joyce

development of computers would soon

Grenfell. This year, in addition to a tour

make automatic translation a feasible

of the Library and an exhibition on the

goal.

College’s foundation and progression to

Joyce Grenfell’s dress

receiving its Charter, we included a tour Margaret was the first Principal

of the Presidents’ Portraits in Warburton

Investigator and later Director of the

Hall.

Unit. The papers include research

The first featured Joyce Grenfell’s career as an entertainer and accompanied

reports and some administrative records

Participation in Open Cambridge is a

the display of one of her stage dresses

and illustrate her significant contribution

rewarding experience: visitor feedback

made to the CLRU.

has been positive and it provides a

on temporary loan to the College from

unique opportunity to raise the profile

Lady Susan Hussey. The exhibition also

Finally, the Archive received further

of the College and bring an awareness of

included some material relating to the

papers belonging to Joyce Grenfell

the holdings of our Archive and Library

life and career of Victor Stiebel.

to add to its existing Joyce Grenfell

to members of the University and to the

collections. Donated by Lady Susan

general public.

Hussey, niece of Joyce Grenfell (by marriage), they include photograph

Exhibitions

The second event, held on 17 March 2011, was part of a tribute dinner in honour of Mai Mai Sze and Irene Sharaff and featured the life and career of

albums, correspondence, monologue There have also been opportunities

the two women and their generous

to showcase the archive collections in

benefaction to the College which funded

Open Cambridge For the third year

small‐scale exhibitions to support two

the Alice Tong Sze and Lu Gwei‐Djen

in succession the College will be

special events in the College during the

Research Fellowships, and the building

participating in the Open Cambridge

Lent Term.

of the Music and Meditation Pavilion.

scripts, journals and recordings.

| Page 22

Report from the Curator Mrs Sarah Gull

The year began with a dramatic change

We were delighted to accept a loan from

for the portraits, which were moved

Lady Susan Hussey of a ball gown worn

downstairs to the Dining Hall. Lighting

by Joyce Grenfell, who was appointed

has since been installed overhead to

as first honorary fellow by the Lucy

great effect with the help of Jonathan

Cavendish Collegiate Society in 1968.

Miles from Trumpington Galleries.

The dress, designed by Victor Steibel,

Existing portraits were joined by a

was one of six created for Joyce Grenfell

splendid newcomer at a ceremony on

Requests the Pleasure, which opened in

the 21 October 2011 when the portrait

Cambridge in the spring of 1954. The

of Professor Janet Todd by Geoffrey

10th February 2011 marked Grenfell’s

Humphries was unveiled. The artist was

101st birthday, and was celebrated at

present for the occasion.

the college’s “Silver Dinner” in high style with the dress on display together with

The Warburton Hall lobby space was

several pieces from the College silver

filled during Michaelmas term with

collection. There are plans to display

a temporary exhibition from alumna

That evening we were also treated

more of the silver collection at Formal

Frederike Asael of her photographs

to an excellent introduction to Royal

Halls in the next academic year.

Portraiture by Jennifer Scott, Assistant

taken in Ethiopia.

Curator of the Royal Collection. The Easter Term ended with another Arts and Crafts Exhibition, which worked well in the Library‐ a big thank you to all those who contributed.

| Page 23

Report on the Gardens Vince Lucas, Head Gardener Dr Jane Renfrew, Garden Steward

Weather‐wise this past academic year

injection of colour, particularly the Music

A few flowers appeared on the tulip

has been particularly challenging in

Pavilion end and the efforts are bearing

tree on College House lawn this year,

the garden. We had the lowest winter

fruit.

something not often seen. Elsewhere

temperature in Cambridge for twenty

the overhanging trees were trimmed

years (‐10.6oc) with an average

Some of the crocus in the wild flower

along the drive, this was carried out

temperature for December of 2.6oc,

area near College House didn’t open

very efficiently by the tree surgeon Mr

and then a very wet January. This

properly this spring but the snake’s head

Richardson. He also removed a horse

was followed by a period of drought;

fritillaries put on a very good show along with the ox‐eye daisies later on. Tulips

chestnut in the garden of Marshall

the most severe in this area for 163 years, average rainfall for March/April

across the College also looked stunning

was 4.7mm. Considering the harsh

this spring particularly in the newly

conditions there were very few losses in

planted area to the front of College

the garden. One or two hebes suffered

House. Elsewhere the dahlias that were

and the large phormium to the west side

planted in the railings bed at the front

On Sunday 1 May, the College once

of Barrmore collapsed due to the cold in

of Oldham Hall were eye‐catching and

again opened the garden to the public

common with others locally and never

brightened this area up. Alison Lucas

under the National Garden Scheme.

fully recovered. This has been replaced

once again worked her magic on the

More than sixty people attended raising

with a recently introduced variety of

various pots around the College. The

£186.00 for charity. The fine, dry, sunny

Photinia which has a pink tinge to the

pelargoniums used this year were all raised by the gardeners on site from

weather must have helped as quite a few

leaves, ‘Pink Marble’.

cuttings taken last autumn. Two areas of the garden which are progressing well are the bed under the

The two beds at the front of the Porter’s

Mulberry tree to the south of Warburton

Lodge have been altered. Some of the

Hall and the long border between

roses initially used as ground cover have

Barrmore and College House lawn. The

been removed and a tall grass moved

Mulberry bed was a carpet of colour

to improve views from the Lodge. The

this spring, due predominantly to the

plants added, such as helianthemum,

primulas which are seeding and starting

salvia, eryngium and perovskia, are

to cover the bed well. Work in the long

drought tolerant. They should be better

border has been ongoing for the past

able to cope with the dry conditions in

year or so, give it definition and an

these beds.

| Page 24

House which was in a congested area and was casting deep shade. Permission is being sought to remove a dying yew at the front of College House.

visitors lingered for over two hours. The bird feeders and boxes continue to be well used and there are plans to build a natural wildlife pond. It should be a major attraction for birds and insects and considerably enhance the garden. The Garden Steward would like to thank Vince, Alison and Ros for all their hard work, and special thanks to Ros for holding the fort whilst the others were away in early Spring.

George Perry Memorial Garden

This year Baroness Perry, the fifth

After levelling, the area was paved and

The scheme has improved this area

President of the College, generously

a circular memorial plaque was placed

aesthetically and brought into use a

financed the reâ&#x20AC;?development of an area

in the centre. Two wooden Lutyens

previously undeveloped area.Since its

at the front of College House.

benches were purchased and securely

inauguration, the memorial garden

fixed in position. Planting was then

has provided continued interest to the

On a cold and snowy 1 December 2010,

carried out with shrubs and ground

College community, through its careful

Lady Perry opened the George Perry

cover plants suited to the dry and semiâ&#x20AC;?

planting, and has given members of

memorial garden in memory of her

shaded conditions.

the College and visitors a new space for

husband and his support of her work

informal gatherings.

whilst she was President of the College (1994â&#x20AC;?2001).

| Page 25

Report from the Bursar Mrs Lesley Thompson

During this year we have therefore

changing needs’. The needs and

invested in a new integrated IT

context around us are constantly

administration system for the College

shifting. The next few years will be

which is in the process of being

particularly critical as we see the impact

installed. Once fully implemented,

of the simultaneous introduction of

the new system should provide better

an Undergraduate Fee of £9,000 from

access to information and increase

2012‐13 and the substantial reduction

overall efficiency in a range of areas.

in the grant from the government for

Every year we carry out a programme

University teaching.

of maintenance and refurbishment in College properties and we know that

We will certainly need to manage

accommodation is an area of major

and develop our resources with the

interest for our students.

appropriate flexibility and vision to take the College forward and, to this end we

As a newer college with a modest

This year we have begun to review

are currently developing our revised

endowment we always face an

our overall estates strategy and have

strategic plan for the period up to our

imperative to manage our resources

commissioned a feasibility study to

50th anniversary year in 2015. In doing

as effectively as we can. Although, in

review options for further development.

so we are seeking to ensure both that

common with many other Cambridge

Currently we only manage to house

the College is well‐placed to navigate

colleges, our annual costs, after

about a third of our students on site

the challenging times immediately

accounting for depreciation, still

whilst the remainder live in houses

ahead and also that strong foundations

generally exceed our income, the

elsewhere (some owned and some

are laid for the next phase of the

underlying trend has improved as

rented by the College).

College’s development.

over the last few years the College has taken some hard decisions with a view

We would like to be able to offer

to producing efficiencies and making

more students the opportunity of

savings.

accommodation on site or at least very close to the College. Also, as a

We are continuing to review and

college for mature women, we would

improve systems and processes to

ideally like to be able to provide some

ensure that we are doing things in the

accommodation and facilities suitable

most cost effective way but we are

for families. However, we are keen to

clear that quality also matters. We

ensure that any future development

need to invest to maintain, adapt and

on site will not detract from the lovely

develop our infrastructure –in terms of

environment provided currently by our

people, services and estates ‐ so that

gardens.

we can provide the best environment and support for our students. This is

In her foreword to Kate Bertram’s Lucy

particularly challenging and all the

Cavendish College. A history of the early

more necessary as the College has

years, Anne Warburton wrote ‘We can be

grown dramatically with a rise of 50% in

confident that the College will continue

student numbers over the last five years.

to show the flexibility and vision to meet

| Page 26

Report from the Domestic Bursar Mrs Christine Houghton

I have been assisted by Anne Barham

goodbye. Anne is going to look after her

who has helped to run the department

five nephews and we wish her all the

with great skill and organisation,

best.

dealing with myriad queries every day about maintenance issues (a huge

We are extremely lucky to have three

job with our growing accommodation

other people leading teams within our

stock), accommodation and

department.

conference bookings. She has been Christine Houghton with Professor Todd

the communication hub making sure all departments know exactly what is

The Domestic Bursary continues to

going on. She has been a vital â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;right

expand in all areas: accommodation,

handâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for me enabling me to plan and

catering and conferences.

develop ideas for the future growth of the department.

After Graduation in June, which is always a proud moment, we move straight

Anne took six months off for family

into our conference season. The income

reasons and during that time Terri

from external events and conferences

Pattison arrived to take over. Terri has

has become increasingly important and

used her particular skills in marketing

is a crucial income stream, with profits

and as a professional photographer to

going straight to providing facilities for

develop certain areas.

Martin James

Martin James heads our Catering team with Michael, Naomi, Oonagh and Tim

the College. Summer 2010 proved to be busy despite the early signs not looking

Terri fitted into College life very quickly

and help from other partâ&#x20AC;?time staff.

too good.

and has done an excellent job in

They are always looking at adding new

updating conference booking forms

and innovative meals to their repertoire

With business changing we have had

and conference information sheets

and use local produce as much as

to look for new clients, and adapt to

especially for our website, and she

possible. They provide excellent food

different ways of booking. Lead times

has taken some super photographs

for College lunches and suppers, and

for confirmation are now shorter and

to illustrate the lovely facilities we

Formal Hall has been fully booked

budgets very tight. The team have risen

have. Terri is with us until December

almost every Thursday.

to all of these challenges and we had an

to develop the new accommodation

excellent summer conference season.

and event booking system which

This year we added an extra supper on

links in with the new accounting

Monday evenings in term and this has

system Kate Newman is project

proved very popular. As well as everyday

managing in the Bursary. This should

meals, the team cater for special

make accommodation and event

lunches and dinners, celebratory events

management more efficient.

and, from beginning of July to the end of September, provide full catering

In July, after eight years of work at the

for conferences and events. The many

College, Anne Barham left and it was

compliments and repeat business is a

with great sadness that we said

testimony to excellent food in College.

Anne Barham

| Page 27

John Heslop helps maintain our buildings and carries out repairs, decorating and generally dealing with day to day maintenance of which there are many jobs. John carries out all these jobs with cheerfulness and skill. As well as conferences during the summer we carry out refurbishment projects and in 2010 we provided new curtains, beds and carpets in some Pauline Walker

accommodation, redecorated and carried out repairs in others, including

Graham Reader

Pauline Walker (Housekeeper) and

creating a new kitchen and bathroom

Agnes Giangrande (Deputy) lead a very

in our flat at Chesterton Road. We also

busy department which becomes even

put in a new kitchen in Strathaird. We

busier in the summer when they provide

continue to plan refurbishment to make

a hotel service for many guests, summer

sure all of our buildings are safe and in

schools, conferences and a new venture

good working order.

for us ‐ our guest booking service via Graham Reader joined the team in March as Hall Manager and brings with him a wealth of experience. With a sound training in all areas of catering & hospitality, Graham has spent over thirty years in commercial and event management for Rank Hotels, The Ritz and the Royal Opera House and has spent the past 5 years at Corpus Christi & Queens Colleges. Graham now enjoys an eclectic mix of his varied Lucy Cavendish roles, ‘token’ semi retirement and a commercial ‘hobby’ as a Toastmaster for weddings and other events at a wide variety of venues throughout the Southeast of England.

University Rooms. This has proved very

It is great to be involved in another

lucrative, with individuals booking bed

‘era’ of College life. We have challenges

and breakfast rooms.

ahead and it is a delight to be part of that. With such good support from all

Pauline leads her team with great

departments we will continue to adapt,

organisation and the compliments she

looking at new and efficient methods

gets are testimony to her excellent

of doing things that will help us to grow

service on rooms and facilities in

and develop for the future.

College. At the end of the September it’s all change as Housekeeping get rooms ready for our students. As well as on‐site rooms, we have seven properties off site that we own and an additional seven that we lease. Another growth area within College and we are lucky to have such a good team dealing with their upkeep.

Events and Conferences at Lucy Cavendish College Remember Lucy Cavendish College when you have an event to celebrate or if you are organising a conference. The Domestic Bursar would be delighted to meet you and discuss any event or conference. Please contact: Christine Houghton on (01223) 332181 or email her on mch27@cam.ac.uk

| Page 28

Senior Porters Neil Curtis and John Morley are our

at Cambridge Airport, I was involved

Probably the most influential and

Senior Porters who lead a team of

in all aspects of airport security:

rewarding times were spent in the

Porters who ensure all College members

passenger searching, the operation

grain trade, as a farm trader, and with

and visitors get a great welcome to

of X‐ray equipment used for baggage

the Countryside Alliance, as a Regional

College. The Lodge is the first port of

screening, aircraft searching and we

Director; for a total of 25 years.

call for many visitors and is the first

were qualified to a higher standard than

impression they get of the College,

the security staff at Heathrow and other

At the sharp end of business I learnt

so to have a good team there is very

major airports because of the Ministry

much about personalities, character and

important.

of Defence work being carried out at

the aspirations of the people one came

Cambridge at the time. Before joining

upon. The skills learned from these

John Morley

Cambridge Airport, I was employed by

contacts enabled me to develop myself

Securicor Security Services for three

into a people person.

I am employed as one of two Senior

years.

Porters at Lucy Cavendish College, I find the role to be very rewarding...... no two days are the same in the lodge. My

Neil Curtis

Three years ago I was fortunate to secure a part‐time position in the Porters Lodge at Lucy Cavendish. The

colleague Neil Curtis and I would like to

position has developed and I am now

think that the Lodge is a friendly and

the Joint Senior Porter, sharing the

welcoming place for our students, staff,

responsibility of running the Lodge with

Fellows and visitors.

John Morley.

I have enjoyed refurbishing several

My background has come with me to

bicycles for college use and Neil and

Lucy Cavendish and I have been able

I have made several changes to the

to fulfil the role of Lodge Porter with

lodge, merchandise sales being just one

confidence and enthusiasm. The tasks

of them. We aim to continue improving

one undertakes are both many and

the service we provide in support of the college.

varied leading always to an interesting Neil Curtis

day, and the job satisfaction is in helping others and knowing that in our

Prior to coming to Lucy, I worked for twenty‐seven years as a Security Officer

My entire working life has been in customer service in one form or another.

own quiet way we do make a positive difference to College life.

Lucy Cavendish College Bicycles

In the summer, two bicycles were generously donated to the College. They have been refurbished and painted by John Morley, Senior Porter (pictured with one of the bikes). These bicycles are available for free short term loan and emergency use by Fellows, staff and students. Following the annual bicycle cull, John has been able to refurbish a further two bicycles.

| Page 29

Report from the Admissions Tutor Dr Maria Purves

Land Economy for the first time in 11, 3,

promoting Lucy Cavendish as an

and 4 years respectively.

enticing destination to add to their Study Abroad programs.

Recent college applications data has shown us that Lucy Cavendish

Recruitment

is an increasingly popular choice

Dr Maria Purves

for applicants. We had more direct

We have worked extra hard in 2010/11

applicants than two out of the three

on reaching out nationally and globally

other mature colleges and only slightly

to potential students. The International

fewer than our larger sister Murray

Office promoted Lucy Cavendish

Edwards.

at the Saudi Ministry of Education international Education Exhibition in

Lucy also had more direct applications

April.

This is my second year as Admissions

for Vet Medicine than any other

Tutor and we are in challenging times.

college bar one. Within the University

Allen Swales, Deputy Head of the

What the next academic year with its

Lucy Cavendish has much to be

International Office, distributed some

controversial fees increase will bring in

proud of. Cambridge is now coming

200 of our brochures at the event

terms of applications is uncertain, but

under huge pressure to offer more

and Catherine McKenzie from the

application numbers in 2010 remained

places to applicants with state school

Law Department (an ex‐ Fellow) was

at the same level as 2009: 251. We also

backgrounds, and we are one of only a

able to promote our Law strengths

interviewed some candidates from

tiny number of colleges who are more

to the attendees. In June I spoke at

the Pool whom we considered to be

than comfortably within the quota the

a promotional event for the Asian

exceptionally strong (Pool candidates

university is urging them to achieve.

University for Women with whom Lucy Cavendish has an association. Both of

are top‐tier applicants who have been squeezed out of other Colleges by high

We are continually strengthening

these events offered a great opportunity

applicant numbers).

and promoting our Visiting Student

to introduce the College to the wider

programme and this year we received

world as part of the discourse of the

At the final count we have 47 new

more applications than ever before.

necessity of continuing to promote

undergraduates starting in October,

Recent students have expressed a real

women’s education.

and 5 to whom we have offered for 2012

joy at the experience Lucy Cavendish

and so will be joining next year’s intake.

has given them in their one year here,

In Lent term I set up a College facebook

This fairly modest number reflects

and either plan to return for post‐

page to help attract attention to the

the College’s strategy in only taking

graduate work or express the desire not

College and it has received a huge

students of the greatest academic

to leave at all! In addition to applications

amount of traffic (on average 1000

potential. The largest numbers of

from individuals we have established

viewings of each daily post at the

students are in PPS, Veterinary

partnerships with liberal‐arts colleges

height of last term). Over the last two

Medicine, and Law, and at a time when

in the US who are working with us to

terms I have run four facebook advert

number in English are dropping sharply

send Junior Year liberal‐arts colleges in

campaigns (each ran for a week and

University‐wide, I am happy to say that

the US who are working with us to send

cost between £35 and £150) which have

we have 9 first year English students.

Junior Year Abroad students over each

according to the statistics reached

We also have first years starting in

year; and we are continually developing

five and a half million people. It’s a lot

Computer Science, Engineering and

relationships with other universities

cheaper than brochures! It is interesting

| Page 30

to see “likes” from women in countries

women (“Calendar Girls” for example)

University’s Mature Student Summer

as diverse as Vietnam, Brazil, Pakistan,

we have also run adverts in their

School which takes place at Lucy

Egypt, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia,

programmes, and those of the Corn

Cavendish every year ‐ have all been

Japan, Netherlands – in short, Lucy

Exchange.

very successful this year. For the

Cavendish has followers everywhere (as well as in the UK of course!). Please visit the page and like it: it is a very good way of keeping up to date with College events, news, and achievements. The criticism always levelled at facebook advertising is that not everybody is on facebook: and of course we still have good old‐fashioned publicity materials. The new‐look (handbag‐sized!) college brochures have been a boon to Admissions advertising and recruitment. As usual, they have been sent out to FE colleges all over the UK to encourage A level tutors and Access Course leaders to send their highest‐achieving women

Open Day in July we had over 60 Visits I had some enjoyable and productive visits to schools and colleges this year. At West Suffolk College I spent a day sitting in on Access Course teaching, and consequently talking to the staff about how effective Access courses are in preparing students for Cambridge. One interesting result to come out of this so far is that the heads of Access at West Suffolk are initiating an Access to Law course with the full support of The Cambridge Access Validating Agency (CAVA) (which validates Access to Higher Education Diploma courses). With the idea in mind that this course

students to us.

could potentially open up a local source

In addition the Cambridge Admissions

Studies in Law Dr Anat Scolnicov will

Office had some excellent promotional

be giving WSC advice on putting the

films for mature students made,

course together.

which were shot at Lucy Cavendish during the Mature Students Summer School. These are getting a lot of hits on YouTube, and feature on the University website and on the Lucy Cavendish website. Amongst them is a one‐minute promo of myself talking with great enthusiasm about mature students at Cambridge, which is difficult for me to watch, but is hopefully being viewed by potential

of Law applicants, our Director of

In March I spoke at the St Marylebone Church of England School for Girls about applying to Cambridge after a break. The talk was very well received and the students were enthused by the idea of applying as a mature student

was uniformly enthusiastic, with the College described as “incredible”, “civilized, friendly” and “exceptional”. The event was “run brilliantly” and the staff “seemed to love their work”. Open Days are still the best way to promote the College and when we have high numbers of applicants as we did in July we can really feel as though we are making an impact. On a personal note, I have felt much more at home in my roles as Admissions Tutor, Fellow, and supervisor in English this year. In Easter term I was acting tutor, which gave me an opportunity to get to know some of our students a little better. Within the wider University I am chair of the Mature Students Working Group and a member of the working group on administering the new National Scholarship Programme. It’s been a good year for my personal research (see Fellows News) and after an almost‐ relaxing summer I am very much looking forward to the new academic year.

to Cambridge, with the bonus of an application/CV strengthened by work experience and some money saved to put towards the fees. I am taking this

Lucy Cavendish students!

talk to other schools in Michaelmas.

As the Arts Theatre has been running

Our Taster Day in November, and Open

several productions aimed at 30+

applicants. Feedback from the guests

days and afternoons ‐ as well as the

| Page 31

Report from the Senior Tutor Dr Stephanie Ellington

but will not be listed because, since she

A number of our undergraduates gained

already has a Cambridge BA, she is a

awards to enable them to undertake

student ‘not for honours’)

research projects during the Research Period (formerly known as the Long

The medical and veterinary results for

Vacation). Ruta Sakalaukaite was

this year were the best since I have

awarded a grant from the Hanna and

been in the College and probably the

Torkel Weis‐Fogh fund to support her

best in the history of the College. ALL

research into adaptation in the Locust

pre‐clinical medics and vets passed all

neural system and Lily Huang was

their 2nd MB examinations at the first

awarded the Eisenthal prize when

attempt and all the clinical medics and

her application for a grant from the

all but one of the clinical vets passed

Biochemical Society for her summer

all their MB examinations at the first

research project was ranked top of all

attempt. Furthermore two thirds of the

applications.

I have now completed almost two full

standard course medics reached 1st

years as Senior Tutor and so pause to

class honours standard (see above).

reflect on the last academic year and to the future.

Scholarships, grants and awards

Academic achievements

A number of our students have gained

think about our hopes and concerns for

There were some very encouraging

scholarships, awards or grants over the course of the year including:

University examinations results in this year; with the following students

Rachel Reetzke, who spent one year as

gaining 1st class honours:

a visiting student to the College reading linguistics, has been awarded a Fulbright

Ewelina Kjakowska (LLM)

scholarship to continue with her studies

Florence Hazrat (Part 2 English)

of autistic children in China for a year

Katherina Kehl (Part 2 Social and

after which, hopefully, she will return

Political Sciences)

to complete a PhD at Lucy Cavendish

Katherine Hodgson (Part 2A Linguistics)

College.

Isobel Cohen (Part 1 English) Nicola Jecks (Part 1B Medical and

Florence Hazrat has been awarded

Veterinary Sciences)

a CHESS award to fund her for MPhil

*Hsi‐Ping Chi (Part 1A Medical and

studies during the academic year

Veterinary Sciences)

2011‐12.

Yujun Qiao (Part 1A Mathematics) You Zhou (Part 1A Engineering) Anqi Ye (Part 1 Economics) (* Hsi‐Ping gained 1st class marks

| Page 32

Carol Atack won the Members Classical Essay prize for her MPhil dissertation.

She will be spending the summer working with Dr Paul Digard looking at the role of Rab11‐family interacting proteins in influenza virus assembly and budding. Zara Hajioff also gained funding for her summer project with Kate Plaisted‐Grant looking at aspects of autism. Other students are distributed in various corners of the world working on projects for their final year dissertations. Many of our graduate students are coming to the end of their studies in Cambridge and should be completing MPhils or PhDs in the coming months. We wish them all the best with their future careers especially at times of such fiscal restraint.

Extra-curricular achievements Our students are also involved in many extra‐curricular activities ranging from playwriting to sporting events.

Tamara Micner has written a play

vacations because of the demands

College Prizes, June 2011

which was performed at the ADC

of seeing practice (EMS). Both our

Prizes for First Class results in Tripos: Madeleine Jšrgensen Prize Katharina Kehl – Part IIB Politics, Psychology & Sociology

and is now at the Edinburgh Fringe,

undergraduate and graduate numbers

Lucy Cavendish Ladies of Steel can

have been increasing over the past

be heard playing their steel pans at a

couple of years. Whilst the increased

range of events including the recent

numbers enhance the vibrancy and

College end of year barbeque.

diversity in the College they also greatly

Marie Lawrence Prize Hsi‐Ping Chi – Part IA Medical Sciences Isobel Cohen – Part I English Katherine Hodgson – Part IIA Linguistics Yujun Qiao – Part IA Mathematics Anqi Ye – Part I Economics You Zhou – Part IA Engineering Nicola Jecks – Part IB Medical Sciences

increase the demands on College The Lucy / Hughes Hall Boats continue

accommodation.

to do well with, for the first time, two boats rowing in the May bumps and

At present the majority of our graduate

the first boat moving up to the second

students live off‐site in a number of

division. The Lucy Netball team were

College–owned or rented houses. We

Gyll Moore Prize Florence Hazrat – Part II English

also thrilled to move up a division

are currently exploring possible options

during the year. The Lucy Meds and

for the provision of much more graduate

Kate Bertram Prize for First Class results in non‐Tripos exams Ewelina Kajkowska Lucy Strong

Vets Society, was founded this year by

accommodation and would also very

Erin Townsend and Rosie Amerikanou,

much like to be able to provide some

to bring together like‐minded people

family accommodation.

Simms Prize for best results in Education Mary Partridge John Butterfield Prize for Clinical Medicine Alice Barnes Berti Sapir Medical Prize for the best results in Clinical Stage Two (first part of Final MB) Naomi Wakefield Alumnae Association Prize for contribution to the Arts Tamara Micner Georgia Hume Annabelle Dixon Prize for the student who has made the most of her time at Lucy Cavendish Sian Pieterse The Emmeline Pankhurst Prize for contribution to College life Juliet Sharpe Myson College Exhibition for personal achievement Nina Adeyeye Dame Veronica Sutherland Prize for sporting blues Marta Costa – rowing Emma Figures – cross‐country running College Prize for sporting blues Lily Huang – ultimate frisbee Ariane Hanssum – womens volleyball

to promote interest in medicine and veterinary medicine through educational talks, trips and socials.

Finally On a more personal note, I continue to

Blues were awarded to the following

supervise all the first year medics and

during the course of the year to the

vets in Homeostasis (Physiology) and to

following: Marta Costa (Rowing),

Direct Studies for both the Pre‐clinical

Emma Figures (Cross Country Running),

medics and the Biological Natural

Ariene Hanssum (Women’s Volleyball),

Sciences students.

Lily Huang (Ultimate Frizbee).

The Future

I still lecture in the department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience (the former departments

The effects of the new undergraduate

of Anatomy and Physiology have

fees for home students are obviously

merged to form one large department

unknown but remain a considerable

spread across the two buildings) in both

concern to the College. My hope would

1B and part 2 in aspects of Reproductive

be that potential applicants can see the

Physiology and also to demonstrate in

value of a Cambridge education, and

histology practical classes.

of Lucy Cavendish College, and are not deterred from applying. I would also

I still hope to write a book on

love to be able to offer our students

Reproductive Physiology aiming to

more financial help when they do

bridge the gap between the A level

have hardship issues. I am particularly

syllabus and first and second year

concerned about our vet students,

university courses but sadly have found

many of whom are self‐funding and

little time to do it over the last two

have little time to earn during their

years!

Florence Staniforth Prize for excellence in creative writing Emma Stirling

| Page 33

Development Report Mrs Caroline Sier

mentors nationally for Arts & Business. I also regularly lecture on fundraising. I am very much looking forward to some of the initiatives coming to fruition that I have been planning with colleagues in the College in the first few months of being in post, and building on the opportunities that the College’s 50th anniversary in 2015 will provide for raising the profile of the College within the University, nationally and The previous Head of Development, Meryl Davies, left Lucy Cavendish

internationally, and engendering new support for the College and its students.

College in June 2010 and Caroline Sier

The previous Development Assistant,

started working at Lucy Cavendish

Kitty Blackwell, left Lucy Cavendish

College in mid January, 2011.

College in October 2011 and Sarah Jones started work at the beginning of

Caroline writes: I previously ran the

April 2011.

Helena Rubinstein, who is a PhD student in Social and Developmental Psychology at Lucy Cavendish, and previously a branding, public relations and marketing specialist, has been helping with College marketing and promotion. Helena’s past life as Worldwide Group Marketing Director

fundraising campaign that raised

for City Index/IFX and also leading

£5 million in two years for the

the Corporate Reputation Practice at

development of an education centre

Brunswick, an international corporate

at Kettle’s Yard House and Gallery,

and financial communications company,

University of Cambridge, which is

means that she has much to contribute

just around the corner from Lucy

to raising the profile of the College.

Cavendish.

In the past few months, a new College

I have been working in the arts,

video has been commissioned,

heritage and tourism for the last 20

consultants have been appointed to

years in the East of England, Wales,

develop a new website for the College

London and the South East.

Sarah is in the office on Mondays,

(with funding from an anonymous

Tuesdays and Thursdays. She was

donor), and new admissions literature

Formerly a senior manager at English

a student at Wolfson College and

has been produced, as well as the

Heritage and the National Trust, I am

previously Development Officer at the

very successful “Ten Facts about Lucy

a Certified Member of the Institute of

Perse School and Fundraising Manager

Cavendish College which will surprise

Fundraising and one of 8 fundraising

for Macmillan Cancer Support.

you” leaflet.

| Page 34

In the current climate when it is so

agency. Ed will be based in the

a priority for College fundraising. New

important that we raise the profile of

Development Office in College House

student support has recently been

Lucy Cavendish and we are able

and will support the entire College in

secured with a three year agreement

to attract high quality students,

communications (internal and external)

signed with Santander.

the Governing Body made the

and marketing, working particularly

decision to recruit the first part time

closely with the President on profile

At a time when the needs of our

Communications & Marketing Manager

raising. Ed is an alumnus of St John’s

students and the challenges of

for the College.

College where he studied Modern and

maintaining the College’s unique

Medieval Languages (French and Italian)

position in supporting mature women

and has fond memories of coming to

achieve their academic ambitions are

Lucy Cavendish for supervisions with

great, the generosity of donors has

Julie Dashwood in his first year.

been very much appreciated.

Mr Keith Maddocks, whose family have

Every gift, no matter what the size,

already been very generous benefactors

really does make a difference to Lucy

to the College, has agreed to advise us

Cavendish’s ability to transform

on the potential to develop the College,

women’s lives and work. Thank you!

has agreed to advise us on the potential to develop the site to create additional student accommodation to enable more Edward Mather was selected from

students to fully experience College life,

a very strong field of candidates for

rather than living off site. Mr Maddocks

the post of Communications and

has expanded his company premises

Marketing Manager, and will be

several times and will guide us through

starting work at Lucy Cavendish at

the process, as well as generously

the end of September. Ed comes to us

funding the Feasibility Study being

with a wealth of experience in website

carried out by Cambridge Architectural

editing, marketing and public relations.

Research.

He is currently working for the National Science, Technology, Engineering

Securing additional resources to ensure

and Mathematics (STEM) Centre at

that the new funding arrangements

the University of York. Previously he

for higher education do not dissuade

worked as Communications Manager

students of modest means from

for the National Literacy Trust and as

applying to the College, or prevent

an Account Executive at Epoch PR, an

them from continuing their education

international corporate public relations

once they have become a student, is

| Page 35

Feedback from the Frontline Helena Rubinstein

Part of telling the Lucy Cavendish story

The 3 main reasons for coming to study

took the time to participate. I

has meant finding out what our current

will come as no surprise: to continue

encourage students to take the time

and past students think and feel about

with education, for the intellectual

to do this each year as it as an ideal

the College. In the past we have done

challenge and to change career. But

opportunity to get your point of view

this on an ad‐hoc basis, but as the

the most interesting responses were in

across.

College seeks to increase its profile

answer to the question ‘Why did you

and become more professional, we

select Lucy Cavendish College? The top

One exciting development to emerge

have started to do this in a systematic

answer was ‘Lucy Cavendish provides

from the exercise was that there was

way. In 2010, we started the first Lucy

a supportive female environment’ and

wholehearted support for the idea that

Cavendish Student Survey. The aim was

not far behind was the response ‘To be

Lucy Cavendish College is a place that

not only to get feedback on the student

with like‐minded women’. In fact, 86%

transforms women’s lives and work. An

experience of LCC but also to find out

said that the college had either met or

example of how this is true came from

more about our students previous lives

exceeded their expectations. This is an

one student who commented “Lucy

and reasons for coming to the College.

outstanding response. As one student

Cavendish completely changes how

At the end of the academic year, a call

commented “I loved it. I didn’t expect to

you think, the way you live, where you

went out to all current and recently

meet such wonderful people ever in my

live and how you live. It is exhausting

graduated students to complete a short

life. The staff were all fantastic too, and

and challenging and your priorities are

on‐line questionnaire.

I used to hear other people on my course

altered”.

complaining about their colleges with something approaching smugness” The results were illuminating. Of the 122 students who responded, 22%

The information from this survey has

were over 40 years of age and before

been invaluable in helping us to identify

coming to the college 42% had been

areas that the college needs to build

working. The range of occupations

on and also to identify areas where we

was astonishing. There were ex‐

need to improve. The insights gained

policewomen, ex‐teachers, ex‐hotel

from this activity have been so useful

workers, ex‐financial analysts as well

that we have repeated the survey in

as full time mothers and students

2011 and the results should be available

who came direct from completing

in the Michaelmas term. Heartfelt

undergraduate degrees elsewhere.

thanks is extended to all those who

| Page 36

We have an inspirational story to tell and the phrase ’Transforming Women’s Lives and Work’ has been adopted as part of our new approach to promoting the College.

Telling our transformational story Twenty‐five alumnae and current students have been recorded for posterity

Many of you will be aware that we have

Alumnae and students talked abouwhat

surroundings and all the facilities that

been much more proactive of late with

they were doing before they came to

are available to people and mainly the

respect to promoting Lucy Cavendish

the College, what they havdone (or hope

atmosphere.....yeh really go for it’. The

to prospective students and donors. To

to do) subsequently and commented on

edited videos will be made available

do this we have been vocal about telling

how they felt they had been supported

on the new website from October 2011

how Lucy Cavendish has transformed

during their time at Lucy Cavendish.

but anniversary in 2015. Many thanks

the lives and work of many of the

to all those who participated. they are

women who have attended the college

As alumna, Helen Roberts said “It was

being retained in their entirety as part

since its inception. So, on 17 and 18

a hugely positive experience that have

of an oral history of the college being

March 2011, past and present students

built on for years and years. To anyone

developed for the College anniversary

gathered in the library to record their

considering coming here it is incredible

in 2015. Many thanks to all those who

views about the College on video.

place - the quality of the people and

participated.

Here is just one transformational story from recent graduate, Michelle Tucker

I have always had an interest in politics

slightly different position working on

and current affairs and these roles gave

governance issues for the organisation.

me great insight into how Government worked, as well as seeing the impact

There is much I can take from my

of Government policies had (good

time at Lucy Cavendish which will no

and bad) on how society operates

doubt put me in good stead for future

which further fuelled my passion

endeavours. My time as President

for the subjects I read at Cambridge

of Lucy Cavendish Student Union

(PPS) (Michelle has just achieved a 2.1

was a time of challenge, but also

degree.)

an opportunity to learn much. For example: from chairing meetings,

My long-time ambition and plan

budgeting, representing the student

“Before I started studying at Lucy

(before the financial downturn)

voice and honing my negotiating skills.

Cavendish I worked for 20 years in the

was to join the Metropolitan Police.

public sector; primarily as a Personal

Unfortunately, with public sector

I have also been appointed as a Board

Assistant and Events Organiser. My

recruitment at a standstill this

Member of a Housing Association

roles included working for Lord Falconer

may have to wait for a short while.

whilst at Lucy Cavendish, and I am sure

(at the Cabinet Office) and Baroness

However, I am lucky enough to be in

without the skills and knowledge I have

Dean and Sir Peter Dixon (at the

a position where I can go back to my

acquired in my time here, I would not

Housing Corporation).

previous employer, but will return to a

have been such a strong candidate”.

| Page 37

Student news What the diverse student body at Lucy Cavendish College has been achieving over the year

Juliet Sharpe

and a parent one phone call or text later.

one’s peers and I look forward to the

It definitely wasn’t easy attempting to

new SU.

hand in work and revise while trying to

Committee keeping that momentum.

help my son to do the same. The College

I also enjoyed working as a student

tutorial system was very instrumental

representative on the Cambridge

in helping to cope at the most crucial

University’s Court Of Discipline and

times.

the Faculty Board for Earth Sciences & Geography.

Probably most surprisingly, it was also the busy nature of college and

As Founding President of the Steel

university life actually helped me

Pan Society, the last year has been

through as there was no time to focus

phenomenal. The society manned a stall

too heavily on personal issues. I had

at its first Freshers’ Fair in Michaelmas

the opportunity to visit Egypt for

2010 and recruited many new members

my first summer vacation and look

for the new Cambridge University

at possibilities for my Geography

Steel Orchestra (CUSO). The orchestra

dissertation coming up this final year. I

first performed Christmas Carols at

also had a fantastic field trip to Mallorca

Formal Hall Receptions and moved on

during Easter break. I discovered the

to playing at several Garden Parties.

beautiful island’s fascinating human and

CUSO even made it through auditions

experience I have had at College.

physical Geography and climbed my

to perform at the Corpus Christi May

first Mountain! This summer, I will be

Ball and St John’s June Event which was

This second year has been the

travelling to the Sudan to complete my

amazing for its first year.

I came to Lucy Cavendish College in 2009 as an undergraduate on the Geographical Tripos course and although I am the only student at Lucy Cavendish on this course, it has made no difference to the extraordinary

most challenging yet, as family responsibilities have been increasingly hard ‐ there are some things with children and family that crop up with absolutely no warning ‐ so you just have to be on your toes and adapt as best you can. My son is studying AS‐levels this year and it has been challenging to try and play a strong parental role at his school and home from such a distance. As a single mother, there isn’t another person there to be part of a tag team, so it took determination to keep everything afloat. Imagine trying to be a student one moment and a parent one phone call or text later. It definitely wasn’t easy attempting to be a student one moment

| Page 38

dissertation research on its economic development. I spent a very fulfilling role as Student Union President over the last year as well as College Council Undergraduate Representative. It has been such a great character building and network strengthening experience which would be hard to put into words. Getting to know and work with Lucy Cavendish Fellows and Staff has helped me to understand how the college operates on different levels and I have made some good friends. It is a great feeling of

I wait with bated breath to see what

achievement to know one has made a

my final year at Lucy brings as a

difference to student life on behalf of

Cambassador!

Djihan Hasan

friendship to form between continuing

students. Finally, our esteemed tutors

and new students.

took much time out of their busy schedules to prepare the workshops to

The Graduate Union gave the new

make it a beneficial learning experience

graduate students other chances to

for all those who were lucky enough to

merge within the university’s social

attend.

circle, providing different settings

Isobel Cohen

where new graduates could feel further at ease in their latest environment by arranging a variety of events and Djihan was SU Graduate Representative and writes: This past year has been a lively and dynamic year for graduate students at Lucy Cavendish College, filled with many social happenings and academic activities, surrounding all its students with a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere. Throughout the past year many events were organised for the students by the Student Union, by the Graduate Union and by the graduate tutors. New graduates arrived in October and were received by a welcoming committee of college students and members of the SU. They were given every courtesy, and were provided with help and support to make settling in Cambridge as smooth and easy as possible. The SU organised activities throughout the year for all students and in some instances events specifically targeting graduate students. Games nights, where students could meet in an informal setting and enjoy a night in the common room with other students they might not have had the chance to meet previously, provided a welcoming, fun-filled and carefree atmosphere that allowed a bond of

outings where all Cambridge’s students were welcomed. The tutors arranged workshops for graduates, which allowed them to enhance their performance; as well as increase their awareness and improve their social and personal skills in their day-to-day lives. One of the workshops

Isobel Cohen, who has just finished

that stood out for me was on how to

English Tripos Part I, has had a busy

enhance presentation skills through

summer. Not only was she asked to

the power of tone, voice and speech.

be one of the student representative

Another example of a very successful

speakers at the Vice-Chancellor’s

workshop was how to obtain funding

annual Garden Party for distinguished

for various academic situations and

guests, but she is also taking a show to

positions.

Edinburgh as part of the International Festival Fringe.

I must express my gratitude to all those involved in welcoming the new

Isobel has written, directed and

graduate students to our valued college

performs Within Range; the score

and giving us – existing graduates – a

is by Oscar and BAFTA nominated

wholesome college experience for yet

composer, Jonny Pilcher, and Isobel

another year. The efforts put into the

is joined by internationally acclaimed

activities provided by the SU were not

performers from the opera ballet

undemanding; students took time from

companies at the Royal Opera House

their studies in order to carry them out.

and ENO, as well as Wayne McGregor’s Random. The Judith E.Wilson Studio

The GU events were carefully

in the English Faculty supported the

planned to give everyone a chance

production by donating three weeks of

to enjoy themselves and make new

rehearsal space.

acquaintances which will hopefully give comfort to many of our graduate

| Page 39

Nicky Jecks

I had three fine sons and a husband by

Medicine is an incredibly challenging

the tender age of 22. I worked as a carer

course, but it is also fascinating, and

for adults with learning disabilities, a

I am very fortunate to see things that

job which I loved, but after 6 years I

few people experience. I am eternally

felt ready for a new challenge. At the

grateful to the women who saw my

age of 27, having sadly separated from

potential and are enabling me to

my husband, I decided to address my

realise it.

fear of exams and attempt A Levels. In the back of my mind I did this with a view to applying to medical schools, but never in my wildest imaginings did it occur to me that my applications I have my matriculation picture hanging on my living room wall. Not to announce to guests that I am indeed a student of the University of Cambridge, or because I had a convenient bit of bare wall, but because every time I happen to glance up at the beatific faces of Professor Janet Todd, Dr Stephanie Ellington, Dr Orsola Rath Spivack and my fellow students beaming down on me I still feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and astonishment that I was given the opportunity to realise my potential at such an amazing institution. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it is a feeling that will ever diminish. And it is Lucy Cavendish College that has provided me and my family with this fantastic opportunity. I am often asked about my route to university, because like many women at Lucy Cavendish, it may be considered unconventional. In my case, I was very bright at school until disaster struck. Aged 13, I discovered boys and a general contempt for authority, and decided that education was not for me. I left school at the age of 16 with a handful of GCSEs. In part, I think my resistance to school was due to a fear of failure, and this was something I had to overcome before I could contemplate sitting any more exams.

| Page 40

would be successful. I promised myself that if I achieved good grades in my

Nicky has just completed her the second year of the MVST gaining 1st class results in both years.

Lucy Kitching

modules then I would apply, and despite

I spent a month in Barcelona at

delivering another wonderful son shortly

Christmas last year. Barcelona is

before my AS exams (unexpectedly

the capital city of Catalonia, an

alone at homeâ&#x20AC;Ś), I performed well and

autonomous region of North-western

gave serious thought to applying.

Spain. This was my second trip abroad to study Spanish since starting

I had intended to apply to the local

my course in Modern and Medieval

university, to minimise disruption

Languages at Cambridge in 2009; the

to my family, however to maximise

year before that I spent two weeks

my chances of selection I browsed

at a language school in Salamanca at

through some websites and chanced

Easter.

upon Cambridge University. When I discovered that there was a College for mature women, it was as if a light came on. I visited Lucy Cavendish College and knew that it would provide the perfect environment in which I could achieve my academic and personal potential. It was like some sort of utopia. Everyone was so warm, approachable and skilled. In Barcelona I shared an apartment The grounds were beautiful, the

with three other foreign students,

facilities well-equipped and the sun

Sarah from Belgium, Kevin from France

always shone. In short, I think I fell

and Elena from Germany. They all

a little in love. When I received my

spoke good Spanish but we inevitably

letter of acceptance it was the only

ended up speaking English when eating

time in my life that I have ever cried

together in the evening. I attended

with happiness. Now I have been here

Spanish language classes every day

for two years and I would like to think

until just after lunch and then the rest

that I have taken full advantages of the

of the day was mine!

amazing resources that have been made available to me.

The people of Barcelona speak Catalan and so I found that my usual language

Christina Eichstaedt

learning technique of wandering around and listening to other people’s conversations didn’t work this time. In Spanish, ‘Merry Christmas’ is ‘Feliz Navidad’, while in Catalan, it is ‘Bon Nadal’, which shows that Catalan is quite different and much more like French than Spanish. The Catalonians will speak Castillian (Peninsula Spanish) to foreigners quite happily but as this is not their main language, it did feel a little presumptuous to expect them

Christina is a second year Biological In February 2011, my supervisor, Dr

Anthropologist and her PhD deals with

benefit.

Mormina, and I received permits from

genetic adaptation of high altitude

the Argentinean Ministry of Health

populations in the Andes

As most visitors to Barcelona will know,

to conduct the study of high altitude

to speak a different language for my

it is a place where art and music are a big part of everyday life. I spent most days walking around photographing the beautiful buildings and visiting the art galleries. There was street theatre and music on every corner. I visited Park Güell and of course, La Sagrada Familia, the Catalonian architect Gaudi’s masterpiece. I was soon able to recognise his buildings and various statues that can be found dotted all

adaptation in the Argentinean Andes. beginning of April to conduct fieldword in San Antonio de los Cobres (3800m) in co-operation with the local hospital. From there we had the opportunity to extend the field work to Tolar Grande (3500m) and Olacapate (4090m), the highest village in Argentina. We took physiological measurements to assess

over the city.

the state of the heart and lungs, and

The thing that I will remember most

saliva samples for genetic analysis. As a

about Barcelona though is the music. There was live music to be found everywhere, Jazz trios, Cuban Salsa bands and Flamenco performances. The friends that I had made had been in Barcelona longer than me and so knew some of the best places to go, those little bars off the main squares that don’t look like anything on the outside but that are swinging on the inside!

Rachel Reetzke

The two of us met in Argentina at the

anthropometric measurements and control population, we chose the Wichi living around Embarcación at sea level and as an intermediate population we sampled indigenous people from Cachi (2280m). Overall, we obtained 184 samples which I will analyse regarding their genetic make-up taken together with the individual phenotypic information gathered.

When I was 13 years old, my grandmother suffered from a stroke that left her with a significant loss of speech ability. During her rehabilitation, I observed the vital role that outpatient speech-language pathologists play in the treatment of speech loss. Over the next six years, my family and I became frustrated spectators as we observed the complete deterioration of my grandmother’s speech. At the time,

| Page 41

I was unable to understand why, even

The children loved having a foreigner

language impairments in a bilingual

with numerous hours of therapy, this

participate in their daily group songs,

(British-Chinese) child on the autism

speech loss occurred. The enigma of

dances, and games. However, despite

spectrum.

my grandmotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s battle inspired me

the laughter that often filled the

to study Communication Disorders at

room when I tried to sing along with

Currently, I am making final

Western Kentucky University (WKU).

the children, the cultural exchange

preparations to move to Guangzhou,

of knowledge on autism was almost

China as a U.S Fulbright Student

Along with providing the impetus to

impossible due to the language barrier.

Research Fellow. Initially, I saw the

pursue a career in Speech-Language

Therefore, at the end of my experience,

Fulbright program as a paragon for

Pathology, my grandmother also

it was apparent that in order to break

promoting a mutual understanding of

instilled in me a love for different

down these communication barriers,

ASD between the United States and

cultures, languages, and traditions.

I would have to continue studying

China. My research will be focused

However, as I began studies at WKU,

Chinese intensively.

on assisting with the validation of

financial restrictions made immersion in

the Chinese Autism Diagnostic Scale

different cultures through study abroad

I received the Rotary Ambassadorial

(CADS). At the moment, there is no

seem unfathomable. This perspective

Scholarship in the Spring of 2009

autism diagnostic scale based on

changed during the summer of 2009,

and utilized this award to study at

Chinese language and culture, therefore

when I accumulated enough scholarship

the University of Cambridge during

the Chinese Autism Diagnostic Scale

support to become involved in the China

the 2010-2011 academic year. This

will be a vital tool for current and future

Field Studies Program. This opportunity

afforded me the opportunity to enhance

diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

included an independent research

my undergraduate coursework by

component paired with a month-long

taking classes through Cambridgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

After this year, I hope to return to the

intensive Chinese language study in

renowned Linguistics Department,

University of Cambridge to pursue an

Chengdu, China.

where I received more of a theoretical

M. Phil and a PhD in Applied Linguistics

perspective on my mainly clinical

under the guidance of Dr. Napoleon

I originally saw the China Field Studies

undergraduate experience at WKU.

Katsos. I believe continuing my studies

Program solely as an opportunity to

Additionally, my Director of Studies,

at the University of Cambridge will

further my international understanding

Dr. Theresa Biberauer, introduced me

provide the best opportunity to achieve

of autism. However, during my three

to Dr. Napoleon Katsos, who is a Senior

my goal of becoming an advocate,

weeks of observation and volunteer

Research Fellow in the Research Centre

professor, and researcher in the field

work at the Chengdu Autism Training

for English and Applied Linguistics

of ASD and Applied Linguistics. My

Center, I realized that knowing the

(RCEAL). During my final two terms at

grandmother has been gone for 4 years

Chinese language would be mandatory

Cambridge, I worked under Dr. Katsosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

now; however, each time I am abroad or

if I wanted to continue studying autism

supervision on a small project observing

planning my next research project, I can

in China.

the cross-linguistic manifestation of

feel her spirit alive in me.

| Page 42

Graduate research day, 4 May 2011 The papers were grouped by discipline.

paradoxical phenomenon of the

The first group, in medical and

‘democratic king’ in classical Athenian

psychological research, showed how

tragedy. Going last was tough, knowing

their work addresses health issues

that everyone was ready for supper in

that affect us all – obesity, cancer and

hall.

ageing. Crystal Mok showed the effects

Carol Atack (1st year PhD, Classics)

of obesity on macrophages; Ajoeb

Over supper, students and Fellows

Baridi (Wolfson) showed how originally

discussed the daily tribulations of

gender-specific research on breast

graduate life – balancing your work

cancer is being applied to prostate

with teaching commitments, getting

cancer, while Helena Rubinstein

the work/life balance right – always a

explored women’s attitude to the

concern of mature students with family

menopause.

responsibilities, and how to get through

writes: The annual graduate research

the dreaded review.

day in May provides an opportunity for

The papers on business, economics

the College’s research students (along

and law sparked lively discussions. Orla

I learned a great deal from participating

with colleagues from Wolfson) to

Lynskey (regulation of targeted internet

in this event and recommend it warmly.

present their work both to their peers

advertising), Wolfson’s Elaine Oon

Graduate students in every discipline

and to Fellows.

(understanding companies’ long-term

are under pressure to present their

resilience to financial crisis), and Gabriel

work at conferences, and this provides

It also is a great chance to catch up

Onagoruwa (whether ‘soft’ regulatory

a useful bridge between the comfort

with friends from other faculties and

regimes are better for developing

of the faculty research seminar and

disciplines, compare notes, and share

economies) drew out interesting

the challenging outside world of the

hopes and anxieties about the Easter

questions about globalisation versus

specialist conference. It’s easy to

Term review that looms large in the

local business cultures.

become isolated as a research student,

thoughts of PhD students at this time

and taking the time to interact with

of year. We made a good start on that

After a well-earned break we were ready

students from other disciplines can

over coffee before the presentation of

for the third panel, which combined

provide a useful reality check.

papers began.

hard science and research methodology. Margaret Wilson described the ethical

Speakers need to communicate an

difficulties of conducting randomised

interesting aspect of their research

trials of rehabilitation programmes,

within a 15-minute time-slot.

Mudrika Khandelwal described the

Making specialist work accessible to

crystalline properties of cellulose and

researchers from other disciplines is

their potential as a new material, and

tough, whether it means remembering

Zhenzhen Quan gene interactions in

to refer to English terms and

yeast.

translations, rather than ancient Greek (my challenge, as a Classicist)

Finally, arts and humanities. Carolin

or explaining both technical language

Vegvari explored the use of computer

Thanks to Dr Isobel Maddison and

and the beautiful but complex images

simulations for modelling the evolution

Dr Allison Curry for organising the

generated by their work (most of

of early human societies, while James

programme, and to Dr Ruth Jones, the

the scientists succeeded admirably

Westbrook (Wolfson) gave us a glimpse

Hon. Dr Jocelynne Scutt, Dr Allison

with this much harder task, making

of the musical life of 18th century

Curry and Dr Anna Abulafia for chairing

sophisticated use of PowerPoint).

London. I spoke on the

the panels.

| Page 43

Graduate Union

Framework that was unanimously

by Cecilia Aguilera, MPhil in Medieval

passed by Council, wrote a letter

History at Lucy Cavendish, and

Amina Mumtaz writes: I was the first

signed by 30 Colleges to the new Vice

included another Lucy Cavendish

Chancellor outlining our position on

student, Sophia Economides, the Ball’s

various post graduate issues, and

Sponsorship Officer. The Committee

increased overall activity of events

was assisted by Madeleine Kasson,

and social forums for the community

2010-2011 GU Events Director, who,

to strengthen relationships and bonds

like her co-officer Arabella Higgins,

this past year. It has been really quite

was a member of the College this

fantastic.

last academic year. No other College

Graduate Union Ball

enjoyed such representation in this

and ensuring projects and initiatives are organized and achieved.

Cecilia Aguilera writes: On Friday,

ever Lucy Cavendish student (from my knowledge!) to serve as Graduate Union President. In doing so, I took a year off my studies and fulfilled this sabbatical position. It is a full time role involving representing 13,000+ members, sitting on numerous university committees, managing the full GU Board of Directors,

event.

15 July 2011, the Graduate Union

We would especially like to thank the

This year we have had one of the

held its first annual Graduate Ball at

College for the support it showed for

most active years in the history of the

the Cambridge Union. Close to 400

the Ball ‑ from allowing us to sell tickets

Graduate Union (which has existed in

graduate students and their guests

after Formal Hall to helping us promote

one form or another since the early

attended this 1920s-themed event, and

the event on its Facebook page, we

1900s).

it was hailed as a major success. The

were overwhelmed and touched by

Ball was the brainchild of Amina Rai,

the enthusiasm. Lucy Cavendish has

We held the first ever GU Nobel

2010-2011 GU President and a graduate

provided the GU with outstanding

Laureate Lecture event with Professor

student in gender studies at Lucy

leaders this year, and we are confident

Amartya Sen, organized the first ever

Cavendish. The Graduate Union Ball

it will continue to produce such leaders

GU Ball, created a Strategic

Organising Committee was headed

in the years to come!

Celebrating the Queen’s Coronation in royal style On 2 June 2011, Rose Spear brought a group of friends from colleges across the University who had found inspiration in the theme for the Lucy Cavendish Scarlet Dinner: the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Donning attire fit for royalty, each of them was crowned for the evening. Celebrating with toasts to Her Majesty, the friends enjoyed the experience of an evening of fine dining at Lucy Cavendish College; the first time for several of them. The guests expressed their compliments to the fine selection of courses served during the meal. Sincere gratitude was extended towards Beverley Yorke and the Steward, Dr Jenny Koenig, who accommodated a special request for the group. All were in agreement that the evening was a truly memorable experience.

| Page 44

A year in the life of a boat club Orla Lynskyy

Christmas Head, a race organised by one

and W2 competed. W2 were unfortunate

of the town clubs. Victory was once again

not to earn blades. They bumped twice

ours when the Committee boat, dressed

and rowed the length of the course twice

as a Christmas tree with the cox calling

(having nothing to chase as the boats

for us to take him ‘Ho-ho-home’, and the

in front of them had ‘bumped out’).

W1, dressed as snowmen, both won their

May Bumps started well for W1 who

divisions.

bumped the first two days. However, a changed line up on the third day led

Lent term saw both of our boats going

to a nervy start and we were bumped

in search of the rowing mecca; ‘Blades’

by Clare College on the home straight.

in ‘Bumps’. ‘Bumps’ is four days of

Disappointed but determined, we rowed

Early mornings, training in the rain and

consecutive racing on the Cam, with

the length of the course of the next day,

snow, ‘working through the pain’ in races

crews starting in the same order as they

having nothing to chase but being chased

and 2km tests...it is hard to sell joining

finished in the previous year (there are

by Downing II. W1 therefore finished one

a Boat Club to novices. Fortunately

separate league tables for Lent and May

place up in the Second Division, which we

for Lucy Cavendish College Boat Club,

Bumps). Crews chase the boat in front of

finally broke into last year.

which is combined with Hughes Hall, the

them, aiming to catch (or bump) them

enthusiastic women who signed up this

before they are bumped from behind.

In short, a very successful year all around

year ignored these deterring factors by

When a crew bumps, it starts the next

for the Boat Club thanks to the energy

showing full commitment to the Boat

day of racing in front of the crew it

and commitment of its members and

Club’s training (and social!) programme.

caught. A crew earns ‘Blades’ (trophy

the support of College and its kind

W2 in the Emma Sprints

oars) by catching the crew it is chasing

benefactors (in particular, Dame Veronica

The first novice races of the year showed

each day (therefore moving up four

Sutherland and the Student’s Union).

that this enthusiasm pays off. The second

places in the tables). As the leagues are

The Boat Club will be hoping to repeat

boat (W2) came second in Emma Sprints

based on historical participation, Lucy

these successes once again next year. The

final (a 500m sprint in fancy dress) while

Cavendish’s W2 must compete in a race

Club is open to all students or fellows; no

the first boat (W1) lost in the semi-finals

to ‘get-on’ (earn its slot in Bumps!). 2011

previous rowing experience is required

to Jesus College but managed to win the

was a year of firsts for Lucy Cavendish

and you can row occasionally for fun or

prestigious ‘best costume’ award for their

in Lent Bumps; our W2 exceeded all

row frequently to compete. If you are

‘Where’s Wally’ outfits. In Clare Novice

expectation by easily overcoming the

interested get in contact with lucycav.

Regatta, W1 were narrowly defeated in

‘getting-on-race’ obstacle and therefore

women@cucbc.org

the quarter-finals by the jewel-encrusted

competing in Bumps and our W1 earned

Lady Margaret boat (St John’s). The W2

their blades. The Boat Club dinner at

reached the finals and came very close to

Hughes Hall provided a great opportunity

silverware, being beaten by Emmanuel

to celebrate!

in the end. For Fairbairns Cup the ladies armed with bin bags and tea (and some

The Club competed in the Women’s Head

mulled wine for post-race recovery

of the River in March (an international

purposes) were not daunted by the icy

race on the Thames) coming 191 out of

conditions finishing 9 out of 51 crews.

299 boats in a 4.25 mile slog; excellent

The Boat Club put an end to an incredibly

training for the final big challenge of the

successful first term by competing in

year, May Bumps. Once again both W1

Winning Lent Bumps W1 team

| Page 45

Alumnae News of the 16th and 17th century Ottoman poor and the feminization of poverty and consumerism in urban spaces in post-apartheid South Africa. Jan Ross (1976) is editing The Works of Thomas Traherne, published by Boydell & Brewer, an eight volume edition with a supplemental volume which will include Traherne’s notebooks. Each Barbara Wittman

volume is approximately 600 pages and notes and an introduction with

Barbara Wittman (1975) after several

critical matter (description of physical

research projects throughout Africa,

MSS, discussion of various scripts,

completed her PhD in Women’s

provenance, sources, dating, seventh-

History and teaches history of Africa at

century contexts, etc.)

University of Akron, Ohio. Flora Simons (1982) graduated at 54 Post-doctoral research projects with

and obtained articles at a substantial

colleagues at University of Akron include

law firm in the Isle of Man. After 3 years

an investigation of the gendered life

she was called to the Manx Bar and

course perspectives of older women

worked for 6 years for a small law office

settlers in Arkansas and North Dakota

in the north of the Island specializing in

between 1860 and 1920, and the

family law – an area of law eschewed

prevalence of hookworm disease in the

by the male lawyers. Upon retiring from

American South after the Civil War.

full time work, Flora took up a part time post as Legal Aid Officer employed by

In October 2010, Barbara joined a People

Ginny Davis

complete with textual emendations

the Isle of Man Government.

to People delegation of American

Ginny Davis, nee Sperryn (1984) continues to write and perform comedic one-woman shows on the subject of modern family life at venues ranging from local village halls to international Fringe Festivals. She took a step sideways in May 2011 to perform a “10 Questions” at the Brighton Festival Fringe, a psychological play which she co-wrote with Romanian/German playwright Ana-Maria Bamberger. She is now working on the fourth chapter in the “Ruth Rich Saga” and finds herself looking forward to a rest more often than she used to. Shelley Gregory-Jones (1984) apart from a stint in Sicily teaching American

University women to South Africa to

Now retired, she works as an

discuss problems of higher education

English to fighter pilots and English

Adjudicator for the Financial

with university educators in that country.

to anti-mafia judges, has dedicated

Ombudsman Scheme finding the

In July 2011, she presented the findings

her career to the not-for-profit sector.

work varied and very interesting. Flora

of a preliminary study of South African

Now Development Director at the PHG

celebrated her 80th birthday in July and

market women’s survivalist strategies

Foundation, Shelley leads on major

is delighted to still feel valued in the

at a conference at Newnham College,

donor/trust fundraising, relationship

workplace. In her spare time she plays

Cambridge. From December 2011, she

building and corporate events. The

bridge, socially and competitively,

returns to Lucy Cavendish as a Visiting

Foundation is at the forefront of

and runs a property and investment

Scholar to pursue further research

biomedical innovations and Shelley is

company; describing buying and selling

launching one of their flagship projects –

interests including an investigation

shares online as “great fun”.

Born Healthy, to improve the prevention, treatment and care of birth defects.

| Page 46

propositions to end corporal punishment of children. She will also be running her usual law reform oration at Parliament House in Hobart,Tasmania on 18th Nov 2011.

Attreyee Roy Chowdhury

employed as Publications In-charge Shelly Gregory Jones

Fay Rodgers-Jenkinson

at the Centre de Sciences Humaines (CSH), French Embassy in New

Janette Hill (1988) is the Managing

Fay Rodgers-Jenkinson (1989) after

Director and founder of Janette Hill

30 years as headmistress of various

& Co, a business she started as a

Primary Schools, became the first full

sole practitioner in February 2003.

time female lay Dean of the United

Back then, she had no employees

Theological College of the West

and operated from her home. Today,

Indies. She served for 9 years, acting

Janette Hill and Co is a multi-million

as College Registrar, liaising with the

pound business and one of the larger

University of West Indies and working

employers in Hay-on-Wye town centre,

with both faculty staff and post-

with 13 employees. The companies’

graduate students.

mission is to provide a first rate service and justice to the victims of accidents

Fay retired last year and spent 6

and clinical negligence. As well as an

months as consultant Dean; she now

active career, Janette was a decorated

writes from home. She featured in an

Captain of the Territorial Army until she

article in the Jamaica Observer in June

retired recently, and she has completed

2010 as an example of women who