Section 3: The Year Gone By

3

The Year Gone By

A Virtual Matriculation by Stephen Blamey

On a normal Matriculation day more than 200 Teddy Hall Freshers would all crowd into the Wolfson Hall for a practical briefing from the Dean of Degrees, followed by a roll call. Then they’d form a procession and be led up the lane to the Sheldonian, where they’d be packed into the building along with people from half a dozen or so other colleges to take part in the ceremony. This year Freshers were marshalled into several separate locations on College premises: some into the Wolfson Hall, some into the Doctorow Hall, some into the common room at Norham St Edmund. Wherever they were, they stayed put, sitting suitably socially distanced, to watch an ersatz Matriculation ceremony streamed from the Sheldonian—and a few even had to remain isolated in their own room to watch it on their laptop or tablet. I was lurking at the back of the Wolfson Hall, where there was the largest number of people, along with Dr Alex Vukovich, one of my deputy Deans of Degrees. We were all in subfusc, of course (even wore subfusc masks, though this had not yet been written into the subfusc regulations— as it has now been). And, to provide a sense of occasion, fizzy wine was served. From the Sheldonian we saw the ViceChancellor walk in with a couple of bedels. The Dean of Balliol then popped up, on behalf of all colleges at once, to present—as it were—all the distant matriculands scattered around the University: Insignissima Vice-Cancellaria, praesentamus tibi hos nostros scholares ut referantur in matriculam Universitatis1 . And the Vice-Chancellor remotely matriculated everyone: Scitote vos hodie in Matriculam Universitatis relatos esse, et ad observandum omnia Statuta istius Universitatis, quantum ad vos spectent, teneri.2 Then—what seems to be de rigueur at ceremonies these days—the Vice-Chancellor lapsed into English to deliver some uplifting words of welcome.

1 Most eminent Vice-Chancellor, we present to you these our students that they may be registered in the ‘matricula’ (registration book) of the University. Know that today you are registered in the ‘matricula’ of the University and are bound to observe all the statutes of this University which apply to you.

When the broadcast was over, Alex and I processed up to the front of the hall to a fanfare from the College trumpeter, namely Professor Henrike Lähnemann (who’d rushed back to College for the occasion after abseiling down Mary Mags’ tower), to inflict yet another welcome speech on the poor Freshers. (Hadn’t they already heard enough? — from the Principal, the Dean, the Bursar, the Tutor for Undergraduates or the Tutor for Graduates, ... and just a moment before from the Vice-Chancellor.) This was streamed to Norham St Edmund, but we went up to the Doctorow Hall for a repeat in-person performance. We told them about subfusc and ceremonial, about different gowns and different hoods, about how things would have gone at a normal Matriculation and how we hoped things would actually go when they got their degrees, and about dressing up for the exams they needed to do to get a degree in the first place. Being so old, I was able to give them a couple of stories—I hope not too inaccurately remembered—from my own experience. I made a bit of an idiot of myself, I’m afraid, stumbling over my words and knocking over my glass of fizzy wine; but Alex was there to provide some grown-up competence. I felt it appropriate to enlarge on a particular obsession of mine: how not to wear the hard cap. It’s so irritating to see the cap worn tilting backwards: it should be worn horizontal, or, if anything, tilting slightly forward. Old fashioned caps, with a firm crown, have a clearly defined big bit at the back and small bit at the front. If you have one of these, you shouldn’t put it on with the big bit at the front. More modern caps sadly have a softer crown and less of a difference between back and front; but this is still no excuse for wearing it tilting backwards. However, you can see from the photos of the occasion—look at the ones taken after people had poured out into the open—that my admonition had no effect. Or maybe it had? Perhaps they were wilfully doing what I’d told them not to? Dr Stephen Blamey, Emeritus Fellow and Dean of Degrees

Teddy Hall Research On Covid-19

Hall Fellow Develops New Rapid Covid-19 Antibody Test

An international research team led by Oxford University scientists has developed a portable test for antibodies that fight the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Part of this team is Dr Jack Tan, EPA Cephalosporin Early Career Teaching and Research Fellow, at St Edmund Hall. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Dr Tan has been working at the Alain Townsend Lab at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine to find new vaccines and tests to control Covid-19. The study was led by Professor Alain Townsend from the MRC Human Immunology Unit at Oxford University. The team includes scientists from Taiwan, India, Thailand and France, as well as UK university and NHS researchers. The test, which spots the presence of virus-fighting antibodies rather than a coronavirus infection, can be adapted to work on blood from a finger prick – making it quick and easy to use. Dr Tan commented: “We have sent the reagents free of charge to over 21 different countries and we will continue to supply the reagents for free to researchers or laboratories around the world who are keen to try it out.” This new test will help provide a better way of testing antibody levels and understanding immune defences in individuals and across populations, and ultimately help to control the spread of coronavirus. Dr Tan’s recent work on developing a new vaccine to fight the spread of Covid-19 variants can be read on the St Edmund Hall Blog: https://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/ blog/developing-a-next-generation-sarscov-2-vaccine

Professor Wes Williams Appointed New Torch Director

Wes Williams, Professor of French Literature and Tutor in Modern Languages, has been appointed the new Director of TORCH (The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities) for three years. Wes has been involved with TORCH for many years, including his Knowledge Exchange Fellowship and before taking on the role of TORCH Director, he was Knowledge Exchange Champion of the

Humanities at Oxford. He brings with him a wealth of experience in many areas, and a long-standing interest in fostering cultural collaborations and exchanges that amplify, diversify, and transform our collective intellectual and social resources. Professor Williams commented: “I have been involved in TORCH-related activities for some time (see for instance the Storming Utopia project) but this is a new adventure, heading up the University’s newly instituted Humanities Cultural Programme. I hope in my time as Director to be able to both generate and curate a wide range of cultural collaborations and exchanges that amplify, diversify, and transform our collective intellectual and social resources. I would be delighted to hear from any members of SEH, past or present, who have ideas or contributions to make to this project.” If you would like to get in touch with Wes please email: wes.williams@seh. ox.ac.uk.

Old Dining Hall Refurbishment Complete

The Old Dining Hall is one of the most loved, and most used, rooms in College. For those matriculating before 1969 it was the setting for evening dinner, for others is it the scene of poetry recitals, plays, concerts, seminars, formal dinners and weddings. Over recent years, it was clear the Old Dining Hall was in need of an update – not only to décor, fixtures and fittings, but also to update the electrics, small kitchen and provide better access with a disabled ramp. Thanks to gifts from many generous Aularians, the first phase of the refurbishment began in March 2020 just before lockdown, but the contractors and maintenance team worked hard over the summer and the refurbishment was completed for the start of Michaelmas term. The lighting and acoustics have been improved, the historic woodwork has been restored and the walls have been repainted in a green colour consistent with the early period of use of the room as a dining hall. The portraits of former Principals have been returned to the walls. The Hall has been beautifully furnished with dining tables and chairs in keeping with this historic space. The 60 Aularians who supported this project are recognised with a plaque on the back of the wooden dining chairs. Donors will be invited to dine in the Hall again later in the year.

Stewart Lee: King Rocker and a No 1 Hit

Honorary Fellow Stewart Lee (1986, English) was sampled by electro-punk ethnofuturists Asian Dub Foundation on their number 1 hit single ‘Comin’ Over Here’ in January, quoting AngloSaxon poetry, and the video featured a copy of his former tutor Bruce Mitchell’s ‘A Guide To Old English’. His anti-rockumentary ‘King Rocker’ was released in January and featured his fellow 1986 English scholar and Honorary Fellow Samira Ahmed miming to a song satirising the narrative structure of documentaries. Watch the video for ‘Comin’ Over Here: https://youtu.be/_kkOHtniTts and read more about King Rocker: https:// kingrockerfilm.com

Besse Building Refurbishment Underway

Thanks to the generous support of Aularians, in the spring of 2020, St Edmund Hall started the refurbishment of 49-56 High Street (Besse Building). This is part of the Hall’s plan to improve the quality of all College student accommodation over the coming nine years. The refurbishment includes rewiring the building, installing en-suite bathrooms to the bulk of the rooms and improving the sustainability credentials of the old Grade II listed building by improving insulation, adding double glazing and heat extraction from waste water. By September 2021, it will house six self-contained student apartments, and some offices and teaching rooms.

Restoration of the Forum Garden

After a year’s delay due to the pandemic, the restoration of the Forum Garden was completed over the summer of 2021. Situated at the heart of the College, the Forum Garden provides a key space for Hall members to rest and relax. This major new restoration project has revived and enhanced the Garden with new plants, new trees, and additional seating and lighting. An important part of the work has been to remove and replace the soil in the beds, all by hand, spade and wheelbarrow. A local allotment group is making good use of the soil, and a number of plants and bulbs have been removed from the beds and transferred to pots for use elsewhere in the College. New plant supports are installed on the walls of the Wolfson Hall to make use of this empty space and help green the College walls. The garden needs a restoration like this only once every 40 years. When Aularians next visit the College, we hope you enjoy the new outdoor space.

Hall Student Team Win All-Innovate Idea Competition

Congratulations to the Teddy Hall team Taf Matika (2020, International Health & Tropical Medicine) (founder/leading team member/Hall student), Dennis Mazingi (Wadham) and Chido Chigweder (St Catz) for winning the Oxford Foundry’s AllInnovate Idea Competition 2021 for their business idea Takura Couriers.

The students won £10,000 grant funding and follow-on support to help grow their delivery company business which helps small-to-medium size businesses deliver their products (e.g. clothes, cakes, groceries, etc.) to their customers. They will work directly with customers to receive low weight goods (e.g. meals), and Takura Couriers’ future website/app will allow customers to buy directly from businesses.

Ten teams from 33 participating Oxford colleges pitched their entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of expert judge for a chance to win a share of £20,000. The competition, targeted at undergraduates, postgraduates, and DPhils, aims to encourage all students at Oxford, regardless of discipline, to develop an entrepreneurial skill set and generate entrepreneurial ideas. The team reported that “It feels very surreal, humbling and affirming to have won especially against such excellent competitors. We are really thankful to the Oxford Foundry for giving us the chance to not only share our idea, but for empowering us to take the idea further.” We wish the team at Takura Couriers all the best with their business. Read more about the final on the Oxford Foundry’s website: https://www. oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk/all-innovatehilary-term-competition-winnersannounced And more about Takura Couriers at: https://takuracouriers.co.zw

Geddes Trust 2021 Journalism Prizes, Lecture and Masterclass

Prizes

This year’s Geddes Trust prizes have been awarded to three very talented Oxford student journalists. Lois Heslop (Lady Margaret Hall), who is in her second year studying physics, won the main Philip Geddes Prize for the most promising student journalist at the University of Oxford. The portfolio of work she submitted included several exclusive news stories she broke for The Oxford Blue – Oxford’s first new student newspaper in 30 years, which she co-founded – that hit national headlines. These included reporting of the arrest of a Christ Church professor for stealing ancient papyrus from the Sackler, a Pembroke don pleading guilty to child pornography possession, and a

long read on the Governing Body feud at Christ Church, laid bare in confidential documents she obtained. The Blue has had over half a million website views in the year since its founding, has published articles by 400+ authors, and has won a national student journalism award. The prize will go on a number of long-term projects for the paper, with a particular focus on science and technology journalism. These will include the development of a science channel and outreach project, events, and an Oxford Blue app. Eren Orbey (Magdalen College), who is a second year MPhil student in Modern Middle Eastern Studies, won the Clive Taylor Prize for sports journalism. Eren submitted a portfolio of work published by The New Yorker, for which he has written since 2016. Eren plans to use the prize money to report on American women’s gymnastics in the run-up to the Olympic Games. Lauren Shirreff (Balliol College), who is in her third (and last) year studying Classical Archaeology, won the Ronnie Payne Prize for Foreign Reporting. Lauren sent in articles about #MeToo, A-Level results day, college responses to Covid-19 last term and an interview with a student LSD dealer who runs his ‘business’ out of his college room. Lauren is hoping to use the prize money to go to California and speak to Native American tribes about how cannabis legalisation is affecting their communities. The Lie in the Machine: Truth, Big Tech and the Limits of Free Speech – Phillip Geddes Memorial Lecture 2021

This year, 491 people from across the world listened to Mark Thompson as he delivered the first online Memorial Lecture ‘The Lie in the Machine: Truth, Big Tech and the Limits of Free Speech’ on 9 March 2021. The lecture commenced with two introductory speeches: the first from St Edmund Hall’s Principal, Professor Katherine Willis and the second from the Chairman of the Geddes Trust, and previous Geddes Trust prize winner, Peter Cardwell. Mark, former CEO of The New York Times Company and Director-General of the BBC and current Chairman of Ancestry.com, spoke of historic, sometimes centuriesold, toxic mythologies, present-day fake news and digital misinformation; the audience learnt of Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln (1246-1255), whose death was falsely attributed to Jewish people and the difficulties and responsibilities that journalists, publishers and the media have had in the past, and continue to face, when reporting on conspiracy theorists cults, within the limits of woke culture and free speech protections. Watch the 2021 Geddes Memorial Lecture on the Hall’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/H0Q8CBM44O0

This year’s Geddes Trust annual master masterclass for student journalists was held on 29 January. BBC specialist disinformation reporter Marianna Spring, a former editor of Cherwell, gave a masterclass on how to use social media and the internet to find stories - and tell them to your audience. Marianna has spent the last year reporting across the BBC, including for News at Ten on coronavirus conspiracy theories, disinformation around the US election and the ongoing role of major tech corporations in our public discourse. She explored how reporters can use online platforms to root out stories that media outlets can otherwise miss. After the masterclass a panel, featuring former Oxford students and Geddes Prize winners who are working in a range of media jobs, focussed on how student journalists can make their way in the media. [With acknowledgement to the Philip Geddes Memorial Fund website]

Writing at the Hall 2020/21

Although Covid restrictions limited students’ and members’ opportunities to hear poets and other writers read in person at the College this year, the writing community at St Edmund Hall continued to flourish both online and within the College grounds in various ways despite it all. The student-led Wednesday Workshop creative writing group still met when possible, producing really excellent work—and not all about the pandemic! The Hall Writers Forum also continued to flourish online, with frequent challenges and prompts to keep its members going. Our former writer in residence, Linda Davies, published her latest book this June and old member Nicholas Evans, the author of The Horse Whisperer, participated in an online conversation during Trinity term with Fellow in French Wes Williams. Third-year English student Scarlet Katz-Roberts won the Hall’s annual Graham Midgley Poetry Prize for her poem ‘Sestina.’ Everyone is looking forward to enjoying the Hall’s regular programme of readings and writing events next year. Erica McAlpine, A. C. Cooper Tutorial Fellow in English A report from the students’ Wednesday Workshop is on p.54 and the Graham Midgely prize poem is on p.152.

Hall Writers’ Forum’s New Book: Unruly Riddles

Members of the Hall Writers’ Forum and their friends kept themselves amused over this spring and summer by means of verse riddles. Ninety of these riddles, which range from surreptitiously simple to hair-raisingly horrendous, have now been collected by Darrell Barnes (1963, Modern Languages) into an Unruly Riddles book. All profits will go to the Hall Writers’ Forum which exists to encourage and support Hall writers, whether students, staff or alumni. Unruly Riddles is available to purchase: https://bit.ly/3yoWnbK.

Hall Alumni Lead Conversation About Dyslexia at Oxford

Dyslexia at Oxford is a visual film and photography project about dyslexia, exploring the strengths and challenges of having a different brain wiring. It has been led by Hall alumna Olivia Williamson (2017, Fine Art) and is part of the TORCH Humanities Cultural Programme. Featured in the video are Teddy Hall alumnus Leslie Dickson Tetteh (2016, Medicine) and current student Vance Tan (2016, DPhil Geography and the Environment) who talk about their experience with dyslexia. Overall, the video is a conversation with students, alumni, staff, tutors, and researchers at The University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University as well as members of the local community. Summing up the project, Olivia said: “The aim was to create a resource for dyslexic, neurodivergent people to see their way of thinking reflected in someone else’s story, to open up a space for dialogue, driven by an invisible network of neurodivergent people. The project explores the strengths of dyslexia, as well as highlighting ongoing challenges faced in spaces that were not designed to be inclusive – with a focus on education.”

This project celebrates our different ways of thinking, the stronger teams that can be created and the benefit to society if difference is valued, supported and seen as part of what makes us human. Released alongside the film are extended cuts of the interviews, with portraits of the speakers and further resources. Read more about the Dyslexia at Oxford Project Page: https://www.torch.ox.ac.uk/ dyslexia-at-oxford#/

Two Honorary Fellows Sworn In

The College’s Governing Body swore in two new Honorary Fellows of St Edmund Hall on Wednesday 19 May. Each Fellow is distinguished in their respective fields, which include law and politics. Lord Sedwill (1987, MPhil Economics), in recognition of his distinguished career in politics. He was Cabinet Secretary from April 2018 to September 2020 and National Security Advisor from April 2017 to September 2020. Prior to this, Mark Sedwill was the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office (2013-17), FCO Political Director (2012-13), NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan (2010-11), HM Ambassador to Afghanistan (200910) and Director of UK Visas (2006-8).

He joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1989, serving in Egypt, Iraq, Cyprus and Pakistan. Robert Venables QC, in recognition of his distinguished career and his period of office as a Tutorial Fellow. Robert studied Literae Humaniores at Merton College in 1966, followed by Jurisprudence from 1970 to 1972, was the Hall’s Tutor in Jurisprudence from 1975 to 1980 when he left the position in order to take up full-time practice at the Revenue Bar in London. He took silk ten years later. He was elected Chairman of the Revenue Bar Association in 2001 and is a Master of the Bench of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Robert’s clients range from entrepreneurs to celebrities, from nobility to politicians, and from FTSE 100 companies to charities. On those occasions when he is in court, Robert has

Art in Hall

JCR and MCR Wildlife Photography Competition

Timothy Hartog (2019, MEng Materials Science), Freddie Sørensen (2017, DPhil Statistics) and Yishan Wang (2017, DPhil Anthropology) were the winners of the joint JCR and MCR wildlife photography competition in June. Their prize-winning images featured swifts nesting in the Summer Palace in Bejing, a murmuration of starlings over wetlands in Otmoor and a snail on a bike in Cowley. See the winning photos on the opposite page. found the Oxford tutorial system to be the best possible preparation for thinking on one’s feet–or rather, pretending to, because nothing succeeds better in advocacy than preparation, preparation, and preparation.

Second Year Fine Art Exhibition

On Thursday 17 June, Teddy Hall second year Fine Art Students held their annual art show in the Senior Common room at St Edmund Hall. Each student selected a piece from the College’s private collection to respond to in any medium. All the art works and a summary by the students about each piece can be seen on the Hall website: https://www.seh. ox.ac.uk/news/second-year-fine-art-

exhibition-annual-show-2021. Sadly, Covid restrictions meant the third year Fine Art students were unable to hold their final show in person but a virtual staging of their work can be found on pp. 131-136.

Photos opposite, clockwise from top left: Yishan Wang: Summer Palace Beijing Swift; Timothy Hartog: Unexpected Passenger; Frederik Sørensen: Starling Murmuration in the Sunset

Pontigny Lecture 2021

Mark Sedwill (1987, MPhil Economics), member of the House of Lords, former UK Cabinet Secretary, Hall Honorary Fellow and alumnus, gave the inaugural Pontigny Lecture on Wednesday 16 June 2021. He spoke on ‘Global Governance in a Contested World’. The online lecture was hosted by the Principal of St Edmund Hall, Professor Katherine Willis and was attended by 178 people across the Oxford community and general public. Lord Sedwill’s lecture was a review of the last decade covering topics such as the 2008 financial crisis, climate change, immigration pressures, G7 and Russia to name a few. The second half of the lecture was an audience Q&A in which multiple questions were raised on the future of the civil service, the nature of democracy and sustainability and the climate crisis. The Hall thanks Lord Sedwill for this special lecture which is available to watch on the College’s YouTube channel: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCjnZbJfQyc

Fellowship Lunchtime Lectures

From Michaelmas term 2020 to Trinity 2021, St Edmund Hall ran a new online lunchtime lecture series which aimed to highlight the incredible depth and breadth of research across the Teddy Hall Fellowship. These talks have been very popular as students, fellows, lecturers, staff and alumni have tuned in each week. We’ve had a plethora of topics covered by our academics from reviewing the law over the last 40 years, medieval nuns, how memory works, Byzantine and Slavonic History, which genes we pass to our children to worms from half a billion years ago. Most of these lectures are available to watch on the Hall’s YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIzbJQ4o aZo&list=PLNXj40GwnmWVk8gXWjq8jmJuY2s1TXjD&index=1

Centre For The Creative Brain

This year the Centre for the Creative Brain (CCB) held three online workshops with huge success. Professor Charlotte Stagg, Fellow by Special Election, leads the CCB’s event programme with the assistance of the CCB’s student committee. ‘The Mystery of Hypnosis: How Suggestible is your Brain?’ was held on Thursday 26 November 2020 and explored the theory and practicalities of hypnosis and was attended by over 170 people. The speakers were Dr Enrica Santarcangelo, the University of Pisa, Jack Blackbourn, a magician and hypnotist, and Dr Devin Terhune from Goldsmiths, University of London.

The second event was ‘Detective Stories: Inside the Criminal Mind’ on 11 March 2021. The workshop explored the criminal mind through psychology, psychiatry and literature, and 174 people took part. The audience heard from Professor Seena Fazel, University of Oxford, G. M. Malliet, an acclaimed author of mystery novels Dr Julia Shaw from University College London. The Centre’s final event took place on Thursday 13 May 2021. Through the lens of artistic culture and psychiatry, the workshop explored how cultural experiences influence our brain and contribute to our mental health. The talk was led by current Oxford medical student Jessica Nicholls-Mindlin (Worcester College) who introduced four speakers to help guide the audience through the impact of culture on mental health. The speakers were Dr Jim Harris, Andrew W Mellon Foundation Teaching Curator at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, Dr Rebecca Sheriff, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, and Susan McCormack and Helen Adams who were also from the Ashmolean Museum. All Centre for the Creative Brain Events are free and open to all. The Centre for the Creative Brain is generously endorsed by St Edmund Hall and the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford. Read more about its work on the College website: https://www.seh.ox.ac. uk/discover/research/centre-for-thecreative-brain-2

St Edmund Hall Law Society: Update

Whilst the Aularian Law Society has not been able to meet in person this year, they have been active with assisting with mock interviews and mentoring for current and former students. Restrictions permitting, they hope to hold an event in person in the autumn. If you’re in any way legal, please do join and if you would like to find a mentor or advice please do get in touch. If you would like to become a member of the society please sign up here: www.seh.ox.ac.uk/alumni/get-involved/ alumni-societies/law-society

Awards and Prizes

As ever there have been many admirable achievements of SCR members, current students and worldwide alumni during 2020-21. These are chronicled in sections 2, 4 and 8 of this Magazine. Here, special mention is made of some of these awards and prizes, and of other successes deserving to be placed on record.

Within in the SCR particular congratulations are extended to Professor Alistair Borthwick, Emeritus Fellow, was awarded the ‘YanYuan’ Friendship Award by Peking University. Professor Borthwick received the award in recognition of his long collaboration on environmental science and engineering research with scholars in PKU (commencing in the 1990s). This is the second time such an award has been given.

Dr Michael Gill, Tutorial Fellow in Management, and three co-authors won the annual ‘Best Paper’ award at the annual Academy of Management for their article ‘Building Theories From Qualitative Interview Research: How Many Interviews Do I Need?’. Heidi Johansen-Berg, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Senior Research Fellow, was one of 11 University of Oxford biomedical and health scientists that the Academy of Medical Sciences elected to its fellowship this year. Professor Johansen-Berg was elected for her ongoing stewardship of research that focuses on how the brain changes with learning, experience, and damage.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology announced 16 Honorary Fellows to mark its 150th year. Professor Eleanor Stride, Professorial Fellow in Biomaterials, was awarded the Fellowship in recognition of her contribution to biomedical engineering and research into treatment of major diseases.

Professor Keith Gull, Emeritus Fellow, has been elected as a Corresponding Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Dr Luke Parry, Early Career Teaching and Research Fellow in Earth Sciences, was awarded the Lyell Fund by the Geological Society of London which is given to geoscientists that have “made excellent contributions to geoscience research and its application, in the UK and internationally.”

Margaret (Maggie) Adela Miriam Carver (1982, Biochemistry) currently Interim Chairman of Ofcom and Chairman of the Racecourse Association and also on the Board of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and The Licoricia of Winchester Statue Appeal (Chairman) has been awarded a CBE for services to media and sport. Maggie writes, “I am absolutely delighted to be awarded the honour of a CBE for services to media and sport. It has been both a joy and a privilege to serve both sectors and I look forward to continuing to do so.”

Professor Amelia Fletcher (1985, PPE), Honorary Fellow at St Edmund Hall, has been awarded a CBE for services to the economy. Amelia read PPE at the Hall and then gained a DPhil and MPhil in economics from Nuffield College, Oxford. She is currently Professor of Competition Policy at Norwich Business School and Deputy Director of the Centre for Competition Policy at the University of East Anglia. Amelia is also a Non-Executive Director at the Financial Conduct Authority and the Payment Systems Regulator and a member of the Enforcement Decision Panel at Ofgem. John Lindsay (1964, Ethnology) was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for services to the environment. Specifically for collecting rubbish off East Lothian beaches! David Kenton Reed (1983, English) lately Chief Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Service, has been awarded an MBE for services to Policing. David began his 27-year career with the Metropolitan Police Service in 1992. Between 2008 and 2019, as a Programme Director and Change Manager, David was behind a number of complex changes to local policing in London. These were aimed at making the police service more effective by addressing both historic and emerging operational issues, as well as meeting budgetary challenges. David’s work transformed a number of core policing functions and moved the delivery of local policing into 12 command units rather than 32 boroughs. David writes, “I joined the Met, as many of us do, to make a difference. Working on the transformation programme gave me an opportunity to help change and improve policing – but I am very aware that such an award represents the hard work of many colleagues. This is a challenging area of business for everyone who is involved – and I am delighted that the difficult work we have collectively done to make people feel safer has been recognised.”

Professor Eleanor Stride, Professorial Fellow, has been awarded an OBE for services to engineering. Eleanor specialises in the fabrication of nano- and microscale devices for targeted drug delivery. She holds a joint position between the Departments of Engineering Science and the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences.

Eleanor writes, “It was the most incredible and wonderful surprise. I still feel quite overwhelmed but also even more motivated to drive forward our research and to continue to work closely with the Royal Academy to support and promote Engineering.”

Dr Laura Shallcross (1996, Medicine) has been awarded an MBE for her contribution to the national pandemic response in Adult Social Care. Laura is an Associate Professor at University College London and Honorary Consultant in Public Health in the Division of Infection at University College London NHS Trust. She holds a NIHR Clinician Scientist Award (2017-2023) and leads a programme of translational research applying data science methods to the analysis of electronic health records and omics datasets with the overarching goal to improve the management of infection and reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing across the NHS and social care. Laura’s research on antimicrobial resistance has informed national policy, and she regularly interfaces with national decision makers in her field through her membership of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Committee for Antimicrobial Prescribing, Resistance and Healthcare Acquired infection (APRHAI). During the Covid-19 pandemic, she has taken on a national public health leadership role as the academic lead for the largest UK study of Covid-19 in care homes and as a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) Social Care working group. Laura established the VIVALDI (Covid-19 in care homes) studies in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care and Professor Paul Moss’s group at the University of Birmingham, which have delivered timely findings to inform the pandemic response on subjects including: vaccine effectiveness, the emergence of variants, the risk of re-infection, and the antibody and cellular immune response following natural infection and vaccination. Congratulations to all for their welldeserved recognition.

Student Awards and Achievements

Although the intra-collegiate sports competitions were sadly curtailed by lockdown for the second year running, the Hall’s sports men and women still recorded some notable successes. Mixed Athletics and Polo won their cuppers, and a brave mixed Rounders team reached the cuppers final. The Rugby team won the Sevens Cuppers and came second in a mixed touch rugby competition. The Women’s Cricket Team won their Cuppers, while the Men’s Cricket team reached the Cupper’s quarterfinals. Warm congratulations also go to the following students who were recognised this year for their participation at University level: Mark Baker (2016, DPhil Engineering Science) Croquet Half Blue Sam Cherry (2020, PPL) Rifle Half Blue Logan Clew-Bachrach (2020, PPE) Lightweight Rowing (Women’s) 2nd Team Colours Oliver Gales (2020, MPhil Environmental Change and Management) Australian Rules Football Half Blue Felix Gallagher (2019, Economics and Management) Swimming Half Blue Tamara Gibbons (2018, Chemistry) Polo Half Blue Samuel Miller (2017, Materials Science) Rugby Football Full Blue

Barbora Schönfeldová (2019, DPhil Infection, Immunology and Translational Medicine) Lawn Tennis Full Blue Tom Schwantje (2019, DPhil Economics) Lacrosse Half Blue Gemma Smith-Bingham (2020, English) Eton Fives Half Blue Lewis Sutton (2018, Materials Science) Rugby League Full Blue Piers von Dadaleszen (2019, Engineeering Science) Rugby Football Full Blue Hazel Wake (2019, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry) Lightweight Rowing (Women’s) Full Blue Herbert Watson (2018, Geography) Rugby Football Full Blue Katie Wellstead (2020, Materials Science) Lightweight Rowing (Women’s) Full Blue Annie Wooler (2019, Experimental Pyschology) Hockey Full Blue Yasemin Zurke (2018, DPhil Cardiovascular Science) Hockey Full Blue The Hall’s Amalgamated Clubs started giving awards to Hall members for obtaining the distinction of a Blue (£200) or Half Blue (£100). Thanks to the continuing generosity of Richard Luddington (1978, Modern History), Luddington Prizes were awarded to Ryan Jones (2017, Engineering Science), Abigail Jones (2018, Geography) and Samuel Miller (2017, Materials Science) for having achieved both a First in Finals and a Blue during their undergraduate careers. And thanks to the continuing generosity of another Aularian, Professor Simon J Simonian (1962, Animal Physiology) and his family, the Simonian Prizes for Excellence in Leadership went to: Robin De Meyere (2017, DPhil Materials Science) Amy Hemsworth (2018, Jurisprudence (with Law in Europe)) Yasmin Jackson (2017, Modern Languages) Molly Ross (2020, MSt Modern Languages) Petra Stankovic (2020, MSt Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics (AS)) Ben Fernando (2016, DPhil Environmental Research (NERC DTP)) and Aleksei Malyshev (2019, DPhil Atomic and Laser Physics) were named as the joint winners of the sixth annual Ex Aula MCR Writing Competition for their articles ‘An ear to the ground, on Mars’ and Aleksei’s ‘Three Memes And A Quantum Computer — Or Why Do Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics?’ The judging panel said: “This year the judges have decided to award a joint first-place award to Mars and Quantum Computing. These two in particular, all four judges agreed, capture the idea of writing for a non-specialist audience, and do a great job addressing the general reader. Quantum Computing impressed us because 1) it’s a very difficult topic to address in a non-academic fashion, and was written with aplomb, and 2) it left us with a feeling of passion and excitement for the subject. Mars impressed us because 1) it has a clear narrative, with challenges, suspense, and solutions, and 2) it’s a great example of how to make problem-solving in research come to life in writing” The judges thanked all the contestants for sharing their research. The winning entries can be read on the Ex Aula website: https://mcr.seh.ox.ac.uk/ ex-aula-research-journal

Masterclass Fund Awards

The aim of these awards of up to £1,000 is to facilitate further development and achievement, for individual students. These year two awards were given to the following students to help them to pursue advanced training in the extra-curricular activities — creative or sporting — in which they excelled. Lilli Hahn (2017, DPhil Molecular Cell Biology in Health and Disease) Chess Tom Schwantje (2019, DPhil Economics) Triathlon

The Hall remains extremely grateful for the sponsorship which supports this successful Masterclass Fund Awards scheme.

Keith Gull Fund

Mellissa Penagos Gaviria (2021, MSc Biodiversity, Conservation and Management) has received an award from the Keith Gull Fund. The fund is to be used at the discretion of the Principal to provide direct support to current Hall students who wish to undertake special projects such as charitable work, choral and drama tours, travel for unusual academic opportunities and to assist others. Keith Gull initiated this fund during his tenure as Principal at the Hall, reflecting his commitment to both ‘Hall Spirit’ and supporting student ambition.

Jiayi Li wins 2020 Routledge Scholarship

Jiayi Li (2020, Education) is this year’s Routledge Scholarship winner. The scholarship is awarded annually to a student on the MSc in Comparative and International Education at the University’s Department of Education. Jiayi writes, “It’s my honour to be the recipient of the Routledge Scholarship. It’s a pleasure to have it accompany me on my Oxford journey. The Routledge Scholarship has become a motivation that inspires me to continue exploring the field of Comparative and International Education to seek new academic challenges and rewarding experiences. Hopefully one day in the future I will see my name with Routledge again as an author. It’s my goal now.”

Ian White, of Routledge/Taylor & Francis, writes, “our warmest congratulations are extended to Jiayi on receiving this award. Routledge is delighted to support the Scholarship and hope that it will provide a springboard for emerging scholars of international and comparative education to further their research and to develop their careers.”

Thomas Henning is Pre-Clinical Runner-Up in National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition 2021

Congratulations to Thomas Henning (2019, Medicine) for being the PreClinical Runner-Up in the National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition (NUNC) 2021 at the University of Southampton. The NUNC is an annual competition open to all medical students in the UK and Ireland. It first started in 2013 and now attracts over 150 students.

Students who enter the competition get the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the neurosciences and ability in neuroanatomy, meet and network with likeminded people, and see the exciting collection of neuroanatomical dissections. The competition was held online for the first time but the format remained the same, with exams taking place via an online portal and talks happening over Zoom. There are three main components of the competition: a neuroanatomy spotter examination, a clinically-orientated multiple-choice examination and series of talks from contestants on aspects of neuroscience. Thomas says: “The NUNC to me was an opportunity to gain further insight into an area of medicine and research that I grew to love during my second year here at Oxford. The brain is such an intricate system of various structures that probably gets more complicated the more you look at it; however it is always deeply rewarding when you further your understanding of it in the slightest way. I never entered this competition to win but for the learning and – arguably – the fun of the preparatory sessions and the competition itself. Therefore it was even more humbling when I realised that my efforts had paid off in such a way that I was able to secure the title of Pre-Clinical runner up for the university. On that notion, I would really like to thank my second year tutor for Neuroscience, Teddy Hall’s own David Dupret, as well as Zoltan Molnar (St John’s) and Oliver Bredemeyer (last year’s runner up) for sparking and furthering my interest and knowledge in neurology and neuroscience. I would also love to thank my family and friends back home and here at Oxford for supporting me throughout this time and for always making me laugh or have an open door whenever I need to talk to someone.”

Teddy Hall Student Wins Oxford Impact Award

Vance Tan Zong Hao (2016, DPhil Geography and the Environment), a doctoral student at St Edmund Hall from Brunei Darussalam was awarded the prestigious Impact Award from the University of Oxford’s Student Union (Oxford SU) on 20 June 2021. Vance is a recipient of the Sultan’s Scholar scholarship which is awarded to students in Brunei Darussalam for outstanding academic and extra-curricular pursuits. Upon receiving the Impact Award, he expressed his gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan And Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam for granting him the opportunity to pursue his doctoral studies through the scholarship. Vance continued, saying “the Sultan’s Scholar scholarship has enabled me to excel both in my academic work and extracurricular pursuits at Oxford, without which this Impact Award would not have been possible. I would also like to pay tribute to my parents as well as officers, teachers and staff at the Brunei Students’ Unit and the Brunei Darussalam High Commission in London for their continuous support, assistance and advice throughout my journey in the UK”. The ‘Impact Award’ is presented annually to an individual “who has made a lasting change to a sports team, club or society”. This year’s award honours Vance’s commitment to the Oxford University community, his college (St Edmund Hall) and the Oxford University Rugby Football Club (OURFC). His impacts transcend championing diversity, public engagement, and awareness of disabilities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Vance spotted vital gaps within OURFC which he proactively addressed, leading to his appointment as their first Director of Analytics, Technology and Algorithms. Alongside this role, he also served as the Editor-in-Chief for his college research journal, among his many other pursuits. Oxford SU published extracts of the nomination statement across their social media which reads: “He is a prime role model and exceptional inspiration for people with disability, which in his case is dyslexia and dyspraxia, and for people from ethnic minorities. Vance has positively impacted many of us at Oxford by giving examples of the characters a leader should uphold.” Cikgu Mohammad Danny Aimi, Director of Studies at the Brunei Students’ Unit in London commented: “I’m delighted and honoured to be informed that one of our brightest Bruneian students in the UK has received such a prestigious award. Although I have known him for less than a year, one cannot miss his leadership ability and charismatic quality. Despite his disabilities, he has made a positive impact on his community in Oxford University. He is an example to all the youth back in Brunei.”

Vance is completing his doctoral degree at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute, where he is a member of the Oxford Programme for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems. His work aims to understand how future flood risks can be optimally managed by sequencing policy changes and the anticipatory actions of adaptation measures at a national scale. He is mentored by the vice presidentelect of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Professor Jim W Hall FREng, who is internationally renowned for his research on risk analysis for infrastructure and water systems. Vance looks forward to utilising his capabilities and experiences to support Brunei Darussalam in realising its Vision 2035 and inspire the next generation of Bruneian youth.