The magazine for the staff of the University of Cambridge
michaelmas term 2014
Between the covers: College bedders
Giving to charity through the payroll
Papworth Hospital: a moving history
page 8
page 10
snapshot contents
Ideas galore: Cambridge’s annual exploration of the arts, humanities and social sciences is back. With more than 250 talks, workshops, exhibitions and performances, this year’s Festival of Ideas also features ‘Curating Cambridge: our cities, our stories, our stuff’ – a programme of events led by University museums, and ‘Women of the World Cambridge’ – a new collaboration with London’s Southbank Centre. Runs until 2 November 2014.
AstraZeneca designs unveiled: The designs for the latest addition to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus reveal a new site that will “reflect the colleges” of the University, say those behind the scheme. The campus is currently home to, among others, the University’s School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the MRC Laboratory of Medical Science. Work is expected to begin in early 2015.
6-7 Cover feature
JoSÉ Maria SERT
8-9 Making a difference Since 2011, payroll giving has allowed staff to donate regularly to charity. Paul Holland reveals the personal stories that motivate staff to give – and wonders why only 120 out of 9,000 staff do so. 10-11 Feature As Papworth Hospital prepares to move from the Cambridgeshire countryside to the Biomedical Campus, Becky Allen charts its rise from pioneering TB colony to world leader in heart and lung surgery. 12 People 13 Small adverts the Syndics of Cambridge University Library
The UL at 80: In July 1934, porters took the final box of books by horse and cart to the new University Library. To celebrate its 80th birthday, the library has put on show a trio of photograph albums charting the building’s construction. As well as a more formal album by the consulting engineer Burnard Geen, the other two albums include images by University staff, offering an intimate insight into this iconic building’s birth. Runs from 10 November for four weeks.
2-5 News round-up
Herzog & de Meuron
From function to fetish: The artist’s mannequin takes centre stage in the Fitzwilliam Museum’s new exhibition, ‘Silent Partners’. The exhibition has been developed with scientists, engineers and literary scholars, plus art and fashion historians. It features 180 works, as well as a remarkable group of mannequins, and examines the history and ubiquity of the artificial human figure in artists’ work, from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Runs to 25 January 2015.
Cover Part cleaner, part confidante, the Cambridge bedder is a unique part of college life. Jessica Penrose hears about their changing role and discovers how long spaghetti takes to go mouldy. Turn to page six.
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14-15 Prizes, awards and honours Front cover photograph: Alice Boagey
newsletter
The Newsletter is published for the staff of the University of Cambridge and is produced by the Office of External Affairs and Communications. If you have a story, or ideas for ways we can improve the publication, please get in touch. Tel: (3)32300 or email newsletter@admin.cam.ac.uk. Suggestions for articles for the next edition should reach the Editor by 28 November. Managing Editor: Paul Holland Editor: Becky Allen Design: Creative Warehouse, Cambridge Printers: Labute Printers Contributors: Becky Allen, Paul Holland and Jessica Penrose.
Newsletter online
www.cam.ac.uk/for-staff
WHAT’S NEW
Your comments and contributions are always welcome. Please send them to the Editor at newsletter@admin.cam.ac.uk The deadline for the next issue is 28 November.
The University of Cambridge Primary School Trust has appointed James Biddulph as the school’s first head teacher. The new University of Cambridge Primary School, which will have three classes for each year, is being established as part of the North West Cambridge Development. The first pupils will start in September 2015. In addition to providing an inclusive and high-quality primary education for local children, the school will also offer unique training and research opportunities, through its close relationship with the University’s faculties and departments. As the first head teacher, Biddulph will play a key role in shaping the school’s character and vision. “Our curriculum intends to provide an holistic learning experience, informed by strong values which
Marks barfield architects
New school welcomes first pupils in 2015
Head teacher: James Biddulph says the school will ‘celebrate the art of the possible’
emphasise equality, compassion and courage, within a community in which everyone’s voice is welcome and valued,” he said. Biddulph hopes that strong, positive relationships will be found not only within the school but also between the school and the wider family of Cambridge primary schools,
Free Wi-Fi arrives in Cambridge The University Wi-Fi network has expanded into the city’s public spaces for the first time as high-speed internet access points have been placed on Parker’s Piece and along central streets. The University’s investment in the network is part of a wider plan to extend its existing education Wi-Fi networks to cover open spaces. This will allow all Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University students, staff and visiting academics to get online on the move. The existing networks already support up to 25,000 unique visitors each week, of which a third are visitors from other universities. Launched in time for the Tour de France’s visit to Cambridge in July the system includes a free public Wi-Fi scheme run in conjunction with Connecting Cambridgeshire. On launch, more than 20,000
individual devices connected to the network via the new access points. Jon Holgate, Head of University Information Services (UIS) Networks Division, said: “We were pleased with the network’s performance, but the lasting benefit is that UIS now has the infrastructure in place to continue to extend the Wi-Fi service we provide to the University.” Demand for the free public service will be monitored over the next 12 months to help plan for future extension of the network. Holgate added: “This project represented an excellent opportunity to work closely both with University colleagues as well as local partners across the city to deliver genuinely innovative and leading-edge services to academics and the general public alike.” ➔ For more information visit www.wireless.cam.ac.uk/city/.
the Faculty of Education and the University as a whole. “I applied for this role because I want to be part of a body of professionals eager to raise questions about what we do and how we do it, and finding the best ways through for every child by using our creativity,” he said.
“Our new school’s vision statement is to ‘Release the imagination: celebrating the art of the possible.’ I am grateful to the trust for giving me the opportunity to make that statement a reality, not only for our young people, but for teachers, parents and academics here in Cambridge, in the UK, and beyond.” Professor John Rallison, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Chair of the trust said: “It is a pleasure to welcome James to this exciting new role. His background, his achievement, his vision and his ambition make him extraordinarily well-qualified for leadership of the new school. We look forward to working with him.” ➔ For more information about the University of Cambridge Primary School, including how to apply for a place, visit: www. universityprimaryschool.org.uk.
Have you ever had anything published? A book perhaps, or an article in a magazine? If so, ALCS could be holding money owed to you Find out more at:
www.alcs.co.uk michaelmas term 2014 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 3
what’s new
University staff and students will be challenged to turn out that light and switch off that computer during the University’s second annual Switch Off Week. Saving energy can cut costs without reducing support to worldleading research and promote a better environment. Through a series of events, including an energy roadshow, the Environment and Energy Section hopes to help individuals and departments see how they can reduce their carbon footprint. Claire Hopkins, Living Laboratory for Sustainability Coordinator for the Environment and Energy Section said: “It can be as simple as turning off your computer when you are not using it. It often helps for people and institutions to see where and when their energy use peaks – then they can see how they might make positive changes.” During the week, held from 10-16 November, departments will also be encouraged to view their energy consumption data using SystemsLink. This energy monitoring website allows both staff and students to view how much energy their building consumes, and gives them the ability to track energy savings during Switch Off Week. One recent success that highlights
Anton Fomkin
Hitting the switch on energy use
how monitoring and behavioural changes can have a positive effect was the Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute. It recently celebrated saving one million kWh of energy after being selected as one of five University buildings to take part in the Energy and Carbon Reduction Project. The milestone was celebrated with a party at the Gurdon’s newly refurbished caféteria. The money for the revamp had come from the huge energy savings made by the institution. Kathy Hilton, Building Facilities Manager at the Gurdon, said: “A challenge we faced was that, as the
institute’s research is paramount, any environmental issues and energy reduction initiatives could not adversely affect the scientific research. Over the span of the initiative we have shown that it is
possible to cut energy consumption by avoiding waste without being detrimental to our science.” ➔ For more information on Switch Off Week go to: www.environment.admin. cam.ac.uk/switch-off-week.
Actions to take off lights when you are not using them • SS witch off computers at lunch and at night time • S witch off electric heaters, dress appropriately for the weather and tell • thewitch maintenance unit if it is too hot or too cold off lab equipment when it is not absolutely necessary to be on • SS witch witch off photocopiers, printers and other office equipment every • night and ensure that sleep modes are enabled.
Gender equality awards for University and departments Cambridge now joins a select group of universities with an institutional Athena SWAN silver award. The awards are bestowed in recognition of commitment to advancing women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research. The silver award – announced
on 25 September – sees the University join Imperial College London, University of Warwick, University of Nottingham and Queen’s University Belfast. In addition bronze awards were given to: the Department of Biochemistry; the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience; and the Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute.
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Professor Jeremy Sanders, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Affairs, said: “The University is delighted that its commitment and intensive activity in supporting and promoting women at all levels have been recognised by an Athena SWAN institutional silver award. “The sustained momentum of actions at University level to progress and embed gender equality complements our support for local
departmental action, so we are also delighted that local commitment to the Athena SWAN principles has been recognised by additional departmental awards.” The news follows success for several departments in May this year. The Department of Physics gained the University’s first gold award. The departments of Zoology, Psychology, Pharmacology and the Faculty of Mathematics all gained a bronze.
what’s new
A new centre has been opened in Mill Lane, providing a focal point for the University’s world-class postdoctoral researchers. The Postdoc Centre is a key part of a long-term plan to create better facilities for the more than 3,500 postdocs at the University. It has been created by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPdA). The OPdA’s aim is to help postdoctoral researchers throughout their time at Cambridge, from before they arrive to after they have left. Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz said: “The University and the colleges recognise the enormous contribution postdoctoral researchers make through their research, which is central to the mission of the
philip mynott
New centre supports postdoc community
Better facilities for the University’s 3,500 postdocs
University, so it is our aim to make their time at Cambridge as productive and positive as possible. “The new centre is one of many developments which we hope will provide, alongside volunteers, enhanced support for the postdoc community. “Much of what we do now will
be enhanced by the future opening of the North West Cambridge development, which will provide accommodation, large dedicated space and local amenities for large numbers of postdocs and their families.” Postdocs come from all over the world (there are currently more than 90 different nationalities in Cambridge) and are responsible for much of the world-class research that underpins our high international standing. They represent the largest staff grouping in the University. Professor Chris Abell, Director of Postdoctoral Affairs, said: “Cambridge has a very large population of postdoctoral researchers – many more than most other institutions. Creating the Postdoc Centre is an
HGV scheme makes city streets safer for Cambridge cyclists With 40 per cent of staff cycling to work each day road safety is a major issue, particularly when traffic created by HGVs is added to the mix. To tackle this, contractors working on the University’s major estate projects are to sign up to a new initiative to make safety improvements to their vehicles and provide specific driver training. Based on a model set up in London, the University has asked all of its contractors to sign up to the Cambridge Construction Logistics and Cycle Safety initiative (Cambridge CLOCS). The scheme asks contractors to install extra mirrors and side panels on HGVs to prevent cyclists and pedestrians falling under their wheels. Other improvements involve fitting reversing sensors and warning signs, and that contractors put their drivers through awareness training. The scheme will be voluntary for a
year, after which it will be compulsory for new contracts, along with penalties for non-compliance. Ravinder Dhillon, Head of Estate Development at the University, said: “With almost £2 billion of construction work planned by the University in the next five to 10 years the issue of how HGVs interact with pedestrians and cyclists is of growing importance. “The city will become one of the biggest construction hubs in the UK outside of London. We want our construction contractors to know what we want and what we expect.” Catrin Darsley, Environmental Coordinator at the University, said: “With 40 per cent of staff cycling to work each day and many of our students using two wheels to get around, as well as Cambridge’s reputation as a cycling city, this opportunity to further improve road safety is exceedingly relevant.”
important and overdue development.” The driving force behind the Postdoc Centre is Karina Prasad, the Head of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. She designed the centre to be a place where postdocs can drop in to get advice about any aspect of their time in Cambridge and to be somewhere they can call their own. Two other organisations playing a key role in postdoc life, the Postdocs of Cambridge Society (PdOC) and the Newcomers and Visiting Scholars (NVS), will also be located at the centre. Volunteers will run the centre five days a week. However, the facilities will be freely available to the postdoc community seven days a week. ➔ For more information go to www. opda.cam.ac.uk/postdoccentre.
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n inspiring and creative education from birth to 11 yrs that understands the need for children to develop at a pace that’s right for them. An education that allows imagination, invention and discovery to flourish in a warm and creative learning environment. Come to an Open Morning on the first Friday of every month and experience the wonder of Steiner Education first hand (see website for details).
Cambridge Steiner School, Hinton Road, Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, CB21 5DZ 01223 882727 school@cambridge-steiner-school.co.uk www.cambridge-steiner-school.co.uk Registered Charity No 1028116
Registered in England 2866985
michaelmas term 2014 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 5
photographs: Alice Boagey
cover feature
And so to bedders They used to make beds, clean fires and even rustle up breakfast. But today’s bedders are employees not servants, whose job is to clean. Yet some traditions linger, as Jessica Penrose discovers
Lilian Runham has happy memories of her early days as a bedmaker – or bedder as they are more affectionately known. When she started out at St John’s in 1989 it was a time when rules and regulations were more relaxed. Daily visits to students’ rooms meant that she got to know her charges well. “We used to mother them. They loved us. If they had problems they would often tell us first. We’d talk while we were cleaning because there was no time restriction as there is now,” she remembers. Joanne Smith, Superintendent of
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“We used to mother them. They loved us. If they had problems they would often tell us first”
Housekeeping at St John’s, also recalls how the regularity of daily visits meant that the bedder could often be the first person to notice the early signs of problems: “If they were feeling low because of exams coming up, or if they were poorly or homesick, you could pick up on all of these things, and quite often they just wanted to talk.” For Rachel Stewart, formerly a bedder at King’s, it was not only rapport with students that brought an extra dimension to the job. She describes the “great privilege and delight” of caring for an elderly Fellow at the college. She would
go in at weekends to clean and make him his favourite breakfast of eggs Benedict, and when his health deteriorated she was appointed by the college as his full-time carer for the last few months of his life. “The conversations we had,” she says. “Right up until the end, he was as sharp as a button. He even once said that if he had had a daughter, he would want her to be like me.” Stewart was hit hard by his death, but she was acutely aware of the need to keep a clear head: “My job is my job, and my personal feelings are separate. When I put one foot on the pavement, I’m in home mode. When I put one foot on the cobbles, I’m in work mode. It’s a discipline.” A clear managerial support structure helps when difficult or emotional situations arise – a bedder knows that worrying behaviour in one of their students can be reported to a supervisor, who will involve the student’s tutor or the college nurse or counsellor as necessary. Over time the role has changed, with most colleges moving away from the daily cleaning of students’ rooms, with twice weekly visits more common. Smith has noticed a change in attitude among students: “Students seem to be more savvy these days, they are wiser younger. Their expectation is quite different from what it used to be, and I think they see us as more of a domestic role and not so much as the caring role.” Nevertheless, Runham still feels that there is a place for pastoral care, particularly with the new students who are coming to college for the first time. For nervous freshers, she deliberately picks out staff who are able to spot the warning signs. “You’ve got to be a certain type of bedmaker to look after first years. They’re not as confident – for a lot of them it’s their first time away from home,” she explains. “You need to create the right atmosphere to ensure that the student is not isolated or unhappy. We’re always on the lookout, and I go to meet every single one of the students the first weekend they’re here.” Stewart, too, has noticed that her people skills still come in handy, despite her recent move from bedmaking to dusting the 180,000 books in King’s library. She gets to know the students’ regular habits – where they sit, who they sit with, and she has seen friendship groups form or break up at the library tables.
“I’m an employee, not a servant, and the job that I do does not define me as an individual. Respect is vital”
“There was a student once, a first year, and he was a nervous little kitten. For the first three months, we would have a chat every day, or he’d give me a wave when he came in. That was enough to settle him in,” she says. For some, though, the job will always be just a matter of cleaning. Harry Jones*, one of the few male bedders at St John’s, has done the job for 10 years, and for him it has never been about getting to know the students or socialising: “I knock on the door and ask if I can take the bin, and that’s about it. I prefer to keep things simple and just do my job.” ‘Just doing the job’ is more than a mundane task, however. Jones is not unusual among bedders in having a real love of cleaning, having helped his mother spring clean as a child, and Stewart describes how she enjoys cleaning, walking and talking: “And fortunately in this job I’m able to do all three!” One thing is certain: whatever their attitude to the role, bedders do not like to be taken for granted. “I’m an employee, not a servant, and the job that I do does not define me as an individual. Respect is vital,” says Stewart. Some students find it hard to adjust to having a bedder and are unsure how to relate to them. “Especially when they first start, they don’t know how to treat me,” says Jones. “Am I a servant? Should they call me by my name? Should they thank me?” He finds the challenge of rooms with lots of clutter on the floor frustrating. “We can’t touch their things, so we just have to work around it all. It can make it very difficult to get the job done.” Once, a student departed for the five-week Easter break leaving a plate of half-eaten spaghetti on his bed. “We left it there, and cleaned the rest of the room around it. It was strange because it didn’t turn mouldy, so when the student came back it was exactly as it had been when he’d walked out the door.” While today’s bedder is no longer a maidservant keeping the rooms of the gentleman scholar, and daily visits are a thing of the past, there does seem to still be a place for some of the unwritten traditions of the role. Even though the job is now done by both men and women of all ages, for some lonely or troubled students the bedder can still be a friendly face to turn to, and for many bedders that is still an aspect of the role that keeps them in the job. * Not his real name
Bedders at St John’s. Main picture: Louise Offley Above: Mandy Cairns
Lilian Runham and Louise Offley
Lilian Runham
Alicja Wankowicz
Find out more Vacancies for housekeeping staff usually appear in the local press and on individual college websites, as well as at www.jobs.cam.ac.uk
michaelmas term 2014 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 7
making a difference
Working for a good cause
ILLUSTRATIONS: Anna betts
Tax efficient and easier than running a marathon, payroll giving is a great way to support good causes. Paul Holland speaks to staff who have already signed up to give as they earn
Giving to good causes through your payslip makes tax sense for you and charities. Since its launch in late 2011 payroll giving, which allows you to donate to charity directly from your wages, has quietly raised close to £70,000. With fewer than 120 of the University’s approximately 9,000 staff signed up to it, the scheme has plenty of room to grow. But it is already allowing charities large and small to benefit from employees’ generosity – and is providing staff with a tax efficient way to give. The organisations which receive monthly donations range from worldleading research charities like the Meningitis Research Foundation, to local bodies like homelessness group
Cambridge Cyrenians. Many staff use the scheme to support charities that have close personal links. Nicola Fouhy, Employee Relations and Reward Analyst at the University’s Human Resources Division, helped implement payroll giving at the University and was one of its very first users. She says: “Our starting point was as a response to a growing number of employee requests for the scheme, especially those arriving here from organisations which did have the scheme. We also saw this as a way of supporting the University’s reputation as a socially responsible employer. “Finally it is a way to support employees wishing to make tax
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“Payroll giving is easy to set up and because my donation is taken from source I don’t miss it”
effective charitable donations. This can be particularly applicable to highearners but also to anyone on the cusp of a tax bracket.” Fouhy gives to Cancer Research UK as the disease touches many people’s lives, and because her father battled prostate cancer three years ago. “The success of my father’s treatment was largely due to breakthroughs in cancer research and pioneering technology available at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, which would not have been possible without funding. “The University scheme makes donating cost effective and convenient. The system allows you to sign up online and you can see how much is going out each month on your payslip.”
Rachel Burgess
Project Administrator, Domestic Devotions project Your chosen charities? Street Kids’ Community Village (SKCV), Rainforest Concern. Why them? Burgess has seen SKCV’s work in India first hand. The charity provides homes for destitute children. “I was totally blown away by the children I met, and amazed at the dedication of the staff. I donate to Rainforest Concern because I feel we all have a duty to protect the planet, however hopeless the overall situation may seem. We really do owe it to our children and our grandchildren.” Why use the scheme? Burgess would give to her chosen charities with or without the scheme but says: “The scheme is incredibly easy to set up (it only takes a few minutes) and is tax efficient. I would highly recommend using payroll giving – it makes the world a better place.”
“I am unlikely to run a marathon – I prefer to give each month on a regular basis”
Simon Cornish
Emily Heavens-Ward
Head of Operations, University of Cambridge Sport Your chosen charities? Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. Why them? It is thanks to the hospital’s staff that Cornish is alive today. “I think it’s a wonderful hospital,” says Cornish. “I was born with a medical condition that, if it had not been diagnosed and treated within a week or so, would have left me with severe physical and mental disabilities. In fact, I would not be alive now. The hospital was instrumental in getting the diagnosis and then undertook subsequent treatment and monitoring throughout my childhood. I have always been able to live a normal, healthy life.” Why use the scheme? Without payroll giving Cornish thinks he is unlikely to have given as much, if anything. “I probably would have been a bit lazy if I’m honest. But this is easy to set up and, because it’s taken from source it means I don’t miss it,” he says.
Chiara Ferrara
Prospect Information Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Your chosen charities? British Red Cross. Why them? Ferrara says: “I was in an accident a couple of years ago and they offer a service for lending wheelchairs for free. I used it while I recuperated, and although I had a bad experience with one volunteer, I was impressed with the charity’s response to the issue and, more importantly, their overall mission.” Why use the scheme? Although she would give to charity without the scheme Ferrara likes the fact that it allows you to give more. “I would still support them, but I probably would have given them a one-off donation or a lower value,” she says. The only negative aspect of payroll giving for her is that you do not get updates from your chosen charities.
Maria Wylie
International Student Administrator, International Student Team, Academic Division Your chosen charities? Kidney Research UK. Why them? For Wylie it is a personal issue. “My mother suffered a kidney failure a few years ago. She is now on the transplant list,” says Wylie. “I know research is improving lives right now. It is a field where something new is being discovered all the time. Mum used to have to go to hospital for dialysis three times a week but now she can do it at home.” Why use the scheme? When Wylie moved from Cambridge University Press to the University in 2007 she was surprised to find that payroll giving, offered by CUP, was not an option. When the scheme came online in 2011 she was one of the first to sign up. “I pounced on it. You don’t even notice the money is going out but it is nice to know that it is,” she says.
Group Secretary at the Microelectronics Research Centre, Department of Physics Your chosen charities? Macmillan Cancer Support, Meningitis Research Foundation, RSPCA, Stroke Association, The Royal British Legion. Why them? Giving to multiple charities is a family tradition but Heavens-Ward tries not to overlap with her relatives’ generosity and focuses on charities that resonate with her. “My aunt, Carol English, died very suddenly aged 55 from meningitis five years ago. It was a very distressing time and I am keen to support research into the disease.” The work of the Stroke Association also has a close family link. Her father had a mini-stroke seven years ago and that event has had a huge impact on his life. Why use the scheme? “I am unlikely ever to run a marathon and request sponsorship from my friends or family, or anything like that. I prefer to give each month on a regular basis,” she says.
What is payroll giving?
•
•
P ayroll giving (also known as Give As You Earn or workplace giving) allows employees to make monthly donations to any national or local charity or registered good cause directly from their gross pay. The chosen charity benefits by receiving regular donations without the need to claim back the tax from HM Revenue & Customs. B ecause the donation is taken from pay before tax is deducted, employees receive tax relief on their donation immediately and at their highest tax rate. For example, for 20 per cent tax
• •
payers it would only cost £8 to make a £10 donation. For 40 per cent tax payers it would only cost £6 to make the samesized donation. F or more information go to www. admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/staff/ benefits/giving/ or for further guidance ring the payroll giving helpline on 01271 326131. E mployees can donate to any local or national registered charity or good cause. For details of all UK registered charities visit the Charity Commission. One-off donations can also be made.
michaelmas term 2014 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 9
all photographs: cambridgeshire archives
feature
Patients treated at Princess Hospital for Women – part of Papworth TB colony – in the 1930s
Pioneering Papworth Early in 2015, building work is set to begin on a new home for Papworth Hospital on the Biomedical Campus. As Cambridge prepares to welcome the pioneering heart hospital, Becky Allen charts its extraordinary history
For a small village a dozen miles from Cambridge, Papworth Everard enjoys a global reputation. It was here in 1984 that surgeons conducted Europe’s first successful heart-lung transplant; two years later they performed the world’s first heart, lung and liver transplant; and in 2006 the UK’s first beating heart was transplanted. While for many Papworth Hospital is synonymous with pioneering transplant surgery, fewer know its origins lie in the pioneering work of a Cambridge doctor seeking better ways of tackling an ancient human scourge – tuberculosis (TB). How long humans have suffered TB is uncertain. “Scars on the lungs of mummies reveal signs of the pulmonary variety of the disease,” writes Dr Mary
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“The rural location that so suited a TB colony was less fitting for a 21st century specialist hospital”
Dobson in her new book Murderous Contagion: a Human History of Disease. “And some researchers have traced the evolutionary history of human tuberculosis back to hunter-gatherer groups in Africa 70,000 years ago.” Coming in many guises, affecting the bones, lymph nodes, nervous system and skin, the commonest form of TB is pulmonary. Symptoms include fever, night sweats, coughing up blood and physical wasting, and by the mid 19th century TB was killing one in four adults in Europe and the USA. With limited knowledge of the causative agent (the tubercle bacillus was discovered by Robert Koch at Rutgers University in 1882) and no cure, sanitoria sprung up to treat TB patients. The first was set up in 1863 in Görbersdorf,
Silesia, but the most famous – Schatzalp – opened its doors in the Swiss village of Davos in 1900. While fresh air and exercise figured in Alpine sanitoria, prescribed work – or graduated labour – was a prominent feature of treatment in UK sanitoria in the early 20th century. And it is against this backdrop that Papworth’s founder, Sir Pendrill Varrier-Jones, enters the picture. Born in Wales in 1883, he read Natural Sciences at St John’s. After studying medicine at St Bartholomew’s, he returned to Cambridge to work with pathologist Sir German Sims-Woodhead. But it was as Cambridgeshire’s TB Officer, a job he took in 1915, that Varrier-Jones began to realise TB patients needed more than sanitoria. Varrier-Jones: social pioneer He agreed TB patients needed fresh air and good food, and learned from the graduated work programme introduced at Surrey’s Frimley Sanitorium in 1905. But as well as a medic, Varrier-Jones was a social pioneer and a gifted entrepreneur. In 1916, in an old country house with two acres of grounds at Bourn, he set up the Cambridgeshire Tuberculosis Colony. Two nurses and a cook occupied the house, while the TB patients they looked after lived in wooden huts the patients themselves had built. “The beginning of the colony well illustrates the principles on which it is run. Patients are encouraged to follow an occupation as near as possible to that on which they were formerly engaged, with the result that the colony has developed on simple lines with the aid merely of the patients themselves,” wrote Varrier-Jones. “And the patients, seeing the efforts of their labours amply rewarded by the installation of another patient who has benefited from open-air treatment in a hut made by themselves, are encouraged to push on with other shelters.” Buoyed by his success at Bourn, Varrier-Jones set his sights on expansion, and with a £5,000 donation from the banker and philanthropist Sir Ernest Cassel bought Papworth Hall in 1917. Patients were first treated in the hospital, then transferred to the sanitorium and finally moved to the Papworth Village Settlement, with their families, to work in Papworth Industries, which eventually comprised everything from travel goods and shoemaking to cabinet making. “My aim is to establish at Papworth a consumptive working man’s university,” said Varrier-Jones.
The model allowed people to return to work gradually in a healthy environment. They had regular chest x-rays, lived in good quality housing and enjoyed healthy food grown by patients in Papworth’s market garden. By 1938, the settlement’s population had grown to more than 1,000 people, including patients, families and staff. Many of its nurses were former TB patients, and some patients spent the rest of their lives at Papworth. One such was Nora. Born on a farm in Wales, Nora contracted TB in London, where she had gone to work. Admitted to Papworth in 1937, she worked in the laboratory office at Papworth and married a fellow TB patient who worked in the cabinet-making workshop. In On the Road, published in 1977, she recalled: “I didn’t have the nerve to leave years ago. I wouldn’t want to leave now. I have no regrets. Papworth gave me security and independence, which is what I needed so much.” In 1948, Papworth became part of the newly formed NHS, and as TB rates declined during the 20th century thanks to vaccination and antibiotic treatment, developed into the UK’s largest specialist cardio-thoracic hospital. But the rural location that so suited a TB colony was less fitting for a 21st century specialist hospital, and for decades plans were mooted to move to Cambridge. Barring a last minute intervention by the health sector regulator Monitor, due to deliver its final report on the move to the government as the Newsletter goes to press, building work on the new Papworth Hospital on the Biomedical Campus will start in February 2015. Building for the next 100 years After planning the move for the past 10 years and enduring several set-backs, Papworth’s chief executive is cautiously optimistic. “I’d love to jump for joy but I’m a boring, cautious person,” he says. “I’m confident we will pass this last test, but I’m just wary because of the experience of the past few years.” He is certain, however, that a move is best for the hospital’s patients and its staff. “It’s a lovely historical quirk that we’re out in the village and that was the right place to be when TB was rife 100 years ago. But things move on and our rightful place now is as part of the big teaching hospital campus, where patients will get a better service,” he explains. “And for staff, it will be an even more
Patients relaxing in a TB chalet or hut, 1940s
Papworth Village Settlement continues to grow with further house building on Barons Way, 1950s
View from the Bernhard Baron Hospital balcony, 1930s
rewarding environment in which to work. Not just the new buildings, but the whole ethos and atmosphere of this great campus will give staff great opportunities for professional development.” The move will benefit the University’s tripartite mission of patient care, education and research, says Professor Patrick Maxwell, head of the School of Clinical Medicine. “If you’re a patient with heart or lung disease, it’s good to be in a specialised hospital. But diseases don’t respect organ boundaries. If you have heart surgery it’s not out of the question that you might develop other serious problems, and if that happens you want to be somewhere with comprehensive expert care.” Papworth ethos Students will benefit too, as will cardiothoracic research because the plans include building a heart and lung research institute alongside the new hospital. “Many of the best research ideas here come from chance encounters. It’s one of the major strengths of Cambridge’s collegiate system,” Maxwell explains. The major challenge will be transplanting Papworth’s community ethos to the new site. “The $64,000 question is how we bottle the ethos of what we’ve got here,” says Bridge. “Part of that is physical, which the architects are working hard at by embracing the courtyard feel of Cambridge colleges into the new designs. But part is to do with the can-do attitude of our staff.” Varrier-Jones would applaud the move to Cambridge, Bridge believes. “We have honoured and respected his legacy, but the time is right. If we want to continue his work for another 100 years, the right place for us to do that is in the Biomedical Campus setting.”
Find out more Varrier Jones’ original Papworth Trust charity continues to this day and is separate from the work of the hospital. It specialises in providing people with disabilities with personal care, housing, help with finding employment and access to leisure activities. It is based in Papworth and helps more than 20,000 disabled people each year across the eastern region and beyond. See www. papworthtrust.org.uk michaelmas term 2014 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 11
people
New heads of department at Sociology and POLIS Professor Patrick Baert and Professor David Runciman are the new heads of the Department of Sociology and the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS), respectively. Baert grew up in Brussels, coming to the UK for his PhD at the University of Oxford. Although his initial work was in social theory and philosophy of social science, his recent work has been more historical. His forthcoming book, The Existentialist Moment: the Rise of Sartre as a Public Intellectual, explores France’s intellectual landscape in the 1940s and seeks to explain why Sartre suddenly became such an influential figure in that decade. “I hope to be able to provide a structure in which especially our junior colleagues can thrive,” he said. “I would like us to extend our international networks, given that innovative and significant research in the social sciences increasingly depends on
Professor Patrick Baert
Professor David Runciman
such collaborative networks. Within the University, I would like us to make productive links and collaborations with other departments and faculties.” The Department of Sociology’s strengths, Baert believes, lie in the excellence and diversity of its work. “The core faculty is relatively small but we have expertise in a wide range of areas. We are diverse both in terms of subject matter and method,” he said. “We also have a healthy stream of research projects and grants in various areas.” David Runciman, Professor of Politics and Fellow of Trinity Hall, took over as Head of Department of POLIS on 1 October. A political theorist specialising in the history of modern political thought and theories of democracy and the state, his books include The Politics of Good Intentions, Political Hypocrisy and The Confidence Trap, and he is currently joint Principal Investigator on two major research projects at CRASSH: ‘Conspiracy
and democracy’ and ‘Digital society’. A writer on a wide variety of topics, his article on Lance Armstrong and the doping conspiracy inside professional cycling is the inspiration behind the forthcoming film Icon, directed by Stephen Frears. Believing that POLIS’ strengths stem from its diversity, he said: “We are not associated with any particular school in the study of politics or international relations – and in the fact that we see the academic study of politics as being informed by real world events as they unfold in real time.” As well as establishing a more secure base for graduate funding and seeing POLIS expand as a home for postdoctoral students, Runciman wants to develop the department’s public policy programme. “The hope is that we can develop a public policy research centre that builds on many of Cambridge’s unique strengths in this field,” he added.
New University-wide equality champions announced Professors Judith Lieu and Anne Davis have been appointed gender equality champions for the University. Professor Lieu (Faculty of Divinity, pictured top) will cover gender activities for the Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences. Professor Davis will have responsibility for STEMM subjects. They succeed the University’s former gender equality champion, Professor Dame Athene Donald, who became Master of Churchill in October. Davis said that while improvements have been made in gender equality
within the University, there is still a long way to go: “There are still assumptions and attitudes and not enough women represented at all levels within the University. You cannot call yourself a top university if you only utilise the talents of a proportion of the country defined by gender.” Lieu added: “This is not just an issue for women – it is an issue for the University, not just because of equality legislation, but because fostering the best talent is paramount.” The new equality champions for Schools and institutions are:
Cambridge welcomes new HR director October sees Sheila Gupta MBE succeed Indi Seehra as the University’s Director of Human Resources. She joins Cambridge from the University of Edinburgh, where she was Director of Human Resources for seven years. Gupta brings with her a wealth of experience, having also worked in senior leadership roles in HR at City University London and the Institute of Education, University of London. She holds a number of non-executive roles and served as an independent member of the Education Honours
Sheila Gupta MBE
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Committee from 2007 to 2013. Gupta said: “I am delighted to be joining the University of Cambridge and to have the opportunity to work with colleagues across the institution in shaping and delivering an exciting and innovative HR strategy that supports the University’s ambitions.” Jonathan Nicholls, the University’s Registrary, said: “Sheila brings considerable experience and knowledge of people, leadership and the sector, which will benefit the whole University in the next phase of its development.”
Dr Minna Sunikka-Blank, Professor John Rink (Arts and Humanities); Professor Alison Bashford, Dr Brendan Burchell (Humanities and Social Sciences); Professor Valerie Gibson, Dr Nick Bampos (Physical Sciences); Professor Gordon Smith, Professor Fiona Karet (Clinical Medicine); Dr Tim Minshall, Professor Sabine Bahn (Technology); Professor Ottoline Leyser, Professor Daniel St Johnston (Biological Sciences); Geraldine Dufour, Tim Knox (institutions independent of any School).
In brief ➔ Dr Stanley Bill has been appointed University Lecturer in Polish Studies in the Department of Slavonic Studies. This newly created post marks the start of a pilot scheme for Polish Studies at Cambridge. ➔ Professor Christopher Munro Clark is the new Regius Professor of History, succeeding Professor Sir Richard Evans on 1 October. The Vice-Chancellor said: “We applaud him as a worthy successor to Richard and wish him well in his tenure of the Regius Chair.”
advertisements Advertising on this page is open to University staff. The cost is £15 for a single insertion or £75 for six insertions. The deadline for the next issue is 10 January 2015. Please send your copy – no longer than 70 words – to the Editor at newsletter@admin.cam.ac.uk. We reserve the right to edit contributions. HOUSES TO RENT (UK) ➔ Butley, Suffolk Comfortable, spacious, well equipped cottage with piano in Butley, Suffolk. Available for Aldeburgh Festival, weekends and short breaks throughout the year. Close to Orford, Sutton Hoo, Snape and Minsmere. Sleeps up to eight. Call Miranda on (01223) 357035 or email info@butleycottage.co.uk. More information at www.butleycottage.co.uk. ➔ Cornwall Traditional granite cottage in peaceful countryside between St Ives and Penzance. Sleeps five in three bedrooms, with comfortable sitting room, kitchen-breakfast room and bathroom. Sunny garden and off-road parking. Close to beaches and coves, coastal path, sub-tropical gardens, historic properties. Email Penny on pb29@ cam.ac.uk or phone (01638) 507192. Details and photos at www.tinminerscottage.co.uk. ➔ North Yorkshire coast Comfortable, Georgian house available for holiday lets in Robin Hood’s Bay. Large garden, sea views, central heating and private
parking. Sleeps nine plus but special rates for couples and small parties. On the ground floor there is a kitchen, dining room and sitting room. On the first floor there are three bedrooms (one en-suite), family bathroom and a further sitting room. There are two further bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor. For further information contact Val Everton on 07592 590727 or val.everton@ yahoo.co.uk. ➔ Southwold, Suffolk 17th century Leman cottage with three bedrooms. It is well equipped with Wi-Fi. Set in peaceful countryside with off-road parking and an enclosed sunny garden. Weekly lets in school holidays available and flexible short breaks the rest of the year. Easy walk, cycle or drive to explore Heritage Coast, historic churches and more. More info and for more cottages sleeping two to eight see www. suffolkcoastalcottages.co.uk or phone Trish Gower on 01502 478078. ➔ South Devon Luxury Holiday Lodge situated in a five-star award-winning holiday park on the edge of Dartmoor.
Sleeps four in two bedrooms with open plan living and dining, and outside decking with hot tub. Ideal for families or for couples who want a quiet, relaxing break. Close to Torbay, Jurassic Coast and Exeter, Holiday Park has a host of activities for children of all ages. No pets. For details email howard@hfcs.co.uk or telephone 01223 362366. HOUSES TO RENT (OVERSEAS) ➔ Languedoc countryside Historic village house in beautiful Languedoc countryside, with spring-fed lake, river swimming, walks, Cathar castles, markets and vineyards close by. Stylishly renovated, with panoramic views of Corbières hills from roof terrace. Use of garden. Sleeps four or five with two bedrooms, bathroom and ensuite; state-of-the-art kitchen; separate dining and living rooms. 40 minutes from Carcassonne airport. The us of a car is essential. Available now for short (€550-€750) and long lets. Email maisondelacamp@gmail.com or visit www.corbiereshouse.com/ index.php/contact.
➔ Hydra, Greece Historic 1810 mansion lovingly restored by family of original owners and converted into a beautiful boutique hotel. Located on a car-free island opposite the Peloponnese and only 200 metres from the port (where sea taxis to beaches and coves can be taken). Cafés and restaurants a short walk away, although the house is situated in a quiet area with courtyards, garden and veranda with lovely views. High-quality suites/rooms with authentic furnishings. Jacuzzi/ internet available. Email info@ cotommatae.gr or visit www. cotommatae.gr/en-us/home/ cotommatae-hydra. ➔ Amalfi Coast, Italy Small B&B in peaceful, traffic-free mountain village above Positano. Ideal for those seeking a quiet mountain retreat with modern conveniences. All rooms ensuite with panoramic sea views of the Amalfi coast. Situated on famous Sentiero degli Dei (Footpath of the Gods). English speaking host. Double room and breakfast from 70 euros per night. Easyjet flights to Naples from Stansted. Phone
Penny Marrone on 01954 210681. Further information and photos at http://ninobb.moonfruit.com. ➔ Bad Tölz, Bavaria, Southern Germany Small, family-run hotel in beautiful Bavarian countryside 55km south of Munich. Situated in Bad Tölz, a delightful spa town, this stylish and comfortable hotel is close to the River Isar and the historic centre. All rooms ensuite with views of the nearby mountains. English speaking host. Easyjet flights to Munich from Stansted. Double room with breakfast approximately 100 euros per night. Further information available from info@landhaus-iris.de or www.landhaus-iris.de. SERVICES ➔ Cambridge Regional College art classes Art classes at Cambridge Regional College: Pottery, Digital Photography, Printmaking, Stained Glass, Start with Art, Creative Metal Craft, Jewellery, Creative Woodcraft. Classes start throughout the year. Visit www.camre.ac.uk or call 01223 226315 for more information.
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michaelmas term 2014 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter | 13
prizes, awards and honours
Awards
Dr Cinzia Cantacessi
DREW GARDNER
➔ Professor Sir David Baulcombe (Department of Plant Sciences) has won this year’s Gruber Genetics Prize and has also been elected president of the Biochemical Society. ➔ Professor Jeremy Baumberg of the Department of Physics has been awarded the Royal Society’s Rumford medal for his outstanding creativity in nanophotonics. ➔ Dr Clémence Blouet (Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science) is among the four winners of the 2014 L’Oréal-UNESCO UK & Ireland for Women in Science Fellowships. ➔ The Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz and Professor John Barrow of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics have received honorary doctorates from the University of South Wales. ➔ Professor Carol Brayne (Department of Public Health and Primary Care); Professor Nicholas Coleman (Department of Pathology); Professor Berthold Göttgens (Department of Haematology); Dr Philip Jones (Department of Oncology); Professor John O’Brien (Department of Psychiatry); Professor Willem Ouwehand (Department of Haematology); Professor Antonio Vidal-Puig (Department of Clinical Biochemistry) and Dr Douglas Winton (Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute) have been elected Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences. ➔ Professor Cyprian Broodbank (Department of Archaeology) won this year’s Wolfson History Prize for his book The Making of the Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean from the Beginning to the Emergence of the Classical World. “Its shifting vision keeps the reader on the move, from port to port,” said one of the judges, Professor Julia Smith. ➔ Edward Button (Pembroke College) has been awarded the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Europe’s 2014 Iain More award, which recognises outstanding achievements by an emerging development professional. ➔ Dr Cinzia Cantacessi (Department of Veterinary Medicine) has won the inaugural Odile Bain Memorial Prize for early career scientists who have made an outstanding contribution to the fields of medical and veterinary parasitology. ➔ Dr Vasco Carvalho (Faculty of Economics) has won this year’s Wiley Prize in Economics.
Dr Clémence Blouet
Dr Sarah Bohndiek
Dr Preti Taneja
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➔ Professor Jennifer Clack of the Department of Zoology has been elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and in July she was awarded honorary doctorate by the University of Leicester. ➔ Professor David Farrington (Institute of Criminology) has won the American Society of Criminology’s August Vollmer Award. ➔ In July 2014, the British Academy elected 42 new Fellows, including Professor Marina Frolova-Walker (Faculty of Music), Professor Susan Gathercole (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit), Professor Matthew Kramer (Faculty of Law), Professor Rae Langton (Faculty of Philosophy) and Professor Judith Lieu of the Faculty of Divinity. ➔ The Royal Society announced the election of its new Fellows in May, including ten University of Cambridge academics: Professor Geoffrey Grimmett (Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics); Professor Richard Hills (Department of Physics); Dr Timothy Holland, (Department of Earth Sciences); Professor Martin Johnson (Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience); Professor Vladimir Markovic (Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics); Professor Paul Midgley (Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy); Dr Karalyn Patterson (Department of Clinical Neurosciences); Professor Randy Read (Department of Haematology); Professor David Ron (Department of Clinical Biochemistry); and Dr Julian Parkhill (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute). ➔ Dr Richard Hickman of the Faculty of Education has won the World Congress of the International Society for Education through Art’s Sir Herbert Read lifetime achievement award. ➔ Professor Martin Johnson of the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience has been awarded Honorary Membership of the Physiological Society. ➔ Professor Robert Mair of the Department of Engineering has been elected vice president of the Institution of Civil Engineers. ➔ Three of this year’s Royal Society of Chemistry awards have gone to Department of Chemistry academics. Professor Ian Paterson won the Natural Product Chemistry Award, Dr Erwin Reisner won the Harrison-Meldola
Memorial Prize, Professor David Spring won the Corday-Morgan Prize for the most meritorious contributions to chemistry, and the Chemistry Education Award went to Dr Keith Taber of the Faculty of Education. ➔ Professor Henrietta Moore of the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Queen’s University Belfast. ➔ Professor Richard Samworth of the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics has been named a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. ➔ Three Department of Physics researchers have won four awards from the Institute of Physics. Professor Michael Payne won a gold medal for his research into computational techniques that have revolutionised materials design, and the Swan Medal for outstanding contributions to the organisation or application of physics in an industrial or commercial context. The IoP’s Franklin Medal and Prize for distinguished research in physics applied to the life sciences was awarded to Professor Benjamin Simons and the Paterson Medal and Prize for distinguished early career research in applied physics to Dr Sarah Bohndiek. ➔ Dr John Swenson-Wright (Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies) has won the Institute for International Policy Studies’ Nakasone Yasuhiro Award. ➔ Dr Preti Taneja (Jesus College) is one of BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Thinkers. The group of 10 early career academics will spend a year working with presenters and producers to turn their research into engaging radio. “I’m very excited to have been chosen,” she said. “It means that I’m going to join a group of people who really care about ideas and about communicating them to the wider public, and that’s why I wanted to be an academic.” ➔ Nan Taplin (Department of Italian) has won the Environmental Hero Award in the 2014 Green Impact Awards. The driving force behind the Faculty of Modern & Medieval Languages’ bronze award, Taplin has encouraged staff and students across the Sidgwick site to get more involved in environmental initiatives. The Environmental Improvement Award went to Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership for their vegetable garden. Using a patch of barren land, CISL’s veg plot provides food for staff, a wildlife habitat plus a
prizes, awards and honours
Queen’s Birthday honours ➔ The 2014 Queen’s Birthday honours included a knighthood for Professor David Spiegelhalter (Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics) for services to statistics. Professor Jeremy Sanders of the Department of Chemistry has been made CBE for services to higher education and scientific research. For services to higher education and women in science, Dr Helen Mason (Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics) was made OBE. If you have an awards story, send your text (maximum 70 words) to the Editor by 28 November at newsletter@admin.cam.ac.uk. We reserve the right to edit contributions.
Pilkington Prizes celebrate excellent teaching
philip mynott
place to compost tea bags and other food waste. This year saw 17 buildings, departments and colleges win bronze awards, with 15 silver and six gold awards. ➔ Professor Steve Young will be the 2015 recipient of the IEEE James L. Flanagan Speech and Audio Processing Award.
A dozen academic staff received Pilkington Prizes this year at an event hosted by Downing. The annual prizes, which honour excellence in teaching across the collegiate University, went to Dr Michael Aitken (Department of Psychology), Dr Alastair Beresford (Computer Laboratory), Dr Sally Boss (Department of Chemistry), Professor Richard Fentiman (Faculty of Law), Dr Rachael Harris (Faculty of Eastern
“You get the impression she loves what she teaches and that certainly rubs off in the lectures”
and Middle Eastern Studies), Professor Christopher Howe (Department of Biochemistry), Dr Sriya Iyer (Faculty of Economics), Dr John Maclennan (Department of Earth Sciences), Professor Michael Potter (Faculty of Philosophy), Dr Sally Quilligan (School of Clinical Medicine), Dr Andrew Rice (Faculty of Computer Science and Technology) and Dr Jeremy Webb (School of Clinical Medicine). Now in their 21st year, the prizes were initiated by Sir Alastair Pilkington, the first chairman of the Cambridge Foundation. His conviction that excellent teaching was crucial to Cambridge’s success is exemplified by students’ comments about their lecturers. Describing Iyer as a “brilliant lecturer”, one student added: “You get the impression she loves what she teaches and that certainly rubs off in the lectures.” Another credited Fentiman – whose entertaining and invigorating lectures have engaged students for many years – with the ability to make “even the dreariest topic seem exciting”.
the pitt building … a conference centre of distinction in central Cambridge • University discounts available • Meeting rooms to hire by the hour • Flexible conference and meeting room facilities accommodating 2 to 250 people • Syndicate rooms seating 10 to 15 delegates • Year-round availability • Complimentary WiFi access throughout
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