Arabella Milbank Robinson, Dean of Chapel and Chaplain

Arabella is a priest in the Church of England. After early years in Cambridge and Charlottesville, Virginia, she studied English and French followed by Medieval Studies at New College, Oxford. This was followed by a PhD in Medieval Literature and an MPhil in Theology from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Arabella worked as a parish priest in Louth and its surrounding villages on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds before coming to Selwyn in 2022. She is married to a priest, Jim, who is currently fully occupied looking after her two children, Aubrey (7) and Ivor (1), their cat and two bantam hens. As Dean of Chapel, Arabella has oversight of all services and events in Chapel, and as Chaplain is a pastoral support to the whole College community. She endeavours always to have an open door, ear, or at the very least email inbox for you!

Jonathan Collis, Honorary Assistant Chaplain

Jonathan is an old member of Selwyn, who read Classics and then Theology at the end of the 1980s. During his time as a worshipper in the chapel he was confirmed, and after a year in the Solomon Islands with the Melanesian Mission and five years issuing special marriage licences for the Archbishop of Canterbury went to Westcott House back in Cambridge to train for the ministry. He did a curacy in St Neots, and then spent seven years at Jesus College as chaplain and twelve years in the somewhat different milieu of Southend on Sea as a vicar before returning to Cambridge. He is now Rector of St Botolph's church at the end of Silver Street, whose parish includes Newnham College though for some historical reason carefully skirts Selwyn. His wife, Judith, is senior tutor of St Edmund's College, and has one daughter of sixth form age and another recently graduated. He is very pleased to be back and part of the team as assistant chaplain.

Sam Tudor, Ordinand on Attachment

Sam is in his final year of training for ordination in the Church of England at Westcott House and a member of Selwyn College reading for an MPhil in Christian Theology. Sam is originally from Essex but studied his undergraduate degree in Theology at Durham University. Since then, Sam has worked with churches in Geneva and Gibraltar, and worked for a year with the Mission to Seafarers in Hong Kong before coming to Cambridge. Sam enjoys a game of darts and pool (but doesn't claim to be good at either) and watching the Formula 1.

We are pleased to welcome Sam as an Ordinand from Westcott House, who will be on placement with us at Selwyn College Chapel. Sam will be required to reflect on his experiences at Selwyn as part of his academic work. The work will be marked and seen only by examiners. All names and identifying details will be changed. If you have concerns about this or would rather that he didn't reflect on any encounter with you, please contact him on smat2@cam.ac.uk and / or Arabella on amm245@cam.ac.uk. 

Andrew Isaac

Andrew Isaac is an ordinand in training at Ridley Hall for the Diocese of Manchester. Originally from Kerala, India, Andrew was first attracted to ordained ministry in the Church of England while he was a member of the Community of St. Anselm, established by Archbishop Justin as a new monastic programme for young adults. Andrew explored this call while completing his Masters in Chaplaincy Studies, in Manchester. Andrew is interested in safeguarding, particularly in constructing theologies of safeguarding, and is currently pursuing an MPhil in Christian Theology. Andrew likes Tamil and Malayalam movies, and cycling. 

We are pleased to welcome Andrew, and ordinand from Ridley Hall, who will be on placement with us at Selwyn College Chapel. Andrew will be required to reflect on his experiences at Selwyn as part of his academic work. The work will be marked and seen only by examiners. All names and identifying details will be changed. If you have concerns about this or would rather that he didn't reflect on any encounter with you, please contact Andrew on aj735@cam.ac.uk and/or Arabella on amm245@cam.ac.uk 

Rebecca Wilson, Chapel Administrator

College room: Old Court D7B
Telephone: 01223 746 950
Email: chapel-administrator@sel.cam.ac.uk

Rebecca joined the team in June 2022, following a period of pandemic-extended maternity leave. Prior to this, Rebecca worked as Family Missioner for her local parish church, and is experienced in administration in many industries including travel, events, and museums. She is Mum to three lively children, Eli, Kit and Daisy, and spends the time when she is not at work playing with them! She is a deacon of her local Baptist Church, which would appear to take up any remaining 'free time'. 

Sarah MacDonald, Director of Music

College Room: Old Court Old Archives
Telephone: 01223 335 877
Email: seam100@cam.ac.uk

Sarah came to the UK from her native Canada in 1992 as Organ Scholar of Robinson College, Cambridge, after studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto with Leon Fleisher, Marek Jablonski, and John Tuttle.  At Cambridge she studied the organ with David Sanger. She has been at Selwyn since 1999, and is the first woman to hold such a post in an Oxbridge Chapel. Sarah has made over 35 commercial recordings, variously in the guises of pianist, organist, conductor, and producer; she is a winner of the Royal College of Organists (RCO) Limpus Prize. Sarah has taught organ and conducting for Rodolfus Choral Courses, Oundle for Organists, the Jennifer Bate Organ Academy, and courses run by the RCO, and she has directed the annual Girl Chorister Course at St Thomas’ Church Fifth Avenue, in New York City and well as other residential choral courses in the States. She is a Fellow and Examiner of the RCO and a sought-after Fugue supervisor. She is also well-known as a composer, with over 50 published titles, and her liturgical music is performed worldwide. She is also Director of Ely Cathedral's Girl Choristers, Organist to the University of Cambridge, and President-elect of the Royal College of Organists.

Caille Sugarman-Banaszak, Choir Administrator

College Room: Old Court Old Archives
Telephone: 01223 331 395
Email: cps29@cam.ac.uk

Caille first came to Selwyn in 2001 where she completed both an MPhil (2002) and PGCE (2004) in History. Moving on to the glorious world of Secondary School teaching, she taught at the Parkside Federation in Cambridge until 2008. She then realised that music performance and organisation (something she always pursued) were more in line with her vision of the future. An active choral singer and soloist in both Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, she regularly sings with Cantilena Singers, directs the Lanwades Hall Players, and is a regular principal with the Swaffham Bulbeck Summer Theatre. She can be found in the choir music office three or four mornings a week.

Shanna Hart, Organist and alumna (sh816) 

Shanna is currently Director of Music at St Botolph-without-Aldgate, London, and Assistant Organist at Homerton and Selwyn Colleges. Prior to this, she was organ scholar at Selwyn (2014-18, where she read Music and History and Philosophy of Science), then Graduate Organist for Robinson College, Cambridge, and Joint Accompanist for St John’s Voices (both 2018-2019), attaining her FRCO in 2019. She has played for several single-composer CD recordings with Cambridge college choirs, including those of Mathias (Naxos), Quinn (Regent) and Vaughan Williams (Regent).

Shanna performs regularly as a recitalist. She was a semi-finalist in the IAO-RCO Organ Playing Competition 2022, and she has a particular interest in baroque music and counterpoint and enjoys teaching fugue and practical skills to Cambridge undergraduates as part of a varied teaching career. She also holds a full-time job at the Royal Society of Chemistry and in her spare time enjoys astro- and wildlife photography.