The college held its first full graduation ceremony with guests since 2019 on the afternoon of July 1st. General Admission took its traditional form with students gathering in Old Court for a commemorative photograph, and then processing to the university Senate House to receive their degrees from the Master in his role as the vice-chancellor’s deputy. We were delighted to be joined by so many family members and friends, and we offer the heartiest congratulations to our new graduates.
Graduation 2022
You can watch a video of the entire ceremony here (starts 18’30” in):
We welcome Lucy Turnell who has now taken over as college Nurse and Welfare Officer.
This represents a further expansion in the nursing and welfare provision within the college. Until relatively recently, the nurse was a part-time role and during term only; and it has become full time and year-round. This is possible because of the generous benefaction of Peter and Christina Dawson.
We also have, thanks to them, the Dawson Fund which provides support for students and specialist expertise on mental health.
The college has elected James Helm as a fellow. James is the new directorof external affairs and communications for the University of Cambridge, and he is taking on responsibility for all of Cambridge’s external and internal communications, public affairs and public engagement.
James, a Cambridge alumnus, is a former BBC correspondent and he was previously director of communications for the Metropolitan Police. He has also worked in Whitehall. On his appointment he said: “I’m extremely pleased and honoured to be taking up this post, and I am really looking forward to working with colleagues and helping this world-leading university to tell its brilliant story.”
James was elected a fellow at Selwyn in early May, and he will officially be installed in June. He joins Jessica Gardner, the University Librarian, as members of the fellowship with a key role in the university.
The college has admitted Peter and Christina Dawson as Fellow Benefactors. This is in recognition of their generosity to the college in establishing the Dawson Fund for mental health and more recently in funding the expansion of our nursing support within Selwyn.
Mr and Mrs Dawson were welcomed as Fellow Benefactors and formally admitted to the role in a short ceremony in the Master’s Lodge on Thursday April 7th, and they were then entertained to dinner in Hall with fellows, students and staff representatives. The Dawson Fund means that current Selwyn members can be given immediate and specialist help on a range of mental health issues; and the expanded role of nurse has resulted in advice being available full-time and year-round as against provision which had formerly been part-time and term-only.
The role of Fellow Benefactor was created by Selwyn in 2016 to mark exceptional philanthropy. The Dawsons join a distinguished list:
· Jim Dickinson
· Robert Martin
· Katya Speciale
· Robin Jeffs (who sadly died in 2021)
· Tom Bartlam
· Gareth Quarry
· Jill Whitehouse
We are enormously grateful to them, and to everyone who supports the college and its students.
After the inevitable disruption caused by the pandemic, our school outreach programme is now back in top gear. For the first time at Selwyn, we have two school liaison officers: Amelia Grigg based in Cambridge, and Joe Stanley based in Yorkshire. This reflects our commitment to finding students from all across the United Kingdom, and paying attention to areas where there might have been under-representation.
Joe Stanley at Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley
Joe reports on his early weeks in his new post:
“My first weeks as the Northern SLO at Selwyn have been fantastic. I’ve been out and about in West Yorkshire delivering sessions to Heckmondwike Grammar School, Dixon’s Unity Academy, and Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley, and I’ve booked several school visits to Selwyn in June and July. I am working with my mentor, Sian, the Queens’ College SLO for Bradford, and I’m visiting several schools to ‘Introduce Cambridge’ to Year 9s and Y10s. I’ve had several virtual meetings with teachers at schools and colleges in West Yorkshire about how I can best support their students who are considering a Cambridge application and I’ve already met some really talented young people who would thrive at Cambridge. All in all it’s been an exciting time.”
We are delighted to announce that this year's Ramsay Murray Lecture - our prestigious annual event - will be delivered by Anand Menon, Director of UK in a Changing Europe. It will be titled "Britain after Brexit". Previous Ramsay Murray lecturers have ranged from Bridget Kendall and Frank Gardner to Niall Ferguson and Sir Michael Howard.
After all the years of debate, and the passions of the Brexit referendum and its aftermath, the United Kingdom is now outside the European Union. What really happened and what does it mean now? The distinguished academic Professor Anand Menon offers an overview of Britain after Brexit. UK in a Changing Europe, which is co-ordinated from King’s College London, provides authoritative, non-partisan analysis about UK-EU relations.
The college is delighted to announce that it has selected a new chaplain and dean of chapel. She will be the Rev’d Dr Arabella Milbank Robinson, currently associate rector in the parish of Louth in Lincolnshire.
Arabella went to school in Nottinghamshire and Virginia, USA, and then to New College Oxford where she was awarded a first in English and modern languages. She later studied for a PhD in medieval English literature at Emmanuel College Cambridge; and has also completed an MPhil in Christian theology with a dissertation prize from the faculty of Divinity.
Arabella will join the college in September ready for the next academic year, taking over from Hugh Shilson-Thomas who has served the college so well over the past 14 years.
.jpg)
