A Selwyn PhD student, Rashmi Becker, has been leading a project to capture photographs of people across the UK with learning disabilities and autism. Rashmi, who was also an undergraduate at the College, is behind a book and exhibition depicting images of people with a learning disability. It challenges negative perceptions by highlighting their everyday moments and their milestones in life – from leaving school to getting married.

The book was undertaken with Jerwood Photography prize winner Polly Braden, who spent two years travelling the country photographing people and capturing their stories. As well as helping to turn this into a beautiful book, Rashmi worked with the National Media Museum in Bradford to host a major exhibition in their main gallery which will run until mid-April. The picture (below) shows Rashmi, left, at the opening of the exhibition.

Rashmi will be continuing her PhD in Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry, where her research focuses on improving care for people with a learning disability.

The College held a three-minute thesis competition this week. The intention was to provide students with an opportunity to
present about their work (projects or dissertations and not regular supervision essays) briefly and in a convivial
atmosphere. A wide range of students from both the JCR and MCR took part, and our photographs show two of the winners. Rob
Byron, an undergraduate Classics student, is pictured with the Master, Roger Mosey, who was one of the judging panel; and
graduate student Camille Stavrakas is shown with another judge, Dr Emily Charnock.

A group of five Selwyn first year students made the national final of a competition to develop the power of the internet to solve social and environmental issues. The challenge was issued by Cisco, who wanted students to show how “the internet of everything” – the concept of embedding physical objects (tools, vehicles, buildings) with technology and connecting them to the internet – is becoming a vital part of the modern world.

The Selwyn group came up with a new app to help people with diabetes: issuing alerts when they need to take action to safeguard their health, and using a ‘smart fridge’ to collect information about their food consumption. They didn’t win the overall prize, but Cisco said they “wowed” the judges.  “I was blown away by the young talent we have across the UK Universities,” said Phil Smith, Chief Executive, Cisco Systems UK & Ireland, and part of the judging panel.

The photograph shows the Selwyn team on the day of their pitch. They are Raghul Parthipan (the team leader, centre), Xiaofan Zhang, Markos Loizou, Diya Rajan and Georgios Patsalidis.

The College is pleased to announce that Dr Janet O’Sullivan has been elected as Vice-Master to succeed Dr Michael Tilby, who will retire at the end of this academic year.

Dr O’Sullivan is a Fellow in Law and also Dean of Selwyn. She went to a state school in Essex before reading Law at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where she was senior scholar and graduated with the highest first in Part II of the Law tripos. She then worked as a commercial lawyer in the City firm Slaughter and May. In 1994 she was elected to a Fellowship at Selwyn, and has been director of studies in Law from then until the present day.

In 1996 she was also appointed to a University Lectureship in the Law Faculty, and subsequently promoted to a Senior Lectureship.  In 2005, she won a Pilkington Teaching Prize for Excellence in University teaching. She was awarded a PhD in 2010 on the basis of published research.

The Master of Selwyn, Roger Mosey, said: “Michael Tilby has done a wonderful job as Vice-Master, and I’m delighted that Janet O’Sullivan has been chosen by the Fellowship to succeed him. She is liked and respected by colleagues, staff and students alike; and I’ll very much look forward to working with her to deliver the ambitions we all have for Selwyn.”

Selwyn’s rowers are in the final stages of preparation for Cambridge’s Lent Bumps: the first big event of 2016 on the river. The College Boat Club is profiling some of the athletes who are taking part, and our photograph on the homepage and below shows Nigel Coburn. He’s a graduate student working for the European Space Agency on Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS devices) for use in space satellites. You can read more about his work, and about why he decided to take up rowing at University, on the Boat Club’s website here: https://selwynrowing.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/athletes-of-scbc-nigel-coburn/

Also profiled is Eleanor Salter (below) from the women’s crew: https://selwynrowing.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/women-of-scbc-eleanor-salter-se-2015-2/

There’s a full guide to the Lent Bumps on the University Boat Club website http://www.cucbc.org/lents.

The College is delighted to announce that its keynote Ramsay Murray Lecture will be given this year by Professor Theda Skocpol. She is the Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University, and a distinguished commentator on American politics and society. In the year of an American election which is more unpredictable than any in recent times – as the turbulent Primary season is already showing – Professor Skocpol will be sharing her insights about the legacy of Barack Obama, and the forces driving US politics.

You can read more about Professor Skocpol here http://www.gov.harvard.edu/people/faculty/theda-skocpol. The title of her lecture will be announced soon, and it will take place on Friday May 6^th at 5.30pm. It’s free, and all are welcome. There’s information online for all Selwyn events: http://www.selwynalumni.com/eventscalendar.

Theda Skocpol

photo credit: Martha Stewart

Last year’s Ramsay Murray Lecture was given by Bridget Kendall on the subject of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. It can be viewed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjSoK1hidww.

Congratulations to Sophia Connell, Selwyn’s Fellow and Director of Studies in Philosophy, on being
awarded a prestigious Pilkington Prize for the excellence of her teaching. The awards are made by
the University of Cambridge, and the full details are at
http://www.csah.cam.ac.uk/news/pilkington-prize-2016

Dr Connell is also an Admissions Tutor at Selwyn. Her book on Aristotle on Female Animals: A Study
of the Generation of Animals (Cambridge Classical Studies) was published last month.

The Memorial Service was held on Saturday January 30^th for Professor Owen Chadwick, the much-loved former Master of Selwyn who died last summer at the age of 99. There was a large turnout at Great St Mary’s Church in the centre of Cambridge, with the Chadwick family and College Fellows being joined by alumni and friends. The Queen was represented by Lord Fellowes.

You can see photographs from the event here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/selalum/albums/72157661954386714

Addresses were given by Owen’s daughter, Helen; by Professor John Morrill from Selwyn; and Richard Harries, former bishop of Oxford and a Selwyn alumnus. The texts are now online: https://issuu.com/sel-alum/stacks/dc5df95e0ac548da9d02a5a809c0a659

There is also a sound recording of the service: https://soundcloud.com/selwyn-college/memorial-service-for-owen-chadwick

We would like to thank all who so generously donated in the retiring collection to student hardship funds and to the Chapel. If you weren’t able to attend the service and would like to make a gift in Owen’s memory, please send it to the Owen Chadwick Fund, c/o the Alumni and Development Office, Selwyn, College, Cambridge CB3 9DQ. If you prefer to make a donation by credit card, you can telephone Ann Farrell, Development Officer, on 01223 767845.  

Selwyn hoisted the rainbow flag on Monday February 1st for LGBT History Month.

Following a joint proposal by the JCR and MCR, which was approved by the College Council, the LGBT+ rainbow flag was raised above Old Court by Lee Robertson and Milan Vru?ini? (JCR and MCR representatives). Watching were the Master, the Senior Tutor, Dr James Keeler and the Head Porter.

The College has been in the news recently following the discovery of a Victorian gyp - a small kitchen - during the
refurbishment of F staircase. It was uncovered by Selwyn’s Maintenance team; and the find included postcards, cigarette
cards and a photograph of Chapel from the early 20th century. A crew from ITV Anglia visited to film the gyp and to talk to
Doug Benzie from maintenance and History Fellow David Smith. You can watch the video report by clicking the ‘play’ button
at the bottom of this page:

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2016-01-29/a-rare-slice-of-history-uncovered-in-cambridge/

The story was also covered in the Cambridge News:

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Selwyn-College-uncovers-hidden-treasure-trove/story-28600864-detail/story.html

The plan now is to cover the gyp with safety glass so that it will be preserved and visible for future generations.