St John's College Alumni eNewsletter - September 2022

College and Alumni News for September 2022

Welcoming Professor Dame Sue Black

St John's is delighted to welcome Professor Dame Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome, who took up office as President of St John's on 1 September. She succeeds Professor Maggie Snowling, who completely ten years of distinguished service as President last month. Professor Black will be the 37th President of the College since its foundation in 1555.

"It is a great pleasure and a privilege to take up this role at St John's and, although it is a tough task to follow on from Maggie, I can only promise that I will do my very best to serve effectively. In the person specification St John's asked for someone with 'a strong moral compass, authenticity and resilience' and I hope that in due course you will not be disappointed. When I interviewed for this post, I was struck by the confidence and generosity of spirit evidenced by St John's and particularly its focus on excellence irrespective of background, genuine pastoral care, and the determination to grow and utilise College assets to make a difference to people's lives. I look forward enormously to the challenges ahead of us and getting to know all staff and students of the College."

Professor Dame Sue Black

College News

Congratulations to our 2022 graduates!

On Saturday 10th September we celebrated the graduation of over 100 St John's students.

Congratulations to our 2022 graduates! | St John's College, Oxford

St John's hosts Target Oxbridge visit day

Together with partners from the Target Oxbridge Programme, we welcomed 50 pupils to St John's.

St John’s hosts Target Oxbridge visit day | St John's College, Oxford

Professor Angela Russell spearheads novel treatments

Professor Angela Russell, Bernard Taylor Fellow in Chemistry, has been leading separate research projects to combat two life-altering diseases - COVID-19 and Muscular Dystrophy.

Professor Angela Russell spearheads novel treatments for COVID and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy | St John's College, Oxford

Professor James Maynard awarded a New Horizons Prize

Professor James Maynard, Supernumerary Fellow and Professor of Number Theory, has been awarded a 2023 New Horizons Prize for Early-Career Achievements in Mathematics.

Professor James Maynard awarded a New Horizons Prize | St John's College, Oxford

Alumni News

Musa Okwonga elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

Musa (1998, Jurisprudence) has been elected after publishing seven books across a range of genres.

Musa Okwonga elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature | St John's College, Oxford

Bronwen Maddow - Honorary Fellow of the British Academy

Bronwen (1982, PPE) has been recognised for her work as a think tank director and journalist.

SJC Women's Network - Return to Work workshop

The SJC Women's Network is delighted to invite all members of St John's to join us for an interactive workshop for parents who are preparing to return to the workplace after parental leave.

The Returning to Work workshop will explore the practical and emotional challenges involved in going back to work or study. It will provide a supportive setting for new parents to explore their questions, options and concerns.

Find out more and register here: SJCWN Return to Work workshop | St John's College, Oxford

Save the Date

Alumni Carol Service

Saturday 10 December 2022

Gaudy for the years 1966-1970

Friday 17 March 2023

Gaudy for the years 1992-1993

Saturday 18 March 2023

Gaudy for the years 2000-2001

Friday 24 March 2023

Gaudy for the years 1986-1987

Friday 30 June 2023

Gaudy for the years 1990-1991

Friday 7 July 2023

Gaudy for the years 2004-2005

Friday 14 July 2023

Alumni Guest Room Bookings

We have recently changed the way in which alumni can check availability, book and pay for rooms within Alumni House. You can now do this all online, with rooms being confirmed immediately. The new automated system is far more user-friendly and can be found on the Alumni Benefits page of our website.

To make a booking, you will need to enter a promotional code to identify yourself as an alumnus/a and this can be found in the monthly e-newsletter.

Alumni Publications

Dr Michelle Leese (2007, Modern Languages)

Form, Meaning and Aspect in the German Impersonal Passive (Peter Lang Oxford, 2022)

Museum of Oxford: Image and Identity

Have you got personal, family or community photos from the period 1840-1930?

'Image & Identity' is a project from the Museum of Oxford which puts a spotlight on photography and how we use it to project an image of a place, a person or a group of people to others.

Taking photographs of Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka) and Oxfordshire as their departure point, they ask if echoes of those links are still present today, and how the visual messages constructed then impact on our understanding of people and places now.

As part of this project, they are collecting images of individuals, communities and places from the same period, from all around the world. Their aim is to showcase both similarities and differences, in this way celebrating our beautiful diversity as human beings, as well as everything that we have in common and which connects us with each other.

They are especially looking for contributions which link to one of these three themes:

- Community gatherings and special occasions

- Portraits: posed or candid

- Landscapes and environment

Have a look at what's already in the galleries for inspiration. If you have any questions, let them know by emailing museum@oxford.gov.uk.

Each contribution will be published within 5 working days.

Contributions can be made via this link: 
https://imageandidentity.omeka.net/contribution