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St John’s Directors of Studies Professors Orietta Da Rold and Dhruv Ranganathan are among 12 academics across the University to win Pilkington Prizes after being nominated by their peers for ‘exceptional’ teaching.
Prizes are awarded to individuals who make a substantial contribution to the teaching programme of a department, Faculty or the University as a whole.
Both Professor Da Rold and Professor Ranganathan have been recognised for introducing pioneering student teaching and research programmes that have had an impact at Cambridge and across the world.
“It is a joy to teach in an environment where learning feels like a shared journey, and where students’ insight and curiosity continually energise our work together,” said Professor Da Rold, Professor of Medieval Literature and Manuscript Studies and Academic Director of the University Library Research Institute (ULRI), who is College Lecturer and Director of Studies in English.
Professor Ranganathan, Professor of Algebraic Geometry, College Lecturer and Director of Studies in Pure Mathematics, and Pastoral Support for Ethnic Diversity, added: “Both in Cambridge and at St John’s we’re lucky to get to work with some of the sharpest young mathematicians in the world. It’s a genuine pleasure to teach them, both in the Faculty and through our College – for me, it’s easily the best part of my job.”
The awards were endowed in 1994 by Sir Alastair Pilkington, the Cambridge alumnus and inventor of ‘floating’ glass, to acknowledge excellence in teaching.
Twelve prizes of £1,000 are awarded each year, with nominations made by each of the six Schools. The prizes are awarded by the Vice-Chancellor.
“Teaching at Cambridge, and at St John’s in particular, allows me to share my enthusiasm for medieval literature and medieval books with students who are discovering ideas, texts, and materials in new ways"
Professor Da Rold is described by her nominators as ‘an inspirational teacher whose visionary approach to teaching has had a transformative effect felt far beyond the University and international in its impact’.
“What makes Orietta’s achievement so remarkable is its sustained and cumulative scale. She transformed student access to the University Library’s medieval collections, pioneering hands-on classes that have shaped a new generation of manuscript scholars at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, fostering confidence and independence through close engagement with extraordinary material collections,” they added.
Professor Da Rold’s innovations reach a global audience. Her ‘Manuscripts Lab’ enables students to publish research in an open-access format, showcasing the powerful connection between research and teaching – and providing insights into the University’s collections across the world.
She is also a lead academic on ‘Digging Deeper’ – a free course taken by more than 10,000 learners across 124 countries that has opened access to the study of medieval book culture to a diverse community.
“Alongside this innovation lies a deep, enduring commitment to her students on a daily basis: rigour, fairness and kindness define her teaching,” her citation continues. “Tireless in support of their intellectual and personal development, Orietta is exceptional.”
“Teaching at Cambridge, and at St John’s in particular, allows me to share my enthusiasm for medieval literature and medieval books with students who are discovering ideas, texts, and materials in new ways,” said Professor Da Rold.
“What makes this community so special is its commitment to curiosity, rigour, and generosity of thought. The exceptional collections of St John’s Library enrich this experience, offering students direct encounters with the material history of the texts we study.”
Professor Ranganathan, who won the Faculty of Mathematics Lecturing Prize in 2025, is described as ‘an exceptionally gifted teacher, highly praised by both staff and students’.
“It means a lot to me that we're able to give our students these opportunities in Cambridge”
He is Director of the Faculty’s Summer Research in Mathematics (SRIM) and Cambridge Mathematics Placements (CMP) programmes, which represent ‘a major new strand’ to the undergraduate Mathematics degree, involving up to 90 students annually.
The SRIM programme gives students their first taste of research, public presenting andworking collaboratively. “The CMP programme is unique worldwide: it lets undergraduate students have impact on real-world problems across a range ofindustries and other academic disciplines by importing their specific mathematical expertise,” added his nominators.
“Dhruv has been critical in crystallising and growing the programme intellectually, administratively and financially.”
Professor Ranganathan said: “My own path into mathematics was shaped by a summer research project – 15 years ago in a different part of the world – so it means a lot to me that we're able to give our students these opportunities in Cambridge.
“The Faculty of Mathematics has been wonderfully supportive and energetic as we’ve built this programme over the years.”
The Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning, which awards the prizes, will be holding a ceremony for winners in June.
Discover more about studying at St John’s
Find out about all the winners on the University of Cambridge website
