Fellows

St John's College News

  1. Discovery at ‘flower burial’ site could unravel mystery of Neanderthal death rites

    "We thought we’d be able to find the locations where they had found Neanderthals in the 1950s, to see if we could date the surrounding sediments - we didn’t expect to find any Neanderthal bones"
    The first articulated Neanderthal skeleton to come out of the ground for over 20 years has been unearthed at one of the most important sites of mid-20th century archaeology: Shanidar Cave, in the foothills of Iraqi Kurdistan.    Researchers say the new find offers an unparalleled opportunity to investigate the “mortuary practices” of this lost species using the latest technologies. Shanidar…read more

  2. New adaptation of ‘Polish national poem’ to be performed live at St John’s

    "Pan Tadeusz is up there with the Iliad and Paradise Lost and Shakespeare’s plays"
    An innovative, bilingual performance of one of the great poems of European Romanticism will be hosted at St John’s in February. Thaddeus: Love and Dalliance in Time of War is an adaptation of the 10,000-line epic poem Pan Tadeusz by Adam Mickiewicz, which is often referred to as the ‘Polish national poem’. Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic conflicts that reshaped Europe in the early…read more

  3. From race track to Master’s Lodge: how a retired greyhound brought comfort to Sir Christopher Dobson

    "Everyone always wants to say hi to Jimbo and my dad was incredibly proud of him"
    In his final months, Professor Sir Christopher Dobson was rarely seen without his shadow - Jimbo, the retired racing greyhound. He even accompanied him to the May Ball, graduation, and countless Evensong services. Now the late Master's family features in a new film describing the joy and comfort Jimbo brought to Sir Christopher after he was diagnosed with cancer. Sir Christopher, known as…read more

  4. Livestream of memorial service to honour life of Professor Sir Christopher Dobson

    The memorial service will be livestreamed on Saturday
    More than 1000 people will gather at St John’s over the next two days to give thanks for the life and work of Professor Sir Christopher Dobson. Two memorial services will take place to allow as many people as possible to pay their respects to the Master of St John’s who died of cancer on September 8 2019. The first service will take place tomorrow (January 24) and the second will take place…read more

  5. Professor named as new historical institute advisor

    "This means that I will be able to continue to support an Institute that enables the best research and exchanges in the UK on German history and Anglo-German Relations"
    St John’s Fellow Ulinka Rublack has been appointed as a new member of the German Historical Institute London (GHIL) Academic Advisory Board. A Professor of Early Modern European History, Ulinka researches the social, cultural and religious history of Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Her areas of expertise include Reformation history, gender history, material culture, the Holy Roman Empire…read more

  6. From opera singer to College Chaplain

    "I am super-available, super-non-judgemental, and super-un-shockable."
    A new Chaplain has been appointed to offer welfare support to students, staff and Fellows at St John’s College. The Rev’d Andrew Hammond was an undergraduate at Clare College, University of Cambridge, and worked in classical music for nearly 20 years, mostly as an opera singer, and later in arts administration. He was ordained in 2007, and has worked in two London parishes and at St Paul’s…read more

  7. Debut recording by St John’s Voices featuring two world premieres released today

    "This recording marks a really special moment for St John's Voices: it marks how far we've come in the few short years of our existence"
    The first-ever album professionally recorded by mixed-voice choir St John’s Voices has been released today. It features choral music by Welsh composer William Mathias, including familiar and lesser-known material, as well as two major world premiere recordings. Mathias is notable for writing some of the most imaginative choral music of the 20th century. St John’s Voices is directed by award-…read more

  8. Winners of Staff Photography Competition announced

    "It was great to see such a wide range of beautiful photos taken by staff"
    Two talented photographers won cash prizes in our annual Staff Photography Competition.  The theme for the competition was ‘light and shade’ and all of the entries are currently on display in the exhibition area in the Library. Louise Hanzlik, from the Communications department, won the £100 first prize for her striking image of a fire juggler on the famous San Antonio Sunset Strip in Ibiza.…read more

  9. Trio of Johnians receive New Year Honours

    Professor Timothy Minton, Susannah Storey and Arthur Tait have been recognised for their contributions to society
    Three Johnians have been recognised for their contributions to society in the New Year Honours 2020. Professor Timothy Minton was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to relations between the UK and Japan. He has been Professor in the English department of the Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo since 2012. Professor Minton is a bestselling author of…read more

  10. St John’s student wins prestigious dissertation competition prize

    "Excellent work by a gifted writer"
    ‘Gifted writer’ Sam Willis has scooped a £250 prize for his undergraduate dissertation about the political history of the 1990s. Sam, who graduated from St John’s last summer with a First in History, won the History of Parliament Trust Dissertation Competition 2019. He is now a postgraduate student at St John’s and is currently studying for an MPhil in Modern British History. The judges were…read more

  11. First ever vegan ‘sustainability dinner’ takes place at St John’s

    "We are always looking at new sustainable initiatives"
    Chefs from a Michelin-starred restaurant cooked a four course vegan menu for guests at St John's at our inaugural 'Sustainability Dinner'.  The event was the first of its kind to take place at any Cambridge College and included talks from industry leaders on changing food habits, reducing food waste, and creating exciting vegan meals.  Chefs Andreas Antona and Luke Tipping from Simpsons…read more

  12. Heather Hancock appointed as Master of St John’s College

    "I’m looking forward to sustaining St John’s global renown for scholarship and excellence, and to championing its pioneering work on access"
    A distinguished new Master has been elected to lead St John’s College, University of Cambridge. Heather Hancock LVO DL has over two decades' experience in senior leadership in the private and public sectors. She currently chairs the Food Standards Agency, a non-ministerial Government department that regulates the food and feed industry. Prior to this, Heather spent 11 years at Deloitte where she…read more

  13. ‘New’ Library celebrates 25 years

    “The new building was way ahead of its time"
    A memorial to Robert Hinde, late Fellow and former Master of St John’s, has been installed in the Working Library to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the iconic building. Professor Hinde spearheaded the ‘New Library Project’ in the early 1990s, which oversaw the creation of a completely new Library facility in Chapel Court, as well as the refurbishment of the historic Lower Library in Third…read more

  14. Female fish can breed a new species if they aren’t choosy about who is Mr Right

    "Our research shows that hybridisation can fuel the evolution of new species"
    Fish will mate with a species outside their own if the male’s colouring is attractive enough or if the female can’t see him properly, according to new research. Such ‘mistakes’ in mate choice can lead to the evolution of new species, an international team of scientists found. The group studied 2000 fish and analysed the DNA of more than 400 cichlid fish from two freshwater lakes in East Africa.…read more

  15. Festive Michaelmas music

    Concerts for the festive season
    From carol services sung by the Choir and St John’s Voices to jazz concerts with the St John's Big Band and a cappella singing with Aquila and The Gents of St John’s, there are plenty of festive musical events taking place in the College to bring Michaelmas Term to a close. The popular St John’s Advent Carol Services include lessons, hymns and carols to reflect the anticipation of Christmas. The…read more

  16. ‘Dazzling genius’ Sir Jonathan Miller dies aged 85

    Tributes have been paid to Sir Jonathan Miller from all over the world
    Sir Jonathan Miller, the Johnian writer, theatre and opera director, has died. Miller co-wrote and acted in the seminal stage revue Beyond the Fringe in 1960 with Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett. The groundbreaking satirical show was met with critical acclaim when it premiered at the Edinburgh Festival and quickly transferred to the West End and Broadway. Miller studied Medicine at St…read more

  17. Sir Stephen Cleobury (1948-2019)

    "Stephen was one of the giants of the choral music world during the past half century"
    Sir Stephen Cleobury, St John's Organ Scholar (1967-71) and Director of Music at King's College for 37 years, has died aged 70. Stephen passed away peacefully in York, where he had lived since his retirement in September, in the evening of 22 November after a long illness. During his long tenure with King’s College, Stephen enhanced the reputation of the Choir, and had a long association with…read more

  18. The Revd Canon Mark Oakley appointed new Canon Theologian for Wakefield Cathedral

    "I am delighted that Mark has accepted this significant role in the life of the cathedral"
    The Revd Canon Mark Oakley has accepted an invitation from the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, to become Canon Theologian at Wakefield Cathedral. In this honorary role, which he will hold alongside his role as Dean of St John’s, Canon Oakley will support the Bishop and the Cathedral Chapter in their theological reflections and encourage integrity in their discernment and decision-…read more

  19. ‘Trickster god’ used fake news in Babylonian Noah story

    “Ea tricks humanity by spreading fake news"
    An early example of fake news has been found in the 3000-year-old Babylonian story of Noah and the Ark, which is widely believed to have inspired the Biblical tale. Nine lines etched on ancient clay tablets that tell the Gilgamesh Flood story can now be understood in very different ways – according to a Cambridge academic. Dr Martin Worthington’s new research analysing the word play in the…read more

  20. innocent smoothie entrepreneurs talk to students after innovation pilot success

    "I saw the workshop as an opportunity to expand my knowledge of entrepreneurship"
    The brains behind innocent smoothies came back to St John's to share the secrets of their success with the next generation of Johnian entrepreneurs. Jon Wright and Richard Reed, two of the three Johnian founders of innocent, talked to students about how they developed the company into a global brand that eventually sold for more than £500m.  The founders were invited to the College by…read more

  21. Aquila has landed

    "Aquila is now a central part of music-making in College; long may it continue!”
    It may have taken 500 years for St John’s to get a women’s singing group, but the members of Aquila are determined to make up for lost time, Louise Hanzlik learns. Music has a long and illustrious history at St John’s. The Choir of St John’s is beloved by fans around the world and has clocked up more than 90 recordings since it was founded in the 1670s. The Gentlemen of St John’s have been…read more

  22. St John’s author nominated for Irish Book of the Year award

    "This year’s shortlist is a testament to the breadth and depth of Irish writing talent"
    From murder to beekeeping, discover how the Irish ate, drank, loved and lied in a book co-authored by a John's academic.  A history of Ireland in 100 words has been nominated for ‘best Irish-published book of the year’ in the An Post Irish Book Awards 2019 – Ireland’s major literary event. The book tells the history of Ireland by looking at the development and changing meaning of 100 medieval…read more

  23. Choir releases album to celebrate the tradition of Evensong

    “Magnificat features a great variety of music; something for all tastes"
    St John’s College Choir is releasing its first album dedicated to the Evening Canticles on Friday 25 October. Magnificat is a celebration of the tradition of Evensong, sung daily in College during term time, and contains six contrasting settings of the Evening Canticles. The settings were chosen by Andrew Nethsingha, Director of Music at St John’s, and each one has personal significance to him…read more

  24. ‘Artificial leaf’ successfully produces clean gas

    "You may not have heard of syngas itself but every day, you consume products that were created using it"
    A widely-used gas that is currently produced from fossil fuels can instead be made by an ‘artificial leaf’ that uses only sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, and which could eventually be used to develop a sustainable liquid fuel alternative to petrol. The carbon-neutral device sets a new benchmark in the field of solar fuels, after researchers at the University of Cambridge demonstrated that it…read more

  25. Hinsley Memorial Lecture 2019

    The Hinsley Memorial Lecture will be given by Sir Richard Dearlove
    The 19th Hinsley Memorial Lecture, taking place on 13 November at St John’s College, is to be given by Sir Richard Dearlove KCMG OBE. The lecture is entitled The Secret Intelligence Service and its history. Sir Richard Dearlove joined MI6 in 1966 and served in Nairobi, Prague, Paris, Geneva and Washington as well as in a number of key London-based posts. He was appointed Director of Personnel…read more