St John's College News
1958 & 1980: Frederick Sanger (1918-2013)
1958 & 1980: Frederick Sanger (1918-2013)Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1958"for his work on the structure of proteins, especially that of insulin"Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1980 (jointly with Walter Gilbert)"for their contributions concerning the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids"Born in Gloucestershire and educated at Bryanston School, Fred Sanger came to St John’s in 1936, to study Natural Sciences, receiving his BA in 1939.…read more1951: John Douglas Cockcroft (1897-1967)
1951: John Douglas Cockcroft (1897-1967)Nobel Prize in Physics 1951 (jointly with Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton)"for their pioneer work on the transmutation of atomic nuclei by artificially accelerated atomic particles"Born in Todmorden, Lancashire, John Cockcroft served as a Signaller in the Royal Artillery from 1915-18, interposing stints studying Mathematics at the University of Manchester (1914-15), and Electrical Engineering at the…read more1947: Edward Victor Appleton (1892-1965)
1947: Edward Victor Appleton (1892-1965)Nobel Prize in Physics 1947"for his investigations of the physics of the upper atmosphere especially for the discovery of the so-called Appleton layer" Edward Appleton was born and educated in Bradford, coming to St John’s in 1911 to read Natural Sciences. He achieved a first class BA in 1914 and after service in the First World War, returned to St John’s as a Foundress Fellow from 1919-1925…read more1933: Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac (1902-1984)
1933: Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac (1902-1984)Nobel Prize for Physics 1933 (jointly with Erwin Schrödinger)"for the discovery of new productive forms of atomic theory"Paul Dirac came to St John’s in 1923 to read for a PhD in Mathematical Physics, having already received his BSc from Bristol. After having his doctorate conferred in 1926, he remained associated with St John’s until his death in 1984; firstly as a Title A (Research) Fellow from…read moreSouthampton Psalter Lecture
Southampton Psalter LectureA lecture on the Southampton Psalter will take place at St John's College on 11 March.The lecture, entitled 'The Two Lives of an Irish Psalter at St John's College Library', will be given by Professor Pádraig Ó Néill, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who will discuss the manuscript and its history. The event celebrates the publication of a new edition of the manuscript by Professor Ó…read moreNew accessions: February 2014
New accessions: February 2014New in medicine: R 131.D6 The story of medicine : from bloodletting to biotechnology / Mary Dobson. New York : Quercus, 2013.Audio-VisualAV General Interest BAK Chet sings! : the American years (1953-1958) [sound recording]/ Chet Baker. [s.l.] : Le Chant du Monde, 2013.DVD ENG.adm.wei Admission [DVD]/ directed by Paul Weitz ; based on the novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz. [s.l.] : Universal, 2013.DVD…read moreAnnual Genizah Lecture
Annual Genizah LectureThe inaugural annual Genizah Lecture will be taking place on 11 March at St John's College.The lecture, entitled "Why medieval Jewish liturgy is not dull" will be given by Stefan Reif, Fellow of St John's College and former Head of the Genizah Research Unit.The event celebrates 40 years since the founding of the Genizah Research Unit at Cambridge University Library, which is responsible for the…read moreUniversity and Departmental Prizes: January-February 2014
University and Departmental Prizes: January-February 2014The following students are among those whose excellent work has been recognised by the University, or external organisations and academic institutions, since January 2014.Mr Daniel Zimarev received the Pat Burnell New Investigator Award at the Drug Delivery to the Lungs Conference.Mr Jonathan Raby was awarded the Distinction Prize for the best overall Preparing for Patients C coursework.read moreSt John's Top 5: WWI letters
St John's Top 5: WWI lettersSt John's like other instutitions and 'communities' suffered greatly during World War I. The documents below come from the tutorial papers of Edward E Sikes (Tutor 1900-1925). They give us a glimpse of what was happening throughout the University and the country in general.Click on an image to make it larger.Sikes' student, Edward, was shot down on 22 or 23 Aug 1918.John H. Burrell served with…read moreJohnian Laura Bates discusses everyday sexism
Johnian Laura Bates discusses everyday sexismLaura Bates, who founded the Everyday Sexism Project to draw attention to the sexism still routinely experienced by women, gave a powerful presentation on the origins and impact of the initiative at the latest Johnian Women's Networking Event. Her talk is available now to stream below.The Project, which was set up to catalogue instances of sexism experienced by women on a day-to-day basis, has…read moreLudwig Boltzmann Lecture
Ludwig Boltzmann LectureThe 2nd Annual Ludwig Boltzmann Lecture will be taking place at St John's College on Friday 28 February 2014.The lecture will be given by Dr Deborah Holmes, University of Kent, and is entitled 'War and Words. Krausian "Biographik" in The Last Days of Mankind'.SummaryIn his monumental drama "Die letzten Tage der Menschheit", the Viennese satirist Karl Kraus launched a savage attack on the…read moreJohnian's name restored to Canadian maps
Johnian's name restored to Canadian mapsA long-standing mistake over the correct naming of a point on the Canadian coastline has finally been resolved, with the help of St John's College.The headland near Herschel Island, known as 'Calton Point' on some maps and 'Catton Point' on others has caused confusion since 1828. 'Calton' was the name adopted by the Canadian government in 1962 but recent research has revealed it to be a misprint…read moreAnnual Disability Lecture
Annual Disability LectureSt John's College will be hosting the Disability Resource Centre’s 11th Annual Disability Lecture. The lecture will be given by Clinical Psychologist Rachel Perkins and is entitled “Creating Mentally Inclusive Communities: Embracing Distress as Part of Everyday Life”. Rachel Perkins, Mind Champion of the Year 2010 and Chair of the English Department of Health Working Group on Equalities in Mental…read moreUndergraduates become mentors for flagship shadowing scheme
Undergraduates become mentors for flagship shadowing schemeTwo undergraduates from St John’s College have volunteered to become mentors in a flagship scheme to inspire students from all backgrounds to apply to Cambridge University. Tom Beaven, 18, and Kweku Abraham, 20, have been part of the Student Shadowing Scheme, organised by Cambridge Union Student Union, which allows young people to be partnered with an undergraduate to experience university life.…read moreScientists discover new ways to transmit information using diamonds
Scientists discover new ways to transmit information using diamondsA team of researchers from Cambridge University and Saarland University, Germany, have successfully tested a new way of using the imperfections in diamonds to transmit data, which could lead to the development of new super-computing technologies.The research, co-led by Dr Mete Atatüre, Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge, and Professor Christoph Becher, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, has…read moreDan Burt, honorary Fellow, announces book launch
Dan Burt, honorary Fellow, announces book launchDan Burt, poet, author and honorary fellow of St John’s, will be holding a reception this evening to mark the launch of his new book You Think it Strange.College members and staff are invited to attend the reception, which will be held in Heffers Bookshop, Trinity Street, tonight (Tuesday 18 February) from 6:30-7:45pm.Dan Burt was born in South Philadelphia in 1942. He attended state…read moreJohnian Winter Olympians
Johnian Winter OlympiansAs the Sochi Winter Olympics enter their second week, we look back at our Johnian alumni who represented Great Britain on the slopes and ice at previous Winter Games:Mark Hatton (matric. 1995)Born in 1973, Mark Hatton is our most recent Winter Olympian. He studied for a PGCE at St John’s in 1995, by which time he was already making a name for himself as a luge athlete. Mark began luging at the…read moreGeorge Watson Memorial Service available online
George Watson Memorial Service available onlineThe Memorial Service for George Watson is now available to listen to online.George Watson, formally College and University Lecturer in English, and Fellow of St John's College since 1961, published many books on literature and political thought over a period of more than half a century, including The Lost Literature of Socialism (1998) and Take Back the Past: Myths of the Twentieth Century (2007…read moreDr Jason Robinson and Dr Mete Atatüre receive Leverhulme Trust awards
Dr Jason Robinson and Dr Mete Atatüre receive Leverhulme Trust awardsCongratulations to Dr Mete Atatüre and Dr Jason Robinson who have received Leverhulme Trust awards.Dr Mete Atatüre, Fellow and Director of Studies in Physics and Astrophysics at St John's College, has been awarded a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant for ' Revealing magnetic phenomena at oxide interfaces via diamond-based nano-MRI.'Dr Jason Robinson, Fellow and Director of Studies in…read moreDr Emily Gowers awarded Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship
Dr Emily Gowers awarded Leverhulme Major Research FellowshipCongratulations to Dr Emily Gowers who has just been awarded a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship for 2014-16. Dr Gowers, Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics at St John's College, received the award so that she can work on her research project 'Maecenas: Transformations of an Augustan Patron'.read moreSt John’s Old Library website features in '101 Vital University Library Websites' list
St John’s Old Library website features in '101 Vital University Library Websites' listThe website of St John’s Old Library has received international recognition for the outstanding service it provides to students, researchers, and the public.The site is among those listed in a new compilation of the best university library websites from around the world, published by the Online PhD Program. St John’s Old Library website is commended for the access it gives student researchers to…read moreSt John's College Art and Photography Competition
St John's College Art and Photography CompetitionCalling all artistic members of College!The annual Art and Photography Competition will be accepting entries from undergraduate and postgraduate members of College from 22-25 April. Entries are to be handed in at the Library Issue Desk.Winning entries will recieve prizes of up to £200!All entries will be displayed in the Library over Easter Term.For full details please ask at the Library Issue…read moreNew accessions: January 2014
New accessions: January 2014New in science: QK 980.W5.2013 Evolution of plants / K.J. Willis, Biodiversity Institute, University of Oxford, J.C. McElwain, School of Biology & Environmental Science University College Dublin. Second edition. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2013.Audio-VisualDVD DOC.bat.imp Battle of the Somme [DVD]/ Imperial War Museum. [s.l.] : Imperial War Museum, 1916.DVD ENG.apo.cop Apocalypse now :…read morePrivate collection of 19th century “heretic” missionary on display
Private collection of 19th century “heretic” missionary on displayThe private letters and publications of John Colenso, a 19th century pioneering missionary who caused outrage for his sympathetic work with Zulus in South Africa and for questioning the accuracy of some parts of the Bible, are on display at St John’s College Library to mark the bicentenary of his birth.Colenso, appointed the first Church of England Bishop of Natal in 1852, infuriated the colonial…read moreSt John's Top 5: Anti-social behaviour
St John's Top 5: Anti-social behaviourStudent hijinks, excessive merry-making and general rowdiness appears to be an age-old problem in Cambridge. The notices below highlight some of the issues the University and the Colleges had to handle in the 18th and 19th centuries.Click on an image to make it larger.Permission to dine in a public house or tavern (Pembroke College 1785)Shooting with pistols and duelling (1791)Racing horses and…read more