St John's College News
Aeneas and the Once and Future Troy
Aeneas and the Once and Future TroyA new play which brings together scenes from two of the great epic poems of the classical world to tell the story of Aeneas will be staged at St John’s College next month.Aeneas and the Once Future Troy is arranged and abridged by Professor Patrick Boyde, the University’s Emeritus Professor of Italian, who has been organising semi-staged productions of plays in Ancient Greek for the last 10 years…read moreOtter rescued from River Cam by St John’s College staff
Otter rescued from River Cam by St John’s College staffA baby otter was saved from drowning in the River Cam on Monday afternoon thanks to the efforts of College staff.Housekeeping supervisor Belinda Peat spotted the otter in distress after hearing squeaking noises in the river, and after raising the alarm, Daniel Molden and Richard Pauley from Housekeeping came by to help.The eight-week old otter cub had taken refuge in a hole in the wall close to…read moreUniversity and Departmental Prizes: December 2013
University and Departmental Prizes: December 2013The following students are among those whose excellent work has been recognised by the University, or external organisations and academic institutions, in December 2013.Miss Priscilla Bok, History graduate, won the Winchester Reading Prize, administered by the Faculty of English, by reading aloud a selection of biblical and poetical passages.Mr Thomas Godard, Theoretical & Applied Linguistics…read moreThe Eagle Scanning Project
The Eagle Scanning Projectread morePlagues & History talk: Professor Chris Dobson and Dr Mary Dobson
Plagues & History talk: Professor Chris Dobson and Dr Mary DobsonThe talk in the Darwin College Lecture Series on Plagues and History was given by Professor Chris Dobson & Dr Mary Dobson on 24 January 2014. The outline of the talk is below, and the lecture is now available online.Plagues have changed history, stopped armies in their tracks and altered the fate of nations. Mary and Christopher Dobson outlined the impact of plagues on human history and…read moreThe Hawks' Club Award
The Hawks' Club AwardThe Hawks' Club Award is open to any athlete, male or female, who is in statu pupillary. The awards are made on the basis of potential or established financial need.Applications should address the following criteria, which are those that the Trustees will use to judge suitability for an award: Applications must be supported by an appropriate senior member of the University able to comment on…read moreTwo Johnians named in Science Council’s Top 100 UK Scientists
Two Johnians named in Science Council’s Top 100 UK ScientistsTwo Johnians, Professor Steve Furber CBE FRS and Sir Mark Moody-Stuart KCMG, have been named in the Science Council's list of the country's 100 leading practising scientists.Professor Furber, who read for his BA at St John's and is Professor of Computer Engineering at the University of Manchester, is considered one of the country's leading computer scientists, having led developments in the…read moreAnnual Election of Research Fellows 2014
Annual Election of Research Fellows 2014The following are elected into Fellowships under Title A from 1 October 2014:Mr Michael Gordon Elliot(MA, Oxford, MSc, British Columbia) for BiologyMs Helena Sofia Knowles(MSci, Zurich) for PhysicsMr Simon Henry Martin(BSc, MSc, Pretoria) for ZoologyMiss Francesca Vella(Laurea, BMus, Florence, MMus, London) for Musicread moreCambridge scientists announce breakthrough in spintronics
Cambridge scientists announce breakthrough in spintronicsA breakthrough in the field of spintronics, or 'spin' technology, has been announced following research led by Dr Jason Robinson, Fellow of St John's College and University Royal Society Research Fellow in the Department of Materials Sciences. The findings of this research could potentially revolutionise the future of large-scale computing by making it much more energy-efficient.This study…read moreRare footage shot by Cambridge student in the 1940s seen for the first time
Rare footage shot by Cambridge student in the 1940s seen for the first timeAn amateur film shot by Philip Malcolm Shaw of St John's College depicting scenes of student life in the 1940s has been shown for the first time. The recently-digitised film from the St John's College Archives shows undergraduates relaxing and having fun whilst war looms in the background.Shaw's life as a student at St John's coincided with the outbreak of World War II, and in the footage,…read moreDr Török awarded Clinician Scientist Fellowship
Dr Török awarded Clinician Scientist FellowshipDr Estée Török, Post-Doctoral Researcher at St John's College, has just been awarded the prestigious Clinician Scientist Fellowship by the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Health Foundation.The Clinician Scientist Fellowship enables clinicians to conduct research within a clinical setting in order to improve the long-term quality of healthcare. Dr Török's Fellowship was one of four awarded in…read moreDr Macintosh honoured with Festschrift
Dr Macintosh honoured with FestschriftDr Andrew Macintosh, Fellow and former Dean of St John’s College, was presented with a Festschrift at a dinner in the Wordsworth Room on Friday 10 January. The Festschrift, entitled Leshon Limmudim, includes over twenty essays by Dr Macintosh’s former students and colleagues covering various aspects of classical Hebrew language and literature. Dr Macintosh first came up to St John’s in 1956…read moreNew accessions: December 2013
New accessions: December 2013Added to Literature: PQ 2605.A37.Z92 Life worth living : Albert Camus and the quest for meaning/ Robert Zaretsky, 2013.Audio-VisualDVD ITA.sig.oph Signora di tutti [DVD]/ a film by Max Ophüls. [s.l.] : Eureka, 1934.DVD FRE.lol.oph Lola Montes [DVD] : special edition/ a film by Max Ophüls. [s.l.] : The Criterion Collection, 2009.DVD ITA.pro.fel Orchestra rehearsal [DVD]/ directed by Federico…read moreThomas Clarkson collections featured on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
Thomas Clarkson collections featured on BBC Radio CambridgeshireBBC Radio Cambridgeshire visited the College Library to record a short interview with Ryan Cronin, Communications Office, on the Thomas Clarkson and Abolitionist material housed in the Special Collections.Thomas Clarkson (BA 1783) was one of St John's most significant figures in the abolition of the Slave Trade. Clarkson's lifelong dedication to abolition began simply as an academic exercise, for…read moreJohnians in 2014 New Year Honours List
Johnians in 2014 New Year Honours ListThe College would like to congratulate the following Johnians, who are among those featured in the New Year Honours List 2014.Robin Simon Conibear (1972), Development Manager, Poundbury, Duchy of Cornwall. Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO).Kristina Murrin (1987), Formerly Appointments Secretary and Director, Personnel and Performance Unit, Prime Minister's Office. Commander of the…read moreSt John's Top 5: Chapels, churches and vicarages
St John's Top 5: Chapels, churches and vicaragesIn its origin St John's was a religious as well as an educational foundation. It was only in the late 19th century that Fellows were released from the obligation of taking Holy Orders. It is in the circumstances natural that there is a significant number of papers, drawings and plans relating to chapels, parish churches and vicarages within the College's Archive collection.Click on an image to…read moreEmanuel Miller Prize
Emanuel Miller PrizeBy a bequest under the Will of Dr Emanuel Miller, St John's College received a sum of money for the establishment of a prize in the Philosophy of Science with special reference to the behavioural sciences (psychology and social science).The prize of £300 will be awarded to the writer of the best essay, not exceeding 10,000 words, on a topic chosen by the competitor within the realm of the…read moreHistory - Fergus Hamilton
History - Fergus HamiltonFergus is from Guildford, Surrey, and attended his local comprehensive sch ool, where he took A-levels in English Literature, French and History. He was attracted to Cambridge by the beautiful buildings and promise of a great academic environment. Having gained a place for deferred entry, he took a gap year, working before travelling to South East Asia and South America. He graduated in 2013 with…read morePhilip Malcolm Shaw (1921-2003)
Philip Malcolm Shaw (1921-2003)P.M. Shaw (on the right) with his son Nicholas Shaw (matric. 1979, Medicine) at his graduation.The short film below was made by Philip Malcolm Shaw who shot it during his time at St John's College. Born in Huddersfield and educated at Royds Hall Grammar School and Manchester Grammar School, Shaw eventually came up to College with an exhibition of around £50. He matriculated in 1939 and…read moreUniversity and Departmental Prizes: September-November 2013
University and Departmental Prizes: September-November 2013The following students are among those whose excellent work has been recognised by the University, or external organisations and academic institutions, since September 2013.Graham Calvert recently won an ISCA Grant to deliver a paper at INTERSPEECH 2013 in Lyon, France.Peter Muruiki was awarded a Departmental Prize for his IA Engineer in Society report.Freddie James was awarded the W T Best…read moreMemorial service for Mr George Watson
Memorial service for Mr George WatsonA Memorial Service will be held in the College Chapel at 12 noon on Saturday 1 February 2014 for Mr George Watson, Fellow 1961-2013. After the Service, refreshments will be served in the Combination Room. read moreNew accessions: November 2013
New accessions: November 2013Added to History: D 58.H4 Landmark Herodotus : the histories / a new translation by Andrea L. Purvis ; edited by Robert B. Strassler ; introduction by Rosalind Thomas, 2008.Audio-VisualDVD ENG.mar.rom Martin [DVD]/ directed by George A. Romero. [s.l.] : Arrow, 1977.DVD ENG.myd.for My darling Clementine [DVD]/ directed by John Ford. [s.l.] : Twentieth Century Fox, 1946.DVD ENG.one.bra One-eyed…read moreSt John's Top 5: For Sale - Wimpole Hall Estate 1890s
St John's Top 5: For Sale - Wimpole Hall Estate 1890sThe Archives estates collection contains a number of sale catalogues; posters and adverts for a variety of properties up for sale. The photographs come from the sale catalogue for Wimpole Hall Estate. The property was up for auction by Messrs Hamnett.Click on an image to make it larger.The Hall, north front The Hall, south frontThe gates at ArringtonThe conservatory, looking from ante…read moreFoulkes Foundation Medal 2013
Foulkes Foundation Medal 2013The Foulkes Foundation Medal for 2013 was awarded to Dr Akhilesh Reddy, Director of Medical and Veterinary Sciences at St John's College, for his work on the disruption of circadian rhythms and sleep cycles in the body and links to disease.The Medal is awarded biennially by the Foulkes Foundation and Academy of Medical Sciences in London to a "rising star in biomedical research", someone who has…read moreDeath of Dr Fred Sanger
Death of Dr Fred SangerDr Fred Sanger, OM CH CBE FRS, an Honorary Fellow of the College, has died aged 95. Dr Sanger studied Biochemistry as an undergraduate at St John's between 1936 and 1939, and he also did his doctoral studies here.Dr Sanger was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry twice; once in 1958 for identifying the structure of insulin, and again in 1980 for developing a method for determining the nucleotide…read more