Spring/Summer 2018 WELCOME ALUMNI OFFICE WELCOME TO INTOUCH SPRING/SUMMER 2018 +44 (0)20 7848 3053 [email protected] – THE WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT ISSUE King’s College London Virginia Woolf Building Gender equality has been described by the UN as 22 Kingsway London, WC2B 6LE ‘not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary © King’s College foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable London 2018 world.’ Making choices and being an agent of change is key to women’s empowerment – the theme of this issue of InTouch. InTouch is published by the university’s Fundraising We mark two important milestones in this magazine. & Supporter Development As well as it being the centenary of women’s suffrage department. The opinions expressed in it are those this year, it is also the 150-year milestone since the of the writers and not University of London – of which King’s was a founding necessarily those of college – allowed women to take examinations and the university. thus being admitted into higher education. EDITORIAL In the UK, women now have equal access to education and King’s has played an +44 (0)20 7848 3053 [email protected] important role in this. On page four, you can read about some inspiring women who broke the mould. Through their resilience and drive, they took matters into their EDITOR own hands and went on to achieve great things. Fiona Gaw The demographic of universities has changed over time, and now King’s has more CONTRIBUTORS female than male students. Yet, women still struggle with the gender pay gap and career Katherine Chinn, Sam Cooper, progression in the workplace. There is some debate about how to best address these Gemma Few, Fiona Gaw, James Horrocks, Paul Quinn, issues. On page 14, we hear from academics and alumnae on whether positive action Hollie Richardson, Janella is the solution to help women break through the ‘glass ceiling’. Sillito, Siobhan Wakely, Becky Williams Regardless of gender, we gratefully remember those who blazed a trail and whose efforts benefit us now. I am delighted to picture Onyinye Udokporo on the cover, PHOTOGRAPHY a model King’s student who is passionate about making an impact on the world. Brian Aldrich, Michael Donald, Surrounding her are words of encouragement from King’s women who came David Tett, Chris Thomas before her. DESIGN pslondon Thank you to everyone who sent their feedback via the survey in the last issue. +44 (0)20 7375 6450 I’ve included a number of stories based on the excellent ideas you shared. You may Approved by also spot the text size is larger, to ensure that the magazine is easy to read. I hope [email protected] you enjoy reading this issue as much as I enjoyed putting it together. PRINT W G Baird Ltd With warm regards, FULFILMENT PR Fulfilment Ltd PRINT MANAGEMENT FIONA GAW EDITOR Brooke-Leeming Project Management Consultancy Ltd InTouch has been produced using paper from sustainable JOIN THE CONVERSATION BY JOINING sources and bleached using OUR ALUMNI COMMUNITIES: an elemental chlorine-free process. The paper is produced at a mill that meets facebook.com/KCLalumni @KCLalumni the ISO 14001 environmental management standard and @KCLalumni alumni.kcl.ac.uk/LinkedIn the EMAS environmental management standard. The magazine is fully recyclable. 04 08 IN THIS KING’S IMPACT INSIDE KING’S BREAKING BOUNDARIES SUPPORTING GLOBAL ISSUE We celebrate the pioneering FEMALE LEADERSHIP Spring/Summer King’s women who have made The Hon Julia Gillard AC 2018 an impact across the globe. speaks exclusively about the launch of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership. 10 14 20 SERVICE TO SOCIETY KING’S DEBATE WE MET AT KING’S RECOGNISING POSITIVE ACTION – A C L A S S I C A L OUTSTANDING ALUMNI THE BEST WAY TO ROMANCE Meet cover star Onyinye Udokporo BREAK THROUGH Diana and Brian Sparkes and other winners of the King’s THE GLASS CEILING? met as first-year students and performed in the first Distinguished Alumni Awards. Despite progress towards Greek Play in 1953. gender equality in the workplace, women are still under-represented in certain fields. Could positive action be the answer? 24 27 40 THEN & NOW HISTORY OF REGGIE YOU RECOMMEND THE STRAND CHAPEL REGGIE’S MODERN FARRAH STORR Since 1831, the College Chapel FACELIFT Writer and magazine editor has been a focus for worship Generations of students have Farrah Storr shares her and a place of peace, open to all. cherished their mascot, Reggie advice and recommendations. the Lion. But how do students picture their mascot nowadays? OTHER FEATURES LATEST UPDATES 2 WHY I SUPPORT KING’S 22 NEW APPOINTMENTS 32 & COMMENDATIONS KING’S SPORT 13 FUNDRAISING IN 26 THE COMMUNITY PUZZLES 33 LIVING ABROAD 18 KING’S IN THE NEWS 28 CLASS NOTES 34 ENTREPRENEUR’S 21 MARKET EVENTS, BENEFITS & SERVICES 30 OBITUARIES 37 LATEST UPDATES SOME OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS The Duchess of Cambridge visited the IoPPN and was met by the Rt Hon the Lord Geidt, Chairman of King’s at King’s Photo: David Tett THE ROYAL During her visit, the Duchess learnt 1. COUPLE AT KING’S about experimental therapies, including 1831 one in which a person with schizophrenia King’s has received two royal visits can talk face to face with an avatar 100% 0% so far this year. Prince William, the representing the voices they hear. Duke of Cambridge, visited the Evelina This therapy has the potential to reduce London Children’s Hospital on 18 symptoms when used in conjunction 2017 January, and his wife Catherine, the with the patient’s usual treatment. Duchess of Cambridge, toured the Both visits helped to increase the 38% 62% Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology profile of world-leading research & Neuroscience (IoPPN). and charitable work at King’s. Prince William visited Evelina The proportion of male and female students at King’s has changed over time London, part of King’s Health Partners, for the launch of the Step into Health IN NUMBERS: This was followed in 1885 by the programme that helps ex-servicemen and 2. WOMEN AT KING’ S opening of the King’s College London women, and their partners, find work in Ladies’ Department. The Department’s the NHS. The Prince met veterans who The latest student numbers show that the aim was to provide a general liberal are currently working at the Guy’s and majority of students at King’s are female, education, rather than a degree, with St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, with 62 per cent being women and only courses that did not generally lead including Evelina London, along 38 per cent being men. This highlights to a formal qualification. Virginia with patients and their families. that King’s is leading the way when Woolf and her sister, the artist Vanessa The Duchess of Cambridge, who it comes to women in education. Bell, took courses during this period. has an interest in understanding the It didn’t start off that way, though. From 1895, a few female students issues surrounding maternal mental For the first 50 years King’s only gained external degrees from the health, visited the IoPPN to find out had male students. In 1878, King’s University of Oxford and, from 1900, more about its leading ‘bench to bedside’ ‘Lectures for Ladies’ were held for King’s female students started to perinatal mental health research and meet the first time in Kensington, making take University of London degrees. leading scientists involved in this work. King’s one of the pioneers of higher In 1910, King’s College for Women education for women. was incorporated into the University of London. 2 The ‘Pi-Top’ team demonstrate their award-winning modular laptop INSPIRING 3. ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND COMMERCIAL THINKING King’s students, staff and alumni have launched a host of start-up businesses supported by King’s Entrepreneurship Institute, and are sharing their ideas with London’s entrepreneurial communities. A new entrance to the Undercroft area Memento, a virtual reality (VR) of Bush House will open in summer 2018 start-up founded by King’s alumni Dr Michael Truong (PhD Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, 2014) and STUDENTS’ UNION MOVES Olga Kravchenko (MA Arts & Cultural 4. INTO BUSH HOUSE BUILDINGS Management, 2017), has won backing from InTeahouse, a leading global The expansion of the Strand These spaces have been designed innovation and investment platform. Campus has reached an exciting to maximise light, provide more Memento smartphone users create and new milestone with the launch of the social space and be easily accessible crowdsource VR content that is stitched next phase of Bush House buildings. for all students and staff. together using artificial intelligence. The historic former BBC World King’s graduate Jesse Lozano Service buildings will serve as the These new areas (Law, 2012) co-founded London-based new home for King’s College London start-up Pi-Top, a laptop and software Students’ Union (KCLSU), which will offer really flexible learning system for young coders that move from the Macadam Building on spaces for staff and teaches STEM (science, technology, Surrey Street to new shared spaces engineering and maths) and computer at Bush House this summer. students, with different science skills to students aged 10 to 18. The KCLSU spaces will be They have secured $4.3m (£3.5m) of situated in the Undercroft and parts dedicated to funding to launch the platform globally. Courtyard areas of Bush House learning, social activity This commitment to fostering and will include student venue entrepreneurial graduates extends to The Vault, and a vibrant lobby with and staff working, and King’s Business School, where students a café, performance area, cinema, shared spaces that and staff are preparing for an innovative table tennis facilities and plenty of new partnership with Westminster seating.