TW 2017 St John’s College, Oxford John’s St The magazine of St John’s College, Oxford Arabic at St John’s Life in a Changing Arctic Ocean Jane Austen and St John’s Winter is Coming 2017 An Unusual Collaboration Contents 2 From the President 4 News 8 Lecture Notes 10 Arrivals and leavers 13 Arabic at St John’s A long association 19 Life in a Changing Arctic Ocean Climate change in the far north 13 Arabic at St John’s 24 The Reading List 29 Jane Austen at St John’s An intimate insight 34 Artists in Residence 36 Winter is Coming The Medieval World of Game of Thrones 39 Achievements 42 Celebrating Mathematics at St John’s 44 From the Junior and Middle Common Rooms 46 Sport 53 An Unusual Collaboration Unexpected meetings at alumni events 19 Life in a Changing Arctic Ocean 57 In Memoriam 75 College Record 90 News Of Alumni 93 Calendar St John’s College, Oxford From the Editor s I write, a furious debate is going on about Britain’s universities. True enough, that sentence could have been written at any time in the last two hundred years (trust me – I’ve written a very long book Aabout the subject). But the intensity of the argument is still remarkable. Questions about university funding, student fees, the quality of teaching, the volume of research, even – from one former minister who really ought to know better – the length of the Long Vacation: all these have filled newspapers, social media, and the election campaign in 2017. At the risk of sounding Pollyannaish, this year’s TW offers a useful rebuke to those who can only see doom and gloom in the academy. Here are students who have achieved extraordinary things. Here are Fellows who have engaged in fundamental research, reached out to a wider public, and even used their Long Vacations profitably. We haven’t room to highlight everything, but I do hope you’ll 29 Jane Austen at St John’s enjoy Heather Bouman’s exploration of the Arctic Ocean, Julia Bray’s history of Arabic at St John’s, and Carolyne Larrington’s tale of going viral as the global go-to expert on the hit TV series Game of Thrones. There are reminders here, too, of the College’s past – not least its surprising links to Jane Austen’s family, and many chances to catch up with its present, whether that’s the academic or sporting record, or just the clear evidence of a vibrant student life. This does not mean we’re complacent – and the ongoing 36 Winter is Coming construction of the new Study Centre bears witness to our investment for the future. The one thing that remains constant in the history of St John’s is change (trust me – I’m writing a very long book about the subject). But in an atmosphere of doubt and sometimes even of despair, it seems right to highlight success, and we have a lot to celebrate this year. William Whyte Editor 53 An Unusual Collaboration Design by Jamjar Creative From the President Ian Stokes, St John’s Master of Works s my second five-year term of office potential in less advantaged schools during their last begins, it is time for me to stand back three years in school. We will be working in partnership and to reflect on the progress St John’s with the schools, who have readily offered support and has made during the past five years. I feel accommodation, to provide enrichment of the curriculum proud of what has been achieved through and preparation for advanced study, critical thinking and Athe hard work and commitment of our Fellows, College university – a strategy to which we are strongly committed. Officers, staff and, of course, our Junior Members who Finally, our capital developments are a tangible reminder help us to focus clearly on what we must do to maintain of our progress. In November 2016 we opened the state-of- the College as a world-class 21st-century institution. the-art Bainton Road Nursery, providing childcare for pre- Looking back, we have made some changes, and we school children and we now have a purpose-built ‘bothy’ continue to evolve. During the first two years, reviews for our gardening team. The new Library and Study Centre of our academic and bursarial operations led to the has emerged from the ground and we expect completion appointment of an Academic Dean and an expansion of of Phase 2 in spring 2018. A substantial addition to the the Finance team. We introduced a mentoring scheme for old library, it stands as a symbol of the way in which we Early Career Researchers, celebrated the matriculation continue to build on past achievements: expanding, of 2000 Women, merged our Development and Alumni extending, and innovating for the future whilst remaining Relations teams and made strides towards improving the true to the tradition we have inherited from the past. student experience for undergraduates and graduates Maggie Snowling from a diverse range of backgrounds. This year we have President appointed a Fellow for Ethnic Minorities and introduced international dinners to celebrate the many nationalities we have among us. We have also been attentive to the well- being of our junior members, have undertaken a welfare review and established weekly mindfulness sessions for those who seek a quiet moment. This year we have focused efforts on communications with the launch of a new mobile-friendly website and, thanks to the support of committed alumnae, we are creating a St John’s Women’s Network together with a new online platform for all alumni. Perhaps most importantly, however, through the generosity of one of our benefactors, we are launching a new outreach initiative, the St John’s Inspire Programme which will target pupils with excellent 2 3 News Benefits of Statins Underestimated St John’s Students published in Nature Professor Sir Rory Collins leads research re- Two St John’s graduate students have had their research thinking the significance of statins published in the prestigious journal Nature A major review led by Professor Sir Rory Collins, Two St John’s graduate students, Freddy Thurston (Medicine, Professorial Fellow in Epidemiology at St John’s, has 2012) and Michael Song (Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, concluded that the benefits of the cholesterol- 2013) have contributed to a paper published in Nature, ‘Operation reducing drug are underestimated, and harms of a homeostatic sleep switch’. The article discussed the brain exaggerated. Of the review, in The Lancet, Sir Rory mechanisms controlling sleep and waking, and results from said it ‘shows that the numbers of people who avoid the work of Professor Gero Miesenböck and his team at the heart attacks and strokes by taking statin therapy are Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour. Freddy’s contribution very much larger than the numbers who have side was the result of his undergraduate research project, wherein effects with it. In addition, whereas most of the side he investigated how a group of neurons in the brains of effects can be reversed with no residual effects by Drosophilia, fruit flies, sense how much they need to sleep. stopping the statin, the effects of a heart attack or Freddy commented: ‘The opportunity to apply some of the stroke not being prevented are irreversible and can be thinking skills and theoretical knowledge gained in the first two devastating. Consequently, there is a serious cost to years of the course in a practical fashion was a really rewarding experience, which kindled my ambition to make research a major ‘There is a serious cost to public health part of my future career’. He continued: ‘the fruit fly offers a from making misleading claims’ great model to investigate how sleep is regulated, as it is possible to test how the genetic underpinnings of a neuronal circuit affect public health from making misleading claims about the behaviour of the animal. I thoroughly enjoyed working on high side effect rates that inappropriately dissuade this project, and being able to contribute to a publication was the people from taking statin therapy despite the proven icing on that cake’. benefits’. The landmark review concluded that St John’s D.Phil student Michael Song’s contribution was reducing cholesterol with an effective low-cost statin a major part of his D.Phil research. He noted: ‘We discovered for five years in 10,000 people would prevent 1,000 the dopamine receptor by which this action takes place, and heart attacks, strokes and bypass operations in those further uncovered that the above modulation occurs reciprocally with pre-existing vascular disease, and 500 events in by acting on two ion channels, Shaker and Sandman, whose people at increased risk. activities decreased and increased respectively, causing the fly to be awake or asleep’. He continued: ‘This paper marks a huge step for neuroscience as well as my personal career, and I feel proud and honoured to be a part of this ‘stimulating’ endeavour’. Professor Sir Rory Collins Freddy Thurston and Michael Song 4 Women’s Networking Event Alumnae meet as part of on-going 2000 Women initiative On Friday 14 October, St John’s her time at the Guardian US, which Brewis offering us a general knowledge alumnae met in London for an evening she launched. Barbara talked about her quiz, having shared her reflections of celebration and conversation, as eminent career at BBC Sport, where on the importance of following your part of the ongoing 2000 Women she is the first female Director of Sport, passions, and taking advantage initiative.