ReviewClare Hall Cambridge Annual Review 2012 Clare Hall Annual Review 2012 2 Contents President’s Letter 2 Bursar’s Notes 4 Farewell to Bobbie Wells, Senior Tutor 6 Welcome to Iain Black, new Senior Tutor 7 The President, Martin Harris From the Development Office 8 Andrew Houston List of Donors 10 New Research Fellows 12 Student News 14 Poem 15 May Ball 2012: Colours of India 16 President’s ASH talks 17 It seems incredible that it is time to report would all be failing in our trusteeship role if again to our Life Members, Alumni and we did not use the next three years to do all Sports News 18 Friends around the world. In one sense, little we can to take the college forward into its has changed. Graduate students of energy and next phase. To this end, and as a prelude to Music 20 talent mingle with distinguished Visiting what we hope will in due course be a major Art Eclecticism 22 Fellows from an ever more diverse range of fund-raising campaign, the Governing Body institutions, while the permanent Fellowship six months ago asked a group of Fellows Ashby Lecture 2012 24 continues to maintain its extraordinarily chaired by the Vice President to take a root impressive academic record, at the same time and branch look at the college’s strategy Profile: Lori Passmore 26 in many cases giving significant support to the and where it hopes to be five and ten years wide range of cultural and intellectual from now. Profile: Chris Hope 27 activities which Clare Hall regularly hosts. Profile: Niraj Lal 28 I would like to pay particular tribute to the The debate which this has generated, among Vice President, Dr Robert Anderson, whose both our Fellows and our graduate students, News of Members 29 commitment to the college is seemingly is only part way through – we plan to end up boundless and on whom we have all come to with an agreed Strategic Plan in October – In Memoriam 31 rely more and more. but already two things seem clear. Firstly, the three pillars which underpin Clare Hall, Cover photo: Fran May But in another sense, the college knows that namely the Fellowship (including of course Edited by: it is at the start of a period of several years in our substantial body of Research Fellows), the Trudi Tate which it needs to revisit its original mission, graduate student body and our unique body to see to what extent this remains valid for of Visiting Fellows, are all seen as integral to Clare Hall, Herschel Road,Cambridge CB3 9AL Clare Hall’s second half-century, and whether what makes us what we are, and as critical to Tel: 01223 332360 and if so how it should be modified. 2016 is our contribution both to Cambridge and to [email protected] after all the college’s 50th Anniversary, and we scholarship. While some growth may be Produced by Cameron Design & Marketing Ltd Clare Hall Annual Review 2012 3 desirable or even essential, the balance between appointment. In the meantime, we welcome our these three groups is seen as fundamentally sound. interim Director, Katy Astley, to lead the Secondly, any significant initiative, even if it is ‘more of development team. Thanks to Marie Lemaire and the same’ in the best sense of that phrase, is only Georgie Plunkett for their hard work in keeping sensible, perhaps only possible, in the context of a things afloat over the summer. significant investment in our accommodation and our facilities. And of course we are losing too someone who has for nearly twelve years been even more central to the life Already, one wheel has turned full circle. The of the college, our Senior Tutor, Dr Bobbie Wells. Governing Body is clear that without a substantial Generations of students have benefitted from her injection of capital to our endowment, no major outstanding leadership of the tutorial team and her innovations or improvements will be possible. But it is wise advice and generous support. There is a fuller also clear that a ‘50th Anniversary Appeal’ between tribute elsewhere in the Review, but I would like to say now and 2016 has little chance of succeeding without a here how much I have appreciated Bobbie’s clear vision to excite both our existing friends and perceptiveness and her wisdom ever since Barbara and potential new donors and supporters. Hence the I arrived four years ago. She too will be sorely missed. We welcome Dr Iain Black, joining us from Sidney Martin and Barbara Harris Sussex College, in her stead. There is someone else to whom I wish to pay tribute: Bob Ackerman. For ten years, Bob has hosted the (ever more popular) ASH series of lectures on a Tuesday evening, providing opportunities for local scholars to share in the work of our visitors, in turn giving them a letter chance to present their latest thinking in a challenging but friendly environment. Bob has now decided to pass on the baton to Adrian Du Plessis, and I would like to urgency of the Strategic Review, as an essential pre- take this opportunity to pay the warmest of tributes to requisite to the next stage in our plans for the future. Bob for his work with ASH and for supporting the By the time I write to you in a year’s time, the Strategy college in so many other ways. His recent election as a will be in place and many of the preliminary steps for Fellow Commoner was richly deserved. our ‘Golden Jubilee’ should be clearly outlined. We are in the process of establishing a US Committee to help Finally, I’d like to pay tribute to the extraordinary energy Clare Hall Porters us, which Life Member Lee Bollinger, President of and commitment of our Graduate Student Body this Columbia University, has very kindly agreed to chair, year. Ably led by Nicola Clay and David Weiss, they have and for which Robert Duvall has, rather heroically, been passionate in creating opportunities for their fellow agreed to take day-to-day responsibility. We are most students, and, in the capable hands of Evianne Van Gijn, in grateful to them and to all our US Life Members who encouraging and organising intellectual and cultural have offered suggestions and advice. Watch this space! activities shared with the Fellows and other members of college. A truly exceptional year group, which I shall One thing that we are now urgently engaged in with remember fondly. all this in mind is the search for a new Director of Development, to lead this aspect of the college’s life It would be quite inappropriate to end without over the next few years. thanking most warmly all the college staff who make life so much better than it would otherwise be for all Nami Morris, who has served us so well for six years of us who live, eat, work or enjoy art or music in and whose relentless energy and enthusiasm are Clare Hall. The combined efforts of so many people already sorely missed, has moved on to a more senior make Clare Hall the fascinating place it is for us all, role in Pembroke, where we all wish her well. She will and Barbara and I speak for everyone when I say Clare Hall Maintenance staff how deeply grateful we are. not be easy to replace, but replace her we must. As I Photos Andrew Houston write, the quest continues,and it may now be several months before we can make a permanent Martin Harris Clare Hall Cambridge Clare Hall Annual Review 2012 4 Bursar’s Notes Bursar’s time is spent in managing people Accountant, Martin Aldridge, and the and money. College Secretary, Liz Ramsden: thus we now have a second Accounts Assistant, Staff Ruth Hefford, and Assistant Secretary, It is the people that make a college. The Amanda Barclay, joining the staff. students, the Fellows, the staff. There is turnover in each category every year, yet The college was saddened by the death the institution continues, and develops. We during the year of Rosella Wilson, our lose half our students every year, with the Alumni and Events Officer. The Bursar annual exodus of entire cohorts of MPhil and several other Clare Hall members and other one-year Master’s students being represented the college at Rosella’s funeral. balanced by the slower ‘churn’ of PhD We were very moved by the tributes paid students. We lose, and gain, five or more to Rosella by our Life Members. Junior Research Fellows each year, in addition to those Fellows departing from tHe BuildingS the Governing Body, either to become Following the extensive building Andrew Houston The Bursar, Moira Gardiner Emeritus or to leave Cambridge for other programme, culminating in the pastures. And so it is with the staff. With construction of the Salje Building in 2010, These are turbulent times for higher particular I have found it invaluable to have 32 staff, it is inevitable that we will lose, the college has concentrated on ensuring education in the UK, but reports of its Richard Eden’s excellent 40 year chronicle and replace, a few each year. that our buildings are maintained to a very decline and fall are, to say the least, of the college to hand in shedding light on One of the challenges I recognised early in high standard. Our Estates Manager, Tim premature. As you read through this current issues. During the last 2 years I my first year was to make sure that the Cottage, is following his 5-year rolling edition of The Review, you will see that our have gained a better grasp of what the staff size and structure met the needs of programme of maintenance which is community is as vibrant as ever.