Floreat Domusissue No.16 Apr I L 2 0 1 0 Balliol College News
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Floreat DomusISSUE No.16 Apr I l 2 0 1 0 balliol college news Weaning Britain off fossil fuels » Innovating medical education Transforming natural resources into fuels » An interview with Christopher Ricks Balliol and the East End » Balliol in business » Can we succeed in Afghanistan? Architects of the European Union » Toby Ord and the science of morals KT Bruce Contents Page 9 Welcome to the 2010 edition of Floreat Domus. p AgE 26 n Balliol i business News Bo Meng surveys some recent p1AgE College news start-ups p6AgE Student news p AgE 28 Weaning Britain off fossil fuels Pages 30-31 Professor and Priest p9AgE Doireann Lalor interviews two alumni David Vines on p AgE 10 Some thought the global financial crisis p AgE 30 Pages 26-27 Page 20-23 for food p AgE 11 New Year Honours Matthew Fraser considers global food issues p AgE 12 A Balliol genius Architects of the Balliol’s sixth p AgE 32 p AgE 13 European Union Reith Lecturer Tom Rowley discovers some Balliol pioneers Features p AgE 36 Toby Ord and the science of morals p AgE 14 Curious and Owain Williams in conversation compassionate with ‘Giving What We Can’ founder Jacqueline Smith talks to two Balliol novelists p AgE 37 Bookshelf p AgE 16 Transforming natural resources into fuels Development news Chris Record interviews Andrew Ashley p AgE 38 Towards Balliol’s Sean Muller 750th Anniversary Pages 46-47 p AgE 17 Innovating medical education p AgE 39 The Annual Fund - Elizabeth Mumford investigates A Record Year spaced education p AgE 40 Historic Collections p AgE 18 Balliol and the Centre at St. Cross Church East End p AgE 41 Secularism and the state: Jacqueline Smith goes to the 2010 Master’s Seminar Toynbee Hall p AgE 42 Benefactors to Balliol p AgE 20 e Can w succeed in Afghanistan? p AgE 42 Calendar of Events Michael Webb reviews his p AgE 46 Buried treasure trip and talks to alumni p AgE 48 The establishment of the An interview p AgE 24 Arthur and Miriam Levitan Fund with Christopher Ricks Jacqueline Smith meets the p AgE 49 Generous support outgoing Professor of Poetry for prizes at Balliol group does not meet in person; members simply Publication details Editorial respond to one or two emails a year which ask for w elcome to the 2010 issue of Floreat Domus. specific input or advice. Editor: Jacqueline Smith, Publications the magazine is being published slightly earlier In this issue, as well as welcoming some new & Web Officer this year, partly because the Annual Record faces we are also celebrating student success in Design: Richard Boxall Design Associates comes out in September, and we wanted to debating, judo, and journalism; we continue to Print: Hunts distribute the two publications more evenly mark the thirtieth anniversary of the admission across the year. of women to balliol with a report on the first of Contact details I am grateful to the informal editorial two special women’s lunches; and we also find out advisory group which has provided advice what just a handful of the thousands of talented Balliol College, on the content of this issue. Vice-master balliol alumni are doing today in fields as diverse Broad Street, Seamus perry, postgraduate Jennifer robinson, as cake-baking, sustainable energy, novel-writing, Oxford OX1 3BJ undergraduate tom rowley, tutor in politics and counter-insurgency, to name but a few. Telephone: +44(0)1865 277768 Adam Swift, and Senior tutor Nicola trott As always, please do not hesitate to write to Email: [email protected] have all been helpful in this regard. If there is me with your thoughts and comments on the Website: www.balliol.ox.ac.uk any old member with a particular interest in magazine. publications who is willing to join this group Cover picture: ‘Collections’ (exams) in Balliol Hall, I would be pleased to hear from you. the Jacqueline Smith, Editor by Piers Nye fA l o r E t d o m U S b A l l I o l c o l l E g E N E w S Appointments 2009 David Professor Doug’s Judo Women college news and honours Pathfinders Vines and Priest Lunches Champion at Balliol Jacqueline Smith Jacqueline she certainly has a well-functioning sense of humour, which is one of New the skills she identifies as important for a domestic bursar, along with diplomacy, and remembering what it Domestic was like to be a student. It was in the air force that Jo began her career, as an officer, before taking Bursar time out to have her three children. She then resumed work, this time for british Airways, where she managed In July 2009, Jo roadknight took an cabin services across fleets including opportunity ‘too good to miss’ and concorde. moved from Hertford college to balliol’s new domestic bursar has balliol as domestic bursar, filling the been charged with cutting costs and vacancy left by carl woodall when he increasing revenue in this difficult went to work at the House of lords financial climate, and Jo intends to earlier in the year. do this while continuing to improve Jo’s first impression of balliol was services for students, fellows, and that it had an ‘extraordinary family visitors to the college, whether they feel’, and that there was a sense of be tourists, parents, or conference people belonging to the college, from guests. the scouts to the fellowship. In one I ask Jo what she likes best about of her previous roles she managed a her role here at balliol, and without group of care homes for the elderly, hesitation she explains that it is the and she jokes that this experience variety that she enjoys: ‘one minute of looking after the old and slightly I could be head to head with the city mad might stand her in good stead council, and the next minute I’m for overseeing the efficient running taking the maintenance team out for of an oxford college! It is clear that a pint on a friday’. Jo Roadknight professor tom melham, the new more graduate scholarship funding incumbent, sees his role as being than does any other oxford college. New Praefectus an ‘advocate for balliol’s graduates, I asked tom what aspects of the in college and the University,’ role he was most looking forward to. In September 2010 Holywell committed to the well-being of He was enthusiastic about working manor will be welcoming a new the students and the success of the with the individuals who make up praefectus. the praefectus is the centre. Having been an international the graduate student community at fellow responsible for overseeing graduate student at cambridge in the balliol. ‘It really is an extraordinary the college’s graduate centre based 1980s, tom knows first-hand how a group of very clever people. It will around Holywell manor and for strong college community can provide be exciting to get to know these pastoral care of balliol’s outstanding a ‘delightful and uniquely valuable young scholars and researchers, full community of graduate students. Professor Tom Melham intellectual and social home’ to of energy and interest, and working graduates. He wants to make sure that across many disciplines.’ Holywell manor remains the premier tom will also be involved with collegiate graduate facility in oxford. some of the more practical aspects After cambridge, tom went of life at the manor. the mcr have to glasgow University, where he already used some of their own served as faculty Vice-dean for budget to clear the old kitchens in the graduates, coming to balliol as basement to make way for a sound- tutor in computation in 2002. He proof music practice space. tom is is professor of computer Science in keen to help ensure this proposed the University and does research on development becomes a reality. He machine-assisted logical reasoning is also ‘delighted to be working with about computation. tom has just the new domestic bursar, who has come to the end of four years as tutor already started making important for graduate Admissions at balliol, improvements to facilities and during which time he oversaw a staffing at the manor’. significant expansion in the college’s balliol wishes the new praefectus graduate numbers and in balliol’s all the best in his aim to offer our provision of graduate scholarships. graduate students ‘dedicated graduate thanks to the generosity of our facilities and a scholarly community donors and supporters, we now offer unmatched in oxford’. issue N o . 1 6 A p r I l 2 0 1 0 1 New Fellows András Schiff Andras Schiff is a Hungarian-born classical pianist. He emigrated from Balliol is pleased to welcome Hungary to britain in 1979, and is seven new Fellows. a british citizen. Schiff is one of the most renowned interpreters of bach, mozart, Schubert, and Schumann. He is a Special Supernumerary fellow at balliol, a post to which he was Gretchen Gerzina elected in 2009 for five years. g retchen is a Supernumerary fellow, george Eastman Visiting professor (English). She is the Kathe tappe Vernon professor in biography at dartmouth college. gretchen Nicola Trott has published widely on such diverse topics as Nicola took up the post of Senior tutor and bloomsbury, frances Hodgson burnett (author Academic registrar at balliol in trinity term of the Secret garden), and slavery. Since 1997 2007. previously she was Head of English gretchen has hosted the US radio programme literature at the University of glasgow, where ‘the book Show’.