MESSAGES The Year St Catherine’s College . Oxford 2015 ST CATHERINE’S COLLEGE 2015/79 Master and Fellows 2015 MASTER Timothy Cook, MA, DPhil Cressida E Chappell, MA W I F (Bill) David, MA, DPhil Andrew J Bunker, MA, DPhil Peter T Ireland, MA, DPhil Fellow by Special Election (BA, MA Hull) Fellow by Special Election in Tutor in Physics Donald Schultz Professor of Professor Roger W Fellow by Special Election Physics Professor of Astrophysics Turbomachinery Ainsworth, MA, DPhil, FRAeS Richard I Todd, MA status, Academic Registrar DPhil (MA Camb) Secretary to the Governing Richard M Bailey, MA (BSc Adrian L Smith, MA (BSc Pekka Hämäläinen, MA (MA, FELLOWS Tutor in Materials Science Body Leics, MSc, PhD Lond) Keele, MSc Wales, PhD Nott) PhD Helsinki) Goldsmiths’ Fellow Tutor in Geography Tutor in Zoology Rhodes Professor of Fram E Dinshaw, MA, DPhil Professor of Materials David R H Gillespie, MA, Associate Professor in Associate Professor in American History Official Fellow DPhil Geochronology Infectious Diseases Finance Bursar Marc Lackenby, MA (PhD Tutor in Engineering Science Dean (Leave H16-T16) Benjamin A F Bollig, MA (BA Camb) Rolls-Royce Fellow Nott, MA, PhD Lond) Peter D Battle, MA, DPhil Tutor in Pure Mathematics Associate Professor in Gaia Scerif (BSc St And, PhD Andreas Muench, MA (Dr Tutor in Spanish Tutor in Inorganic Chemistry Leathersellers’ Fellow Engineering Science Lond) phil, Dipl TU Munich) (Leave M15-T16) Professor of Chemistry Professor of Mathematics Associate Professor in Tutor in Mathematics Peter P Edwards, MA (BSc, Experimental Psychology Associate Professor in Applied Eleanor P J Stride, MA A Gervase Rosser, MA (MA, Marc E Mulholland, MA (BA, PhD Salf), FRS Tutor in Psychology Mathematics (BEng, PhD Lond) PhD Lond) MA, PhD Belf) Professor of Inorganic Professor of Developmental Fellow by Special Election in Tutor in History of Art Tutor in History Chemistry Cognitive Neuroscience Kerry M M Walker, DPhil (BSc Engineering Science Associate Professor in History Wolfson Fellow Memorial, MSc Dalhousie) Professor of Engineering of Art Patrick S Grant, MA, DPhil Karl Sternberg, MA Fellow by Special Election in Science Librarian Gavin Lowe, MA, MSc, DPhil (BEng Nott) FREng Fellow by Special Election Biomedical Sciences Tutor in Computer Science Vesuvius Professor of Paul S Davies (MA Camb) John S Foord, MA (MA, PhD Professor of Computer Materials Christoph Reisinger, MA (Dipl Udo C T Oppermann (BSc, Tutor in Law Camb) Science Linz, Dr phil Heidelberg) MSc, PhD Philipps Marburg) Associate Professor in Law Tutor in Physical Chemistry President of the Senior Justine N Pila, MA (BA, LLB, Tutor in Mathematics Professor of Musculoskeletal Professor of Chemistry Common Room PhD Melb) Associate Professor in Sciences Saira Uppal (BA Durh) Tutor in Law Mathematical Finance Fellow by Special Election Robert A Leese, MA status Richard M Berry, MA, DPhil College Counsel Alain Goriely, MA (Lic en Sci Director of Development (PhD Durh) Tutor in Physics (Leave M15) Robert E Mabro, CBE, MA Phys, PhD Brussels) Fellow by Special Election in Associate Professor in (BEng Alexandria, MSc Lond) Professor of Mathematical K W M (Bill) Fulford, MA, Mathematics Condensed Matter Physics Bart B van Es (BA, MPhil, Fellow by Special Election Modelling DPhil. (MB BChir Camb, PhD Director of the Smith Institute PhD Camb) Lond), FRCPsych, FRCP Ashok I Handa, MA status Tutor in English Kirsten E Shepherd-Barr, MA, Naomi Freud, MA, MSc Fellow by Special Election Louise L Fawcett, MA status, (MB BS Lond), FRCS Sullivan Fellow DPhil (Grunnfag Oslo, BA Yale) Fellow by Special Election MPhil, DPhil (BA Lond) Fellow by Special Election in Sullivan Clarendon Professor Tutor in English Director of Studies for Visiting Heidi de Wet (BSc North- Tutor in Politics Medicine of English Literature Professor of English and Students West, DPhil Cape Town) Wilfrid Knapp Fellow Associate Professor in Senior Tutor Theatre Studies Tutor in Pre-clinical Medicine Professor of International Surgery Geneviève A D M Associate Professor in Relations Tutor for Graduates Tommaso Pizzari, MA (BSc Angela B Brueggemann, Helleringer, MSc (MSc ESSEC, Physiology Aberd, PhD Shef) DPhil (BSc St Olaf, MSc Iowa) Maîtrise, Doctorat Paris I, John Charles Smith, MA James L Bennett, MA (BA Tutor in Zoology Fellow by Special Election in Master Paris II, MSc Sciences Philipp E Koralus, MA (BA Tutor in French Linguistics Reading) Professor of Evolutionary Biological Sciences Po, JD Columbia) Pomona, PhD Princeton) Vice-Master Fellow by Special Election Biology Associate Professor & Fellow by Special Election Tutor in Philosophy Home Bursar Wellcome Trust Career in Law Fulford Fellow in Philosophy Penny A Handford, MA (BSc, Byron W Byrne, MA, DPhil Development Fellow Leverhulme Trust Early Career of Mind & Cognitive Science PhD S’ton) David J Womersley, MA, (BCom, BEng Western Fellow Fulford Clarendon Associate Tutor in Biochemistry DLitt (PhD Camb), FBA Australia) James E Thomson, MChem, Professor in Philosophy of Wolfson Fellow Warton Professor of English Tutor in Engineering Science DPhil Duncan A Robertson, MA, Mind Professor of Biochemistry Literature Professor of Engineering Fellow by Special Election in DPhil (BSc Lond) Science Chemistry Fellow by Special Election in Tutor for Admissions Management CONTENTS Contents Master’s Report 2 College Life The Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professorship 6 The Development Office Review 8 Richard Parish 10 From the Archives: Rev VJK Brook, Censor from 1930-1952 12 Outreach 14 Postcards to the Master 16 Sports & Societies Review 2015 18 Finals Results & Prizes 2015 20 Student Perspectives Tom Gaisford (2013, Human Sciences) 26 Sophia Saller (2011, Mathematics) 28 Katie Hickson (2012, Geography) 30 Christian Amos (2013, History) 32 Alumni News Sarah McCready (2008, History) 34 Mark Simpson (2008, Music) 36 Maxine Williams (1992, Law) 38 Martin Heipertz (1997, PPE) 40 Alumni News in Brief 42 College Events 2016 44 Catz Research Bill Fulford and Ashok Handa 46 Kirsten Shepherd-Barr 48 Shimon Whiteson 50 Jessica Goodman 51 Amanda Power 52 Gazette Obituaries 2015 54 Admissions 2015 72 Left: A view of St Catz and the moat Front Cover Image: John Simopoulos, Founding Fellow of St Catherine’s, who died in 2015 aged 91 © Professor Roger Ainsworth ST CATHERINE’S COLLEGE 2015/1 MESSAGES application. He is fondly remembered as a tutor, supervisor and colleague, being extremely generous Master’s with his time. Elsewhere, the college has had a very positive year Report indeed, although the Senior Tutor sometimes labels my report as a rerun of a 1950s Pathé newsreel in terms It is with an air of disbelief that I must start by of trumpeting tone. I’m sorry but the trumpet is to recording the passing of John Simopoulos, aged 91, the fore this year… sixth in the Norrington Table, with whilst he was still in the saddle as Dean of Degrees – a 45 Firsts. There have been plenty of smiles around Catz institution if ever there was one. It never really the Senior Common Room about our position relative occurred to any of us that one day he might not be to those richer and smaller colleges. Here I know my here. He arrived at the Society in 1951 and laid down colleagues would want to pay significant tribute to his subfusc 64 years later, having brought considerable the diligence and dedication of our Senior Tutor in inspiration and joy to many generations of Catz taking so many initiatives to help bolster our collective students, not least through the many Simopoulean The Master, Professor Roger attention to the college’s academic culture, in looking episodes that could be retold. We held a Service of Ainsworth at all aspects of teaching, learning and research. It is Thanksgiving for him in Michaelmas. particularly fitting for him, and Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, that Harriet Smith-Hughes won the Gibbs prize, taking We mourn, too, John Bayley, who came to Catz from the top First across the university in English Finals – an New College in 1974 as the first Warton Professor of Well, I’m outstanding achievement in a cohort of 251. English Literature, a post he held until 1992. John was sorry but the both a rare public intellectual, whose work reached There have been so many university and national prizes the widest possible educated public, and a modest trumpet is to this year that I can only mention a few out of a total and engaging colleague, whose eccentric presence in of 18. Kirubin Pillay (2014, Engineering Science) has College was a delight to all. We celebrated his life and the fore this won a national student design award for his eye-control work at an event in November. year… sixth in wheelchair design. He is currently studying for a DPhil in Healthcare Innovation. Kirubin’s design includes an Most recently, Terry Jones, our first Donald Schultz the Norrington electric module which converts eye movements acquired Professor of Turbomachinery, died after a long illness. table, with 45 from an eye tracker into directional commands, and he He was a significant pioneer of a great plethora of will now receive funding to turn his design into reality. experimental techniques and analysis, with very wide Firsts. Samuel Taylor (2012, Law) won the 5 stone Buildings 2 /ST/A MESSAGE CATHERINE’S FROM COLLEGE THE MASTER 2012 M ASTER’SMESSAGES REPORT Prize for top performance in Trusts, together with a winner of the Royal Opera House Fanfare Competition. In terms of Gibbs book prize. Courtney Spoerer (2012, Experimental Meanwhile, Mark Simpson (2008, Music) continues to Psychology) achieved a distinction which is certainly rise to new heights internationally. Among his many its musical almost unheard of these days – a congratulatory First achievements this year, he was recently soloist at achievements, – together with the George Humphrey Prize, the Gibbs the BBC Proms, where he performed the fiendishly prize and a British Psychological Society Prize.