May 2019 | issue 49 MAGDALENE MATTERS the newsletter of Magdalene College Cambridge COMMENT from the MAGDALENE MAT TERS Development Director CONTENTS SPRING / SUmmER IssUE 49 Dear Members, Back a Book 3 Two years ago we launched the College’s Campaign with the aim Fellows’ News 4–5 Future Foundations of raising £25 million. We had not attempted Magdalene in Liverpool 6 such an ambitious undertaking before and any suggestion that we would more than double View From a Student: Liverpool to Magdalene 7 the £10 million in the kitty at the time of the launch in March 2017 would have been met with The Exomars Rover Field-Trials: 8–10 a polite but disbelieving smile, nothing more. Is there life on Mars? And yet, two years on, this is precisely what we have accomplished thanks to your loyalty and The Power Scholarships 10 commitment to the College. Built on ‘Powerful’ Foundations 11 We’ve all but raised the money for the new library which is taking shape in the north-west corner of Land’s End to John o’Groats 12 the Fellows’ Garden. The entire project is being Astride a Charging Bullet funded from donations and it is true to say that the Master, Fellows and the students are simply Swords, Dragons, Gods and Chinese Studies 13 overwhelmed by the response from our Members and Friends who have made this enormous The 500th Anniversary of Hall 14 achievement possible. When the idea of a new Library for Magdalene was conceived some felt Junior Combination Room Update 15 that the idea of building a new library was too ambitious and could potentially impact negatively The Secret Surfer 15 on the limited resources of the College. Forthcoming Events 16 Your amazing response, your generosity, has put paid to these concerns and we are all looking forward to the opening of this important addition Magdalene Matters is published by the Alumni and Development Office, twice to the College precinct in September 2020. We yearly, in Michaelmas and Easter terms. For further information or if you would have however, also raised very significant funds like to submit content for future issues please contact the Communications Officer, Mr Matthew Moon, or the Editor Mrs Corinne Lloyd. for student support, bursaries and scholarships – The views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the views almost £4 million so far. A wonderful success story of Magdalene College Cambridge. thus far, thank you. But we still have more to do, Front cover, River Court, courtesy of Mr Matthew Moon. not least accomplish Phase II of the Campaign which will focus on the iconic Pepys Building and still more student support. Over 1400 of you have supported the Campaign with a donation so far and it is true that every gift, however modest, does make a real difference. We are enormously grateful to each and every one of you who have chosen to help, thank you. CORINNE LLOYD EDITOR AND DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Telephone Campaign Callers. 2 MAGDALENE MATTERS BACK A BOOK The Pepys Library and the Historic Collections of Magdalene College have launched a new fundraising initiative to help conserve and repair our books and manuscripts: Back a Book. The initiative was launched at our ‘Friends of the Pepys Friends to support Back a Book: it is open to all who have Library’ event last July, and has had immediate success, an interest in supporting the libraries’ work. with six of our items for 2018–2019 already having found support. Items which are still awaiting support are now on The historic libraries at Magdalene College have aided our dedicated Back a Book webpage, and the next group of scholarship and provided public enjoyment for centuries. items to support will be launched this summer. Through careful monitoring and professional conservation of the books, manuscripts and prints in the Pepys Library Back a Book will offer supporters the chance to see how and Old Library, we can ensure that these items are studied their financial assistance can help conserve and repair and exhibited for years to come. The Back a Book scheme individual items in our libraries, with the expert help of will certainly help us towards achieving this aim. the Cambridge Colleges’ Conservation Consortium. The Consortium, a team of book and paper conservators who www.magd.cam.ac.uk/pepys/back-a-book work exclusively for the Cambridge Colleges, are based at Corpus Christi and provide specialist conservation and preservation care for the wide variety of materials housed in Cambridge library and archive collections. The Back a Book initiative has been inspired by the generosity of our Friends of the Pepys Library and Historic Collections, who have supported recent purchases for the libraries including the new oak storage units for the Old Library’s Ferrar papers and prints, and new curtains for the Pepys Library. However, you need not be part of the 3 MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE FELLOWS’ NEWS PROFESSOR EAMON DUFFY (1979) DR CECILIA BRASSETT (2009) DR ROBERT HOYE (2016) At the end of last Dr Brassett, Director Dr Hoye has been year Heythrop of Studies in Medical named as one of College, University Sciences and Forbes’ 2019’s 30 of London, conferred University Clinical Under 30 rising on Professor Duffy Anatomist, has been talent in Science an Honorary Doctor awarded a Pilkington and Healthcare of Divinity. Professor Duffy remarked Prize for Teaching Excellence. Each in Europe, recognising his research that “this is rather bitter sweet, as year the Pilkington Prize is awarded on semiconductors and tandem it will be Heythrop’s last degree to teachers from across the University photovoltaics. Semiconductors are congregation, because the College is who have made a substantial essential to the world of electronics, closing its doors for good at the end contribution to the teaching and Dr Hoye knows this better than of this term with five centuries of programme of their Department, most. Having already developed a theological study behind it, and one of Faculty or the University as a whole. way to manufacture semiconductors the finest specialist libraries anywhere 12 prizes are awarded each year, with faster than industry-standard methods (that at least will go to Senate House)”. nominations made by each of the six during his Ph.D., he then went on Schools. The Pilkington Prizes were to start an independent group to PROFESSOR PAUL DUPREE (1996) initiated by Sir Alastair Pilkington, create more resilient next-generation We are pleased graduate of Trinity College, engineer, semiconductors, using a £500,000 to announce that businessman and the first Chairman seed fund from the Royal Academy Graduate Student of the Cambridge Foundation. He of Engineering. Tutor and Director believed passionately that the quality of Studies in Natural of teaching was a crucial part of the DR FARID AHMED (2019) Sciences, Professor University’s ability to continue to Dr Ahmed was Paul Dupree, was named a 2018 Highly attract undergraduates of the highest admitted as an Cited Researcher, with the Dupree calibre. The Pilkington Prizes Fund Official Fellow in Group’s research among the top 1% was created in July 1992 and the first Economics in January. most cited works worldwide in the prizes were awarded in 1994. Cecilia Dr Ahmed is also ‘cross field’ category. Professor Dupree will receive her award from the Vice- Director of Studies commented that: “I’m very proud to be Chancellor at the formal reception and College Lecturer in Economics named a 2018 Highly Cited Researcher. and ceremony at the end of June. for Magdalene alongside his role as This reflects the outstanding work of a Research Associate of the Faculty our group members over many years to DR SARAH CADDY (2015) of Economics. Dr Ahmed completed produce reproducible, exciting findings Junior Research his PhD in Economics at Cambridge addressing the big questions in science Fellow and Veterinary in 2017; his research interests draw that directly impact society.” Surgeon Dr Sarah from Macroeconomics, Time Series Caddy has become Econometrics and Finance with a DR GARETH PEARCE (2008) a lead volunteer for particular focus on asset pricing. He is Dr Pearce has been the charity StreetVet. also interested in production networks, given an exciting This is a nationwide network of particularly with regards to input- new appointment. veterinary professionals that offer free output linkages. Dr Farid previously He is now Adjunct services to the pets of homeless people. taught at LUMS in 2009–10 as a Professor in The Cambridge team visit a number Teaching Fellow and has also served the School of of city centre streets and hostels once as a Teaching Fellow at the University Environmental and Rural Science at a week, carrying a rucksack full of of Cambridge. the University of New England in veterinary supplies. Vets are able to Australia. The appointment is intended perform full clinical exams from the MR JAMES WOODAll (2017) to enhance collaborations in the areas rucksack kit, as well as supply vaccines Royal Literary Fund Teaching Bye- of Sustainable Livestock Production and common medications for any of Fellow, Mr Woodall, has had an and Animal Welfare Science. the 25 dogs registered in Cambridge. article published in issue 124 of Lettre 4 MAGDALENE MATTERS International entitled benefits of brain research, in easily the Accademia di Studi Italo-Tedeschi Arkadianismus. The understood layman’s language. di Merano and has been a Fellow text is a translation of the Bogliasco Foundation. From by writer and PROFESSOR HARRIET February until August 2017 she was journalist Wiebke RITVO (2019) Bologna-Clare Hall-Fellow here in Hüster, who visited At the start of Cambridge, and is now a Life Member Magdalene last month.