Welcome to the autumn issue of the e-newsletter
I send my warm wishes to our alumni community as we all learn to cope with the changes brought about by the global pandemic. Here in College, the new academic year has begun, and we have welcomed new and returning students to Christ's. A huge amount of work has been involved in getting everything ready and making the College Covid-secure, and I am grateful to everyone who has been involved in this. We have tried to be as welcoming as is possible in the circumstances, and have provided opportunities for students to meet each other safely and within Government guidelines. I was keen to make sure that our new students were able to mark their matriculation in a formal way, and so we hosted six matriculation dinners, rather than the usual two. I am grateful to the Senior Tutor and to Professor Reynolds who both hosted matriculation dinners for our graduate students.
After a long period of lockdown, it has been wonderful to see the College open up again to our community. The Catering Department is doing a wonderful job of providing meals to students, staff, and Fellows, with takeaway containers now available for those who prefer to take their meals to eat in the gardens, their rooms, or in Hall, which is open when Upper Hall is too busy (the distancing requirements have significantly reduced capacity). The Library is open for those who wish to reserve study space and consult the books, and the staff have been providing a "Click and Deliver" service to isolating students; they have even been known to deliver jaffa cakes with the books! Much of the large-scale teaching is on-line, but we are providing in-person supervisions and seminars where possible. We remain committed to providing the best possible teaching and research opportunities in a vibrant and nurturing environment.
Jane Stapleton, Master
COVID-19 Update
We have put several measures in place to protect and support our students and staff during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Here are just a few examples:
 Our wonderful staff have been looking after our isolating students by grocery shopping on their behalf (above right) and delivering to their doors (above left).
 Marquees and gazebos were erected in the College gardens (pictured above) to allow for small in-person group meetings to safely take place at the beginning of term.
 All Government guidelines are being strictly adhered to, with sanitation stations (pictured above, right) providing hand sanitiser gel and disinfectant wipes for student and staff use throughout the college. Masks or face coverings must also be worn in all corridors and staircases.
With students returning, we are proud to offer Christ's Digital Grants, alongside the university’s Digital Gateway Grants, to enable our students to have the equipment needed to engage with online learning. We have only been able to offer these grants, alongside other specific funding for lockdown hardship such as the nearly £22,500 given in April to cover travel and quarantine, thanks to the generosity of our alumni in providing for these funds. They have helped us to ensure that our students are not disadvantaged by these difficult times, and we are so grateful for this continued support.
Christ’s-King’s Bridging Course 2020
Here at Christ’s, we have collaborated with King’s College to deliver a Bridging Course for incoming first-year students. These are individuals who have already demonstrated their potential but may have been held back due to background factors (including low school rankings, insufficient preparation in their subject, first-generation university, low income, in care, etc.), including eight students from Christ’s. All accommodation, travel, and food costs were covered by the respective colleges, with every participant also receiving a bursary to compensate for potential lost earnings in order to attend the course. Read more about the Bridging Course on our website.
Dinosaur Study
Dr David Norman (Fellow) has completed a detailed study of the first complete dinosaur ever identified; finishing a project that began more than a century and a half ago. Read more about the many firsts his research has revealed.
Alumni News
Vaughan Southgate (m. 1965), Martin Frost (m. 1982), Ganesh Suntharalingam (m. 1985), and Sarah Walker (m. 1990), have all been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours. Read more on the College website.
Michael Liebreich (m. 1981) has been appointed to the Government Board of Trade. Neil Calver (m. 1983) has been appointed a High Court Judge, assigned to the Queen's Bench Division. Andrew Bud (m. 1979) has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in recognition of his outstanding and continuing contributions to the profession. Professor Michael Kenny (m. 1983) has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences for his outstanding contributions to research, and for his application of social science to policy, education, society and the economy.
Priya Guha (m. 1993) is one of Computer Weekly's Most Influential Women in UK Technology 2020. The top 50 have been chosen from a longlist of over 400 women recognised for their contribution to the tech sector and the advancement of diversity and inclusion in the IT industry. Paul Monroe (m. 2013) has been selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Manufacturing and Industry category.
The very best of luck to Dr Helen Mort (m. 2004), whose novel 'Black Car Burning' is a finalist in the Mountain Fiction & Poetry category at the 2020 Banff Mountain Book Competition. Award winners will be announced this month, and the Grand Prize winner will be announced at the festival on 5 November.
King Street Redevelopment
 Work continues on our new state-of-the-art student accommodation development. The site is located next to New Court with access to King Street and will comprise over 60 student en-suite study bedrooms, with seven shared kitchens, and four new Fellows' rooms. Alongside this, it will provide a number of communal rooms for supervisions, music, and meetings. Enhanced retail space on the King Street side will enable the College to generate an income stream to help support our activities.
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