The Martlet Ensemble 2026
On 3 February 2026, The Martlet Ensemble’s professional players joined student instrumentalists from the College to perform Fanny Hensel’s String Quartet and Brahms’ second Sextet. Read more here.

In Memoriam: William (Bill Warren)
The College deeply regrets to report that William (Bill) Warren, Head Porter at Univ from 1984-2002, died on 6 January 2026. Read a tribute provided by Univ’s Archivist, Dr Robin Darwall-Smith, here.

Univ Spotlight Series Episode Two
The second episode of the Univ Spotlight Series features Professor Tamsin Mather OBE FRS, Supernumerary Fellow in Earth Sciences and Professor of Earth Sciences at Univ. During the episode, Professor Mather talks about her inspiring journey into Earth sciences, reflects on her academic and research career to date and shares her insights into the future of our planet. Read more and watch the video here.

Women and Girls in Science 2026
To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026, the College interviewed an inspiring cohort of Univ’s female science undergraduate and postgraduate students. Read more here.

Univ bids farewell to its Robinia tree
After a number of years in slow decline, the longstanding Robinia tree (Robinia pseudoacacia) in Univ’s Radcliffe Quad was felled in January 2026. Read more here.

Read all of Univ’s College news or explore Univ’s Treasures.

Christina Lamb OBE receives honorary degree
Univ Honorary Fellow Christina Lamb OBE (1983, PPE) received an honorary degree from the University on Tuesday 24 February at a special ceremony in the Sheldonian Theatre. Read more here.

Queer gothic and Orlando on BBC Radio
DPhil English student Holly James Johnston featured in two BBC Radio broadcasts, sharing her insights into Horace Walpole’s Strawberry Hill House and Virginia Woolf’s Orlando. Read more here.

Today’s Science, Tomorrow’s Medicines
Solomon Jalang (2025, MSc Pharmacology) gave an account of attending the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) annual Pharmacology conference 2025 in Belfast, which brought together an international audience of over 800 delegates. This trip was funded by the Keasbey Travel Fund. Read Solomon’s travel report here.

Read more Travel Reports.

Green Action Week 2026
Green Action Week is a University-wide celebration of environmental action running from 23 February to 27 February. This year’s theme is “The top five things to do for the environment”, encouraging staff and students to consider actions that can contribute to environmental sustainability. Read more about Green Action Week here.

Read more about Sustainability at Univ.

The Ballad of Reading Gaol
Known for his prose, plays, poems and general wit, Oscar Wilde was also notorious for the civil libel case he was involved in and the criminal case against him for homosexuality. The latest instalment of the Treasures series looks at Oscar Wilde’s writing while in exile in France after his release from prison, specifically The Ballad of Reading Gaol. Read more here.

Profile: Isabel Barnfather
Learn more about Isabel Barnfather, a DPhil Oncology student who is also the current WCR LGBTQ+ Officer. You can read Isabel’s profile here.

Please note some of these items link to external sites.

Fellows and other academics

•Professor Sarah Harper CBE, Supernumerary Fellow in Gerontology, Clore Professor of Gerontology and Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, was quoted in an article in The Independent commenting on changes in the employment rate of people between 50 and 64 in the UK over the last 40 years. Read more here.

•Dr Emily Jones, Supernumerary Fellow in Public Policy at Univ, has been appointed Professor of Practice in Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, where she co-directs Executive Programmes and leads the Case Centre on Public Leadership.

Old Members

•Otamere Guobadia’s (2012, Law) non-fiction debut, In Idolatry: An Uncanny History of Dolls has been acquired by Faber, with a view to publishing in Spring 2027. Read more here.

•Isla Ratcliff (2014, Music) has released a new album, The Scottish Four Seasons, a Scottish reinterpretation of Vivaldi’s work accompanied by poems to tell the story of each season. Read more here.