Univ Spotlight Series Episode Three
We are delighted to share the third episode of the Univ Spotlight Series. In this episode, Dr Andrew Bell (1993, History), Senior Tutor at University College, talks about the learning experience of students at Univ in the context of the tutorial system. Read more about this episode and watch the video here.

Opening Doors: Redefining access and opportunity
Savannah Phillips, School Liaison and Access Officer at University College, talks about our approach to widening participation through partnerships, initiatives and outreach activities. You can read Savannah’s piece here.

Leading questions – Alastair Dorward
Alastair Dorward (1987, PPE) is a consumer products entrepreneur who has built brands in the food, personal care and household categories. Alastair shares his memories of Univ, including the people that made an impression on him at the College, and tells us how an Edinburgh-born lad went on to found a soap brand in San Francisco. You can read Alastair’s answers to our leading questions here.

Dr Chelsea Clinton revisits Univ
University College was delighted to welcome Dr Chelsea Clinton (2001, International Relations) and her family to the College for a short visit on Thursday 6 July. Read more about Dr Clinton’s visit to the College here.

Fragments of a life
Read excerpts from the biographical notes of Edmund John Bowen FRS, a former Honorary Fellow of Univ who was “Percy” Fellow and Praelector in Chemistry at the College from 1922 until his retirement in 1965. He is renowned for his pioneering research in photochemistry and fluorescence, as well as for his seminal book The Chemical Aspects of Light. Read more about the life of EJ Bowen here,

Between Oxford and Rome
Matilda Warner (2016, English) writes about her long-standing appreciation of the Shelley Memorial and recounts a trip to Rome to visit the final resting place of Shelley and Keats in Rome. Read more about Matilda’s visit to Rome here.

1249 Society Garden Party
University College warmly welcomed members of the 1249 Society and their families to its second annual Garden Party on Saturday 12 July. The 1249 Society recognises those supporters who make regular contributions to University College with a minimum monthly gift of £12.49. Read more about the Garden Party here.

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

Backpacking from Baku to Iasi
Sebastian Collins (2024, History) recounts his journey from Baki to Iasi which took him across the Caucasus through Turkey and along the “Dogu Express” railway line. This trip was supported by the Roger Short Memorial Fund. Read more about Sebastian’s trip here.

Medical Elective in Thailand
Reuben Dennison (2019, Medicine) spent his elective at the Mae Tao Clinic in Thailand, situated just a couple of kilometres from the Thai-Myanmar border. During his time with the clinic, Reuben had the opportunity to rotate thought all the departments and felt immersed and integrated within the teams. This trip was funded by the Radcliffe Travelling Fellowship Travel Grant. Read more about Reuben’ elective here.

From Turkey to Georgia and back
Raphaelle Martinez (2024, Law) shares an account of her trip to Turkey and Georgia, taking in local dishes, language and culture. This trip was supported by the Roger Short Memorial Fund. Read more about Raphaelle’s adventure here.

EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna
Catherine Baldwin (2023, DPhil Earth Sciences) attended the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly in Vienna, Austria. This conference is Europe’s largest geosciences event, attracting over 20,000 scientists from diverse research fields each year. Catherine has written a report about her time at the conference, which was funded by the Old Members’ Graduate Conference and Academic Trust Travel Fund. Read more about Catherine’s experience here.

UCBC Newsletter TT26
Read a termly update from Amber Ford, UCBC President, with details of UCBC’s many successes, including securing the Women’s Headship in this year’s Summer Eights. Read the full UCBC newsletter here.

Univ’s first-round success on University Challenge 2026
A team from University College appeared in the current series of University Challenge and achieved a victory against their opponents, St John’s College, Cambridge. Read about their excellent performance here.

Read more Travel Reports.

Profile: Dan Nackasha-Keyworth
Dan Nackasha-Keyworth (PPE, 2000) recently undertook a 9-month career break to embark on an exciting global adventure with his wife Mema, circumnavigating the globe without flying. Read Dan’s full profile here.

Explore all of our Profiles.

Please note some of these items link to external sites.

Fellows

• Professor Laura Herz, Supernumerary Fellow in Physics and Professor of Physics, was interviewed about the development of solar power on the BBC World Service. You can listen to Professor Herz giving a short history of solar power here. [from 06:16]

• Professor Polly Jones, Schrecker-Barbour Tutorial Fellow in Slavonic and East European Studies at Univ and Professor of Russian at Oxford, has been featured in the Pulse section of the University News page with an interview about her work on Gulag writers. You can read the piece here.

• Professor Joe Moshenska, Beaverbrook and Bouverie Tutorial Fellow in English and Professor of English Literature, reviewed John Berger: From Life by Tom Overton for the Financial Times on 18 August. More

• Professor Adam Smith, Edward Orsborn Professor of US Politics and Political History and Director of Rothermere American Institute, has appeared in the Pulse section of the University News page in an interview in which he discusses the distinctiveness and dissonance of US culture. You can read the piece here.

Old Members

• Geraint Jennings (1985, Modern Languages), was elected a Membre d’Honneur of the Société Jersiaise in recognition of his lifelong commitment to Jèrriais. Geraint’s work includes Les Pages Jèrriaise, a vast online repository of articles, stories, poems, songs, grammar guides, vocabulary lists, and pronunciation resources hosted on the Société Jersiaise. Read more here.

• Emilie McDonnell (2016, Law) published a monograph, Protecting the Right to Leave in an Era of Externalised Migration Control (Hart Publishing, 2026).

• Catherine Shannon (2013, Classical Art and Archaeology) published the essay “The Trap of the Digital Double” in the New York Times on 2 August. The essay, which appeared on the cover of the Sunday Opinion section, is about the ubiquity of mirrors in modern life and the uncanny, spiritual trap of continuous self-observation. You can read more about the essay in Catherine’s Substack here.

• Xa Sturgis CBE (1982, History), Director of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and Dr Chris Thorogood, Deputy Director and Head of Science of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum, discussed the story behind the Ashmolean’s special exhibition, “In Bloom”, which showcases the global stories of how plants and flowers have changed our world for the University’s Pulse series. Read more

Univ North

• Níall McLaughlin, Architect for the College’s Univ North development, has been recognised with architecture’s highest honour, The Royal Gold medal, bestowed on behalf of His Majesty the King. Read more on the Níall McLaughlin Architects website here.

Students

• The University of Oxford highlighted a group of students who secured a place at Oxford this year, two of whom are joining Univ. Read more

Former Fellows

• Professor Dr Julia A B Hegewald, Professor of Oriental Art History and Head of the Department of Asian and Islamic Art History at the University of Bonn and a former Research Fellow at Univ (1998-2005), will be the Slade Professor at the University of Oxford in 2027. Professor Hegewald will present a series of lectures in Hilary Term 2027. More