Jesus College Community Newsletter - Trinity Term Week 7

JESUS COLLEGE
NEWSLETTER
Trinity Term 2025
The latest news from across our community
WEEK 7
Alumna Jane Lewis (far left) with members of the current Women’s VIII crew.
Boat Club celebrates arrival
of new Women’s VIII boat
photo
Ahead of Summer Eights, alumni and current students came
together to mark the arrival of a new Women’s VIII boat for
the Boat Club.
The purchase was made in celebration of fifty years of coeducation
at Jesus, and the name – Merched Y Dwr
^
– was chosen by the first
women rowers from 1974-76. The Welsh name translates as ‘women
of the water’. The boat was officially christened by the first women’s
rowing captain, Jane Lewis and, current women’s captain, Emma Walker.
Georgie Plunkett, Deputy Director of Development and Senior
Member of the Boat Club said “We’re happy and excited to have a new
women’s boat out on the river this term. Thank you to the Cadwallader
Club for generously contributing funding towards its purchase, and for
being so supportive of our crews over the years. A huge thank you
and congratulations also to the Jesus crews for a brilliant effort at
Summer VIIIs this year!”
^
Merched Y Dwr takes to the water.

Kidical Mass
Since 2022, College Librarian Owen McKnight has
been organising family bike rides with Oxford’s
cycling campaign Cyclox. ‘Kidical Mass’ is an
international movement to give children the chance
to experience safe cycling in their hometowns.
In May, children from across Oxford gathered for the
latest Kidical Mass bike ride through the city centre, with
Turl Street on their route. Adult marshalls were on hand
photo
to keep everyone safe. The event attracted 150 riders,
including Owen, and Fellows Seth Flaxman and Andrew
Dunning. The next ride is planned for Sunday 21st
September.
(L-R) Andrew Dunning, Seth Flaxman and Owen McKnight
at Kidical Mass in May
Staff Summer Party
Bookings are now open for this year’s Staff Summer
Party on Friday 18th July, from 17.00-22.00.
To mark the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Jesus, the
theme is ‘Through the decades’. Grab a drink at the groovy
Disco Bar, tuck in to pizza and Mexican food at our popup
food stalls, and boogie the night away with live music
from the 1970s onwards. There’s also themed music from
guitarist Tom Rogers, a karaoke booth so you can channel
your inner Donna Summers or Freddie Mercury, plus
sweet treats for all, and a crafts table.
The summer party is free, and open to all College
staff, their partners, and children. To book your
places, click here.
Former student’s
book investigates
musical forgery
Jesus alumnus Frederick Reece (2008, Music)
has published his first book, Forgery in Musical
Composition: Aesthetics, History, and the
Canon, which explores the methods and motives
behind compositional forgery.
In the book, published
by OUP, Frederick holds
a magnifying glass to
a wide array of phony
musical works, to expose
the shadowy roles that
forgeries have played in
shaping perceptions of
authenticity, creativity, and
the self, within classical
music culture from the
1790s to the 1990s.

Captain Angus Buchanan VC
The work was commissioned by Christopher Richey
(1984, MPhil Management Studies) to honour Buchanan
and his legacy, and created by leading British sculptor
Anthony Smith. In May, Christopher and his wife joined
the Principal and guests in the Buchanan Tower Room
& Rosaline Wong Gallery to dedicate the sculpture,
which commemorates the life of one of Jesus’ most
extraordinary alumni.
New sculpture
commemorates
bravery of student
war hero
photo
A new bronze bust of Jesus alumnus and WW1 war hero Captain Angus Buchanan VC (1913, Classics)
has been officially unveiled.
Buchanan, a passionate sportsman (rowing and rugby)
and well-liked member of the JCR, was one of several
Jesus students to enlist at the start of the Great War.
In 1916, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for
‘conspicuous bravery’ after saving the lives of two men
while under heavy fire, during a battle in Mesopotamia.
On the Middle Eastern front line in 1917, he was shot
by a sniper, and permanently blinded.
Captain Angus Buchanan VC by Anthony Smith
For a lesser man, the burden of such a catastrophic injury
might have been too much. Buchanan, however, returned
to Oxford in 1919 to restart his degree. Now reading
Law, he immersed himself once again in College life, even
returning to the river to row in the College First VIII
during Hilary term, despite not being able to see. After
graduation, he trained as a solicitor.
Referencing post-war images of Buchanan from the
College archives, the new bronze depicts him as a blind
man, his face bearing the scars of combat. He is dressed
in his rowing shirt to reflect his passion for sport.
Underneath the sculpture is a plaque which lists his
military achievements, with an inscription of them
written also in Braille.
Mr Richey, who has long admired Buchanan’s heroism,
said, “This sculpture represents so much about his character;
his great bravery and stoicism, his place as a leader amongst
equals, and his love of sport. I am so pleased that this bronze
will now become a permanent memorial to a true College hero,
and an inspiration for generations of Jesus students to come.”
Mr Richey (right) pictured with the new bronze and (left)
Ian Lawrence, a housemaster at Buchanan’s old school,
Monmouth Grammar

JEN-Z Venture
Forge 2025 final
Four student teams pitched their business ideas at
this year’s JEN-Z Venture Forge start-up competition
final in May. The event was the culmination of the
Jesus Entrepreneur Network’s (JEN) student
mentoring programme 2024-25, which supports
our entrepreneurial students to transform their
ideas into business ventures.
Fellow launches
Science of the Times
podcast
Joining Jesus’ growing
number of podcasters,
Tim Coulson has
launched ‘Science of the
Times’, a new series
that discusses recent
scientific publications in
a fun and engaging style.
Covering topics such as
the latest treatments
for diseases, quantum Professor Tim Coulson
computers, the science of football and subjects
requested by listeners, the episodes aim to leave
audiences feeling a little more knowledgeable
about cutting-edge science, and how scientists
make discoveries. The series is co-hosted by Tim
and Syma Khalid, Professor of Computational
Microbiology at Oxford. It’s available on all main
podcasting apps now.
Munib and Daniella pitching Scrutiny AI at the JEN-Z Venture Forge final
The final was hosted by Dr Pamela Walker Geddes (2002,
DPhil Experimental Psychology) and judged by six JEN
alumni.
Congratulations to the following finalists:
Diego Dolgetta-Garcia (2024, DPhil in Biology) – Midas
Biotech: Sustainable electronics recycling using proprietary
bioleaching technology to efficiently extract precious metals
from e-waste.
Oliver Donald (2022, MBiol Biology) – Backr: A SaaS
platform helping medtech research groups spin-out faster
and smarter.
Bochuan C (2025, MSc Social Data Science) – AI4Swim:
AI-powered elite swimming coaching for all.
Munib Mesinovic (2020, DPhil in Engineering Science
ESPRC CDT in Health Data Science) and Daniella
(Zihuiwen) Ye (2021, DPhil in Computer Science) –
Scrutiny AI: Evaluation and certification of large language
models for healthcare applications.
In a first for the competition, AI4Swim and Scrutiny AI
were announced as joint winners.
Thumbs up for Bottom
The cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Congratulations to the cast of the Jesus College
Shakespeare Project’s recent production of A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, which was once again performed to
packed-out audiences in Hall. This term’s production was
enhanced by some fantastic costumes loaned from the
Royal Shakespeare Company, including Bottom’s donkey
head. A review on the President’s Husband’s Drama
Reviews blog said “This production finds that rarest of things:
the narrow path through the woods between innovation and
tradition. A Midsummer Night’s Dream has always been
there. But tonight, it felt like it had just been written.”

College marks Shavuot
In Week 5, College members came together
to mark Shavuot, the Jewish spring festival
commemorating the giving of the Torah (the
first five books of the Hebrew Bible) to the
Jewish people on Mount Sinai. Following a
Shavuot formal on Thursday 29th May, there
was delicious Friday photo ice cream for all in Third
Quad, supplied by YumYum! Ice Creams.
Astrophysics chat inspires
Fellow’s new musical work
A musical composition inspired by a conversation between two Jesus Fellows is to receive its world
premiere at the Southbank Centre, London in November.
Robert Laidlow, CDF in Music, has created a symphonic
work titled ‘Exoplanets’ following an informal discussion
with Ray Pierrehumbert, Senior Research Fellow
in Physics, about his interdisciplinary research to
understand the climates, atmospheres, surfaces,
interiors, dynamics, formation, evolution, and habitability
on the many worlds both in our solar system, and
throughout our galaxy.
Rob says, “This project began completely by chance
when I sat next to Ray one day over lunch in the Mansell
Room, and he explained to me his remarkable research
on exoplanets, and its connection with musical ideas.
I was completely inspired, and so began this project which
translates a huge variety of exoplanet research data, ideas
and discoveries into sound. Since then, it’s taken on a life of
its own, leading to collaborations with exoplanet researchers
across the UK, Switzerland and the USA, and two major
symphony orchestras. This new composition is inspired by
both these incredible exoplanets, and the methods scientists
use to discover them, and aims to takes the listener on a
cosmic, time-travelling journey to the strangest corners of
our galaxy.”
‘Exoplanets’ was commissioned by the London
Philharmonic Orchestra and Interfinity Festival Basel.
It will be performed as part of the LPO’s Harmony with
Nature series on Saturday 29th November. For more
information, and to book tickets, click here.
Dr Rob Laidlow
Professor Ray Pierrehumbert

photo
photo
Distance runner
earns full blue
Distance runner Rhiannon Paton
(2024, PGCE History) has earned a full blue
following a year of success in UK athletics
competitions, and thanks in part to the
College’s new gym facilities.
In February, she earned selection for the
Wales (Cymru) Under-23 (U23) in the Celtic
Home International cross-country race in
Leeds, after coming third in the Welsh National
Championships U23 race in January. Running
against a strong field over four miles of hilly
and muddy terrain, she was the first Welsh
U23 to finish, and came in 34th overall.
In early May, Rhiannon ran 16:47 to go under
the blues’ standard by 28 seconds, and finish
13th in the 5000m at the British Universities
and Colleges Sports athletics meet. This was
followed by fourth place in the Athletics Varsity
Match 5000m on the 17th May, where she
earned her full blue.
The new College gym, which opened in the
Cheng Building in 2024, has played an important
role in Rhiannon’s training schedule and success.
She says, “Being able to do strength training and
cross training in the gym to de-load after heavy
session days has been invaluable this year. I’m so
grateful to the college, and those who supported
the gym’s development, for this new facility.”
Former Jesus JRF receives
Royal Geographical Society
award
Professor Dariusz Wójcik, an alumnus and former JRF
in Geography at Jesus, has been awarded the Royal
Geographical Society’s (RGS) prestigious Murchison
Award 2025 for his substantial, and highly influential,
published work in recent years.
Dariusz is Professor of
Geography at the National
University of Singapore,
and was previously an
Associate Professor
at Oxford’s School of
Geography and the
Environment. His most
recent publication, Atlas
of Finance: Mapping the
Global Story of Money (Yale,
2024) uses visually striking
graphics and maps to
Professor Dariusz Wójcik
provide a detailed analysis
of the development of global finance over the past five
thousand years. Dariusz was presented with his award at
a special RGS celebration in London on Monday 2nd June.
The award citation praised his books and articles which
“have forged a whole new branch of geographical science,
establishing geography as a key discipline for the
study of money and finance.”
SOCIT feedback survey
Our IT service provider, Shared Oxford Colleges IT
Support (SOCIT), is conducting a feedback survey to
understand what’s working well for College members,
and where improvements might be made.
The short survey can be completed using the following
link: https://forms.office.com/e/WzYYN5eyVa

WNO announces Jesus alumnus as new Chair
Welsh National Opera (WNO) has announced the
appointment of Jesus alumnus Professor Medwin Hughes
CBE DL (1983, Celtic Studies) as the new Chair of its
Board of Directors. Hughes is former Vice Chancellor of
the University of Wales Trinity St David and Vice Chancellor
of the University of Wales. During his accomplished 23-
year career in higher education he led some of the largest
transformational projects in the educational landscape
in Wales, and has played a key role in several strategic
initiatives associated with the arts in Wales.
Fellows’ Library welcomes rare 19th century
book inscribed by former Principal’s wife
A rare book which was once owned and inscribed
by Mary Foulkes, the wife of former Principal Henry
Foulkes (1817-1857), while she was in residence at
Jesus, has been purchased for the Fellows’ Library.
Professor Medwin Hughes CBE DL
Peter Harrington
James Silk Buckingham’s
Travels in Mesopotamia
(London, 1827), published
in two volumes, describes
his experience of travelling
and living in the Arab world
in the early nineteenth
century. College was able
to purchase the book
from Peter Harrington
booksellers in London
thanks to a generous gift
from Professor Frederick Biggs, a Mansell Patron and
Professor of English at the University of Connecticut, US.
Mary’s ownership inscription reads ‘Mary Foulkes, Jesus
College Oxford, 1828’. College Archivist Robin Darwall
Smith says, “It is rare to find any evidence of women’s
presence in all-male colleges this early in the University’s
history. Although by now the wives of heads of Oxford colleges
lived with their husbands in their Lodgings, they took very little
part in the lives of their colleges, and little is known about
them. It is extremely unusual to find a book signed by the wife
of the head of a college, let alone one who, like Mary Foulkes,
proudly gives her address in it.”
The book has now been catalogued by Dr Sarah Cusk,
Rare Books Cataloguer, so that it can be found by
researchers worldwide through SOLO. The book will
be displayed at the next termly pop-up Fellows’ Library
exhibition in June.
Portrait of James Silk Buckingham and his wife, by Henry William
Pickersgill. (circa 1816-1825)
Mary Foulkes’ inscription
Peter Harrington

Events
Tuesday 10th June, 14.30-17.00
Summer Graduate & Internship Fair
Maths Institute
Meet recruiters who are advertising full-time jobs and
internships starting this summer, as well as upcoming
vacancies for the 2025-2026 recruitment cycle.
Thursday 12th June
Pride Dinner
2nd Hall
Wednesday 18th June, 18.00
UG and PG Finalists Drinks Reception
Principal’s Lodgings
Wednesday 18th June, 18.00-20.30
The #StartedinOxford Showcase
Blackwell Hall, Weston Library
Meet Oxford’s newest start-ups at EnSpire,
Oxford’s annual celebration of entrepreneurship
across the University.
Thursday 19th June, 15.00-17.00
Pride Picnic
First Quad
Join us to celebrate Pride with a free picnic for
all College members. Drinks and nibbles provided.
Limited spaces so booking essential via Meal
Booking system on intranet.
Student ambassadors at the 2024 Oxford Open Day
Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd July
Oxford Open Days
Jesus will be opening its doors to prospective
students across two days, with tours and tutor talks.
Friday 18th July, 17.00-22.00
Staff Summer Party
GET IN TOUCH
If you have news or an event you’d like to share across our community,
we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch with Jude Eades,
Communications Manager, at jude.eades@jesus.ox.ac.uk
Deadline for Michaelmas Week 2 edition: Monday 6th October 2025