changinglives

winter 2016 issue 17

Newnham College Newsletter

Get in touch

We want to reach out to our alumnae –please send usyour news andviews!

roll@newn.cam.ac.uk

1 fromthelodge 2 collegenews 3 researchnews4 studentnews 5 roll&development 6 spotlight 7 infocus 8 feature 9 internationalnews10 inspiringwomen 11 youngalumnae 12 legacies13 didyouknow 14 events/calendar

Cover photo: The Brilliant Club

Follow our special College Twitteraccount @Newnham_College and the @NewnhamRoll account. Please ‘like’ our Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/NewnhamCollege to keep up to date with College newsand events.

In Michaelmas 2015 we started a Life Skills course for our students,following my reflecting on how we might meet the current needs ofour students that fall outside their academic pursuits. I first builtupon a programme of Seminars in the Lodge introduced by mypredecessor Dame Patricia Hodgson. We then added the Sprintprogramme, a two-and-a-half day vacation course aboutunderstanding yourself and developing self-confidence, resilienceand appropriate risk-taking. The introduction of a College Counsellorhas also helped our women to deal with worries and anxieties.

Our new Life Skills course, constructed in consultation with our JCRand MCR, consists of one-hour sessions on Monday evenings,wonderfully supported by alumnae coming forward as speakers. Thetopics, chosen by students, are interesting and revealing – some onewould expect, such as How to manage time, or make a presentation– but also included are Dealing with criticism and staying motivated,Developing negotiating skills, Managing money, and Self-defence.

On the latter topic I wish to comment on domestic abuse and sexualassault in higher education. The NUS Hidden Marks research (2010)found that one in seven female students had experienced sexualassault. According to the charity Safe Lives, 30% of victims are in arelationship with the perpetrator and therefore also victims ofdomestic abuse. The rise of ‘lad culture’ and sexual harassment atuniversity has received much press attention, to be understood in thecontext of complex intimate relationships and long-term abuse aswell as one-off ‘unknown perpetrator’ incidents. The CambridgeUniversity Student Union’s report Cambridge Speaks Out (2014)found that 75% of those stalked or harassed knew the perpetrator,as did 61% of women who experienced physical violence.

Domestic abuse and sexual assault can happen to anyone. We musthelp victims, their friends and peers, to respond safely, know whereto get advice, and be aware of the range of choices available. Wemust also define the role of University and College staff inresponding to and supporting those experiencing such abuse or whoare concerned about a friend. I want Newnham, as a women’sCollege, to play its full part in this agenda.

1 fromthelodge

Professor Dame Carol Black

2 collegenews

New appointments and farewells

Vice PrincipalAfter 11 years of fantastic service as VicePrincipal, Dr Catherine Seville (NC 1984)stepped down at the beginning of this academicyear. She has given her wise advice sitting on 16College Committees and bodies ranging from theAcademic Planning Committee to the ResearchFellowship Committee to the InvestmentsCommittee to College Council and the RollCommittee. You will remember her diarycontribution to The Newnham Year publicationwhich showed how incredibly busy her role was.Catherine will continue teaching Law in theCollege and the wider University, will DirectStudies for our Law Students, and carry on herinvaluable work on a number of committees,including the High Table Committee in hercapacity as High Table Steward. She will alsohave more time for her research in her specialityof intellectual property law. From 1 October2015 Professor Christine Watson took up thepost of Vice Principal. Christine has been aFellow for 15 years, a Tutor and AssistantGraduate Tutor. She holds a personal Chair inCell and Cancer Biology in the Department ofPathology.

Senior TutorAfter 15 years as Senior Tutor, Psychologist Dr TerriApter hais retired. Terri has been awarded aLeverhulme Emeritus Research Fellowship and welook forward to reading her next publication!Professor Taub has been appointed as our newSenior Tutor, effective from 1 October 2015. TheSenior Tutor plays a vital role in College academiclife: she is responsible for setting the academicagenda, liaises with those members of theFellowship who have teaching duties, and looksafter individual students – in particular those whohave academic or mental health issues. Both theGraduate Tutor and the Admissions Tutor report toher. We are delighted that Liba has taken on therole. She has shown great compassion and supportfor students in her work as Graduate Tutor. She hasan outstanding academic record as aninternationally-recognised expert on ancient Greco-Roman science and has been Director and Curatorof the Whipple Museum of the History of Sciencesince 1995. She is also Professor of History andPhilosophy of Science at the University ofCambridge, and is a Professorial Fellow atNewnham and our Director of Studies in Historyand Philosophy of Science.

Graduate TutorDr Kate Fleet, Director of the Skilliter Centre, steps into Liba’s role as GraduateTutor. Newnham offers a social and academic community for graduate studentsthat gives moral support, companionship and enrichment through intellectualdiversity. The Graduate Tutor and Assistant Graduate Tutors are responsible forhorizontal integration across the graduate community and for the postgraduatesas a whole. They also deal with Departments and Faculties about such issues asmay from time to time arise between the student and her supervisor, or moregenerally with the Department or Faculty. We pride ourselves on the support atCollege level that we offer our graduates as the University seeks to expand itsgraduate numbers.

Catherine Seville Christine Watson Terri Apter Liba Taub

Kate Fleet

WHATISEEPROJECT

Exam resultsWe congratulate the 63 students who were awarded Firsts this year, but we are also delighted to reportthat 205 of our students achieved a 2.1 result – 15 more than last year – an improved overall result forour students which is important for their job prospects.. As subject groups, Archaeology and Anthropology,Architecture, Economics, History, Linguistics, Modern and Medieval Languages, Psychology andBehavioural Science, and the Natural Science finalists and Philosophy all performed with distinction.

Students urged to‘leave a legacy’Julie Etchingham (NC 1988) andSandi Toksvig (Girton College) toldNewnham students to ‘leave a legacyto be proud of’ when they spoke atNewnham. You can watch the veryfrank discussion here:www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9dFsY0qb3k

PromotionsCongratulations to Lisa Saksida, who has been promoted to Professor in the Department of Psychology;Judy Quinn, who has been promoted to Reader in Anglo Saxon Norse & Celtic and Laura Itzhaki, whohas been promoted to Reader in the Department of Pharmacology.

Rae Langton on free speech vs hate speech andblasphemyAs part of David Runciman’s ‘Election’ series, our Professorial Fellow in Philosophy, Professor Rae Langton,was interviewed for a podcast on the topic of ‘Charlie Hebdo, free speech vs hate speech and blasphemy’.Listen to the podcast at www.sms.cam.ac.uk/media/1929919.

Honorary DegreesWe were delighted this year to match a previous record oftwo out of eight Honorary Degrees given by the Universityof Cambridge being awarded to Newnhamites. ProfessorJudith Thomson (NC 1950) and Baroness Rabbi JuliaNeuberger (NC 1969) were recognised for the distinctionthey have attained within their area of expertise. Theirachievement was celebrated in College.

Left to right: Principal, Dame Carol Black and formerPrincipal Onora O’Neill at the Honorary Degree celebrationdinner for Professor Judith Jarvis Thomson (NC 1950)

Julie Etchingham Sandi Toksvig

By the beginning of thenineteenth century, the Frenchhad deported approximately onemillion enslaved Africans to theircolonies across the Atlantic.Despite the large number ofAfricans who were subjected toenforced exile and enslavementduring this period, the everydaylife of these captives has rarelybeen investigated. This paucitymight be explained by the factthat, because the enslavedpopulations were rarely literate,they left few direct testimonies.Over the last few decades,however, the study of material life(which can be defined as the waysin which people experience theirphysical environments throughtheir minds and senses) hasproven to be a particularly efficientway of reconstructing theeveryday lives of people who hadlittle textual ‘voice’ in history.Drawing upon the variousmethodologies used by thehistorians, archaeologists, andanthropologists who were involvedin this academic movement, mypostdoctoral research will providethe first comprehensive study ofthe material lives of the enslavedlabourers of the early modernFrench empire. My postdoctoralproject will consist of acomparative study of Guadeloupe,Louisiana, and Île Bourbon (nowcalled La Réunion), from theseventeenth to the mid-eighteenth centuries.

Specifically, my work willreconstruct the everyday life ofenslaved people by examiningwhat they saw and touched; ate,drank, and wore; worked on, in,and with; carried, used, made, built,cultivated; and more. It willdetermine the ways in whichenslaved people used, made, orlived with their materialenvironment to voluntarily orinvoluntarily shape the meaningsof objects, and in this way formtheir own cultural and socio-economic identities. My work willalso examine the material cultureof the enslaved; ‘material culture’can be defined as themanifestation of culture of aparticular group of people throughobjects. Finally, my research willexamine the economic life of theenslaved: the organisation of theslave communities in terms ofboth production (for the benefit oftheir masters and for their ownuse) and consumption.

My work will draw upon a largevariety of documentary accounts,including notarial and taxrecords, plantation papers, andprivate and governmentalcorrespondence, as well as travelaccounts, legislation, and courtproceedings. In addition, I willuse evidence collected andanalysed by archaeologists,items in museum/gallerycollections, and the relevanticonography.

Slavery has become an importantsubject of interest across theglobe during the last few decades.In France, for example, this wasdemonstrated by the heatedreactions that were aroused afterthe cancellation in May 2014 ofthe commemoration of theabolition of slavery in Villers-Cotterêts by a mayor whobelonged to a well-establishedpolitical party. The Frenchgovernment has recently beenworking to raise the profile ofAtlantic slavery in the collectiveFrench consciousness. In 2001, itofficially declared slavery and theslave trade of Africans to be‘crimes against humanity’.

I am very grateful to NewnhamCollege and to Judy and MarkMoody Stuart for their generoussupport, which, matched byfunding from the Newton Trust willallow me to complete my researchproject and to contribute to thisongoing debate.

3 researchnews

The material life of slaves in the earlymodern French empireMélanie Lamotte, Newton Trust/Moody Stuart Research Fellow

4 studentnews

Health and well-being in College and beyondAs the Principal reports, Life Skills is a new initiative for Newnham undergraduates and graduates.Life is more than education, more than work – and these bite-size sessions aim to help our studentsdevelop the skills to balance all aspects of their lives. We are very grateful to the numerous alumnaewho are giving their time and expertise to help with this project.

We are pleased that two Mindfulness sessions organised by the Principal in the exam term were greatlyappreciated by the students. Mindfulness, a form of attention and emotional regulation training, is a non-religious, effective means of alleviating stress, anxiety and depression as well as promoting well-being.

Following a request by the students, the College is now providing an in-house Counsellor to helpaddress issues of anxiety and other worries. The JCR and the MCR are each contributing a third ofthe costs with the College paying the remaining third.

Women’s Varsityrugby The three women’s Colleges combinedforces to support the CambridgeWomen’s Varsity Rugby team at their firstmatch at Twickenham. We are delightedthat Newnham alumnae were by far themost enthusiastic with 30 turning out tosupport the students. It was thrilling tosee them beat Oxford 52:0!

A runaway success!Congratulations to Liz Mooney (NC 2013), second-year historian, who is excelling in cross country atCollege, University and International levels. Liz represented the University in Varsity, winning her fullBlue. She also came 15th in the BUCS cross country competition. She was then selected to run forEngland in the U20 Antrim Home Countries International and came third. She led Newnham to victoryin the Hare and Hounds College league and has been elected as the Ladies’ Captain for CambridgeUniversity Hare and Hounds running club for the next three terms.

Debating champ Second-year PhD student Srishti Krishnamoorthy (NC2013) was selected to represent Cambridge as part ofthe University’s A team at this year’s EuropeanUniversities Debating Championships in Vienna. Sheand her partner qualified to the semi-finals of thecompetition. They were ranked 8th out of 212 teams(5th highest combined speaker points) and Srishtiherself was 14th out of 424 speakers.

5 roll&development

The Mary Rogers Postgraduate StudentshipNewnham is delighted to announce a new studentship for postgraduates taking Literary, Historical or ArtHistorical studies (including Architecture). Classical, medieval and contemporary periods will not be excludedbut preference will be given to research incorporating the early modern period (circa 1400–1700).

The first award will be made for the 2016–17 academic year.

The studentship has been generously funded by Newnham alumna Mary Rogers (NC 1963), whosays: ‘I wish to advance studies on the early modern period on which I have spent my working careeras a lecturer and researcher, and, knowing the financial pressures on today’s students, feel that moneyshould be made available now, rather than after my death. So much public discussion on universityeducation concentrates on undergraduates and promotes a purely utilitarian view of education, makingme all the keener to stress the mind-expanding value of the study of the humanities at an advancedlevel. The seminal importance and fascination of the period around 1400–1700 should need nounderlining. The studentship gives priority to historical or literary topics focused on this time, but doesnot exclude projects which move towards later dates.

As I know from my professional experience, postgraduate students not working in teams can feelisolated, however able and dedicated they might be. This is where an environment like Newnham cangive so much, as contacts with non-specialist College associates can not only give valuable supportand perspective, but provoke the sharp questions which clarify ideas.’

Please spread the word of this wonderful new studentship. If you would like more information, pleasecontact the Tutorial Office (01223 335791; graduate.admissions@newnham.cam.ac.uk).

How your donations make a differenceOn graduating from Newnham in 2012, I was fortunate to be awarded agenerous travel grant from the Jean Mitchell Fund to take up an internship atUNAIDS in Geneva. I recently found out that the fund was set up in JeanMitchell’s memory by a group of her former students for whom she was theDirector of Studies in Geography. I would like to say a big thank you to thesegenerous alumnae and to let them know how I am doing now.

When I applied to the grant, I hoped that the experience in Geneva mighthelp me decide where to go with my career and give me an understanding ofwork in an international policy-making environment. Well, it gave me that andmuch more! Immediately after my internship, I was lucky enough to secure a temporary staff positionat UNAIDS and I have spent the last few years working in Geneva at UNAIDS and then the EuropeanCommission in Brussels. By the start of this year, I had amassed enough experience to apply for a fullstaff position which I took up in January at the UNAIDS New York office, where I have been involvedin negotiations between the 193 UN Member States on the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment (a global policy framework for sustainable development and eradicating poverty by2030). The support Newnham gave me really did enable me to get a ‘foot in the door’! Thank you!

Ruth Blackshaw (NC 2009)

Honorary AssociatesThe Honorary Associates (known as the ‘Hons’!)are a group of former Newnham Associates who,after completing their ten-year term asAssociates, have opted to continue their activesupport of the College. We founded the Hons in2011 and they have become a recognisedresource for the College.

There are now 53 of us, who have continued tosupport the College in a number of ways inaddition to activities with the Associates via the website and workshops. Hons are to be found on the RollCommittee and the Audit Committee, as well as supporting networking lunches and initiatives such as theSidgwick Society, the Newnham joint events with Wellesley, and NewnhamRoll Mums. Six Hons were onthe Board of the successful Changing Lives Campaign (including the Chair, Julia Cleverdon (NC 1969)).Most recently a number of us were invited to offer views on the developing architectural design for thenew College buildings. It is a rewarding and varied way to keep in touch and support the College.

We are also giving some thought to the Hons group (whose ages range from 50s to 70s) as the firstcohort of women to have lived our lives with equal education and opportunities. At an event in June, Honsshared thoughts on how our lives and careers have taken new and often unexpected directions. ThePrincipal, Dame Carol Black, Pam Alexander (NC 1972) and Sue Delafons (NC 1977) shared momentsfrom their own richly varied experience. A fascinating discussion began, which was taken forward at anovernight event at Newnham; this has produced more ideas on how we develop as a supportive networkand share knowledge about resilience and overcoming setbacks.

Becoming an Hon is a commitment to keep your details up to date on the Newnham Associates’ website,as a source of support to students and alumnae, to be actively involved in events, workshops andAssociate activity, or to use your skills and experience to benefit the College in other ways.

Anyone who has completed their ten years as an Associate and is interested can become an HonoraryAssociate at any time. Some of us did not choose to do so immediately after stepping down asAssociates, but have decided to join later on. If you were an Associate and are interested in the Hons, doget in touch with me: honorary@newnhamassociates.org.uk

Rolande Anderson (NC 1973)

Telephone CampaignWe are very grateful indeed to all 872 of you who spoke to our 15 student callers in the 2015 TelephoneCampaign. Our energetic team raised a total of £202,801. Newnham is very lucky to be supported by somany of its alumnae – and your generous gifts regularly place us in the top three of all CambridgeColleges for the number of its former students who make a gift. As always the Campaign was a mixture offun and hard work but all our callers learned an enormous amount from the experience and really enjoyedtheir conversations. They have improved their CVs too!

6 spotlight

Growing up in Pakistan in asociety where I had to fight for myrights from a young age instilledin me a strong work ethos thatrelied on initiative anddetermination. My career sincereading Economics at Newnhamin the 1980s has been incrediblyvaried, taking in investmentbanking, financial regulation,family businesses andentrepreneurship, and spanningfive countries across threecontinents. My current focus iscorporate governance, which isinextricably linked to the issue ofgender diversity in the boardroom,a cause that is close to my heart.Women in senior positions aregood for business, and I’mcommitted to tackling thechallenges and constraints facedby working women in general, andparticularly at board level.

I’ve spent the past eighteenyears engaged in corporategovernance as a policy maker, aneducator and a practitioner.While working with the AsianDevelopment Bank in thePhilippines, I was responsible fordesigning a number of financialsector reform packages in ourmember countries in theaftermath of the Asian financialcrises of 1997. Corporategovernance reform was anintegral part of these initiatives,in recognition of its importance inaverting widespread crises inconfidence in the financialmarkets.

When I returned to Pakistan in2000 to work for the corporatesector regulator, one of my firsttasks was to finalise andimplement the first ever Code ofCorporate Governance inPakistan. Given that most of thecorporate sector in Pakistanconsists of tightly held familybusinesses, it was an uphill task toconvince the corporate leaders ofthe merits of enhancedtransparency and accountabilityfor the long-term sustainability oftheir businesses. Inductingindependent directors onto theirboards was a notion completelyalien to the local business

Sadia Khan (NC 1985) – Corporategovernance and gender diversity in theboardroom

Patricia Hon, Rosalind Furlong, Rachel Weir, Sadia and friends at theSecret Gardens Ball

7 infocus

I start the day by checking my emails fromhome. I rarely need to deal with things at7am, but it gives me an idea of what’s instore, and I can plan accordingly. Sometimes,Carol is in several different countries in aweek – delivering lectures, attendingmeetings, talking to students – and it’s vitalthat her schedule is highly organised. Ispend a lot of time managing her diary.

The days can be intensely busy and long when Carol is atNewnham. Meetings often start at 8am and she regularly hosts

evening events such as the popular Lodge Seminars. I manageeverything from organising meetings, notifying otherdepartments about what is needed, from equipment tocatering, and welcoming visitors. Lodge visitors range from agraduate student seeking advice on how to organise aconference, to alumna Clare Balding arriving to take part in anHonorary Fellows’ Signing Ceremony. I like the fact that it isn’t9–5; it makes for a varied working life.

I attend an annual lunch with the other Heads of Houses’ PAs,informally known as ‘The Heads of House Secretaries’ Mafia’.We joke that we know where all the bodies are buried inCambridge, who put ‘em there, and why! Our informal,confidential support network is invaluable.

The relationship between a PA and his or her boss is based ontrust. I see everything that crosses Carol’s desk or lands in herinbox, so confidentiality is key.

There are two other members of staff in the Principal’s Lodge– Housekeeper Jane and Domestic Assistant Helen. Togetherwe ensure that Carol’s life runs smoothly. We are also

conscious that the Lodge is our working environment, but that it’sCarol and her husband Chris’s home. Fortunately as a Fellow ofTrinity, Chris is already well versed in life at a Cambridge College!

When I’ve finished haunting the Debrett’s website and I’msatisfied that I’ve used the correct title in a formal letter, I headhome to Pete, my partner of thirty years. I’m an active member ofthe Cambridge branch of Soroptimist International and a LifeMember of the City of Cambridge Rowing Club – which is why,when Carol wanted to borrow a rowing machine recently, sheknew who to ask!

Claire was interviewed by Communications Officer Jo Tynan

Claire Berryman, Principal’s Secretary

community. However, throughpersistence and a number ofawareness campaigns, we notonly managed to implement thefirst level of reforms but carriedout a more stringent revision tothe Code a decade later.

No discourse on corporategovernance is complete withouttackling the issue of genderdiversity in the boardroom.Globally, despite a 40 per centrepresentation in the workforce,women occupy only 12 per centof positions at board level. Thereis a strong business case for theinduction of more women oncorporate boards. Diversity resultsin innovative thinking, moreobjective discussion, improvedgovernance, greater ethicalconsciousness, more appropriateallocation of budget and betterdecisions, which lead to betterfinancial performance. As anardent proponent of femaleempowerment in this part of theworld, I have been advocatinggreater induction of women intodecision-making bodies. Quotasfor female participation incorporate boards, introduced insome countries, have increasedthe need for women to have theappropriate set of corporate skillsand relevant experience. Theonus is on women to get theappropriate certifications, build uptheir portfolios, and to make asenior leadership position or aplace on a corporate board acareer aspiration. Once in aposition to effect change, womenmust cherish their diversity as anasset on any board, and mostimportantly continue to advocatethe cause for the next generation.

100YEARS

8 feature

Of course we plan a party, so please hold the dateof Saturday 7 July 2018 in your diaries. Beforethen we intend to strengthen the network ofNewnham alumnae around the world through aspecial celebration of inspiring ideas. So please let us know if you would be interested in helping to host a small event for alumnae, either in yourhome or at a local venue, based around the eventwe plan in College on Saturday 17 February 2018.

The Roll Committee was keen to develop a 21stCentury perspective on the Summer Schools thatNewnham used to run in the early 20th centuryand which inspired many young women to see howeducation could change their lives.

On 17 February 2018 we aim to hold the first everNewnhamTEDx on the theme of ‘EmbracingChallenge’. A TEDx is an event to inspire acommunity, conducted under licence from theorganisers of the TED talks, which are freelyavailable on the web. It comprises a series of shorttalks on ideas that are new in ways that aresurprising. The aim is to encourage action throughinspiration. Each talk or performance can last nolonger than 18 minutes and discussion takes placein the refreshment breaks.

Whilst the audience in College is a maximum of100, the event will be filmed and ‘live streamed’through the internet around the UK and the world.Musical, theatrical and other intriguingperformances will be interspersed during the day and form part of the record and legacy. Fulldetails of the competition for performers and theballot for tickets will be sent out in September2016. In the meantime we are building a networkof alumnae across the globe who would beprepared to host a small get-together to watchsome or all of the day.

Tracy Smith (NC 1979), a former Roll Committee member

once said; ‘Each woman who comes to

Newnham forms a stitch in the fabric of Newnham.

Imagine that fabric spread around the world as a network and that each time we connect with the College in any way our individual stitch lights up’.

On 17 February 2018 we aim to have theNewnham community lit up across the globe forthe first part of our big celebration.

We are in the process of creating an interactiveGoogle Map which will show the email address ofeach prospective host. We will provide simpleinstructions on how to access the talks and all you will need is access to the internet – perhaps in your home or at a local school. If you would have six alumnae or twenty for a cup of tea and a biscuit or more and would like to help us with this initiative – which will beanother first for a Cambridge College – please get in touch at roll@newn.cam.ac.uk.

The February celebration will be followed by aspecial Open Day on 7 July 2018. This will include viewing and discussion of some of the best of the NewnhamTEDx ideas, exhibitions,workshops, singing from scratch and much more for as many alumnae as we can host atNewnham.

We look forward very much to planning and sharing this special anniversary with you.

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Newnham Roll

In 2018 the Newnham Roll celebrates its 100th anniversary. The College,Roll Committee and Associates have been making plans to celebratethis special event in an exciting way which can be accessible to as manyalumnae as possible.

Mina meets Cambridge

Mina meets Cambridge is a whimsical story of animaginative girl’s adventure when she comes tovisit her sister who is studying at Newnham, writtenby our former graduate from Singapore, HidayahAmin (NC 2010). In Cambridge Mina learns that in order to be successful, one needs to workhard, persevere, and have the courage to dreambig. The book contains charming drawings and is aimed at those aged 9+ or ‘young at heart’. You can purchase it online at http://archipelago-consultancy.com/shop/, andHidayah is generously donating £1 for every booksold towards a bursary for Newnham students – so by supporting her you will also be supportingus! We are very grateful indeed to Hidayah forthis lovely gesture.

Eco Racing in AustraliaIn September, Amy Livingstone (NC 2013), amember of student society Cambridge UniversityEco Racing (CUER), boarded a plane to Australiato help CUER prepare for the 2015 BridgestoneWorld Solar Challenge, a 3000km-long endurancechallenge for solar-powered vehicles with a routefrom Darwin to Adelaide.

As head of the electrical team, Amy was incharge of designing and making all the electricalsystems in the car, which was shipped toAdelaide in August, after more than a year ofpreparations. The plan was to test the car bydriving the competition route in reverse. Thetwenty-person team drove in convoy for eighthours a day, camping at night and setting uptemporary workshops so that they could continueto work on the car.

Amy sadly missed the challenge itself, whichbegan on 18 October, as she had to return toCambridge for the start of term, but AureliaHibbert (NC 2013) continues to representNewnham as CUER’s Programme Director. Theteam finished 22nd after six exciting days ofracing, and are now looking ahead to the nextchallenge in 2017. You can read more atwww.cuer.co.uk.

9 internationalnews

US launch of ‘Dear World … Yours, Cambridge’ Dame Carol represented the Colleges at Carnegie Hall in New York at the USA Launch of theUniversity’s £2bn campaign: Dear World… Yours Cambridge. Her Letter to America spoke ofCambridge’s long connection with the USA and of the importance of the Colleges as the cauldron ofcreativity. We combined her visit with a Newnham alumnae reception at the lovely home of Karen Lim(NC 1983). It was good to see so many of our alumnae and many thanks to our US Chair, MargaretCampbell (NC 1966) for her support.

10 inspiringwomen

Kate Dyer (NC 1981)What really fascinated me in the History Tripos were the Indian andAfrican options. They seemed strange study choices even as I madethem – I’d never travelled outside Europe, and at the time never reallythought I would. Even so, I spent much of my last year working withothers to establish the South African Bursary in the College – apractical response to Apartheid, by providing higher education to aSouth African woman who would otherwise never access it. Thisbursary continues today. I left Newnham to train as a teacher and workin London. Fast forward thirty years, and I’ve spent 25 of them livingand working in Africa: in Botswana, Lesotho and, for the last 18 years,in Tanzania. I’ve taught in schools, worked with trade unions,campaigned for better education, set up a Non-GovernmentOrganisation, a women’s group, and a consultancy business. For the

past four years, I’ve been with KPMG as director of a UK government programme to ‘increase theresponsiveness of government to citizens’. It’s been a wonderful and demanding time, blessed alsoby a stimulating home life bringing up two wonderful daughters.

Recently, life came full circle for me, when my elder daughter, Fran Brandon (NC 2011),encouraged fellow historian Pippa Smith (NC 2011) to contact me in Dar es Salaam. Pippa is oneof the founders of Cambridge Development Initiative (cdi.soc.srcf.net), a bold student effort tochange how student volunteering is done. The group was starting to find its feet in Tanzania, andwas looking for pointers. I’ve since met them often and joined their Advisory Board. It has been afantastic opportunity to reconnect with the restlessness and ambition of the next generation keen toplay their part in making the world a better place.

Snapshots of Newnhamite lives

Jenna Dittmar (NC 2012)Originally from Wisconsin, USA, I came to Newnham to begin my PhD inBiological Anthropology in 2012. My interdisciplinary doctoral researchanalyses surgical tool marks on archaeological human skeletal remains tofurther understand the history of anatomical training from 1600 to 1900in Britain. My thesis, entitled ‘An archaeological examination of humandissection and its role in anatomical education in England from 1600–1900’, places recently excavated skeletal remains into the historicalcontext of early medical education. This large-scale study has revealed agreat deal of new information about both the procedure of humandissection and the individuals dissected in order to advance scientificknowledge. One of the seminal results of this research is the creation ofa set of criteria to differentiate the different reasons that bodies would besurgically opened after death, human dissection and autopsy. This

research has been presented at many international conferences, including the American Associationfor the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in San Jose, California in February 2015, andportions of my research were included in a special exhibition at the Museum of London in 2012, titled‘Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men’.

My first job – Ruth Shin (NC 2007)After graduating from Newnham, I spent a year studying in Belgium for an MAin European Studies. I was keen to begin my career on a graduate scheme thatwould build my management skills and was delighted to secure a place on theMarks and Spencer Retail Management scheme. I spent almost two and a halfyears at M&S, initially as a trainee and subsequently as a commercial managerin a London store. The learning curve was steep and I particularly valued theopportunity to develop my people management and commercial skills. In 2014, Ijoined the Civil Service Fast Stream, having decided to move to the public sector.Completing a series of rotations across different Government departments, Ihave worked on everything from bees to free schools to information assurance,

and am currently mid-way through a secondment based in the City. The next two years will involve twoplacements where I will gain a greater depth of policy experience.

I often reflect on how many core skills I developed at Newnham. My History degree taught meanalytical skills and how to summarise complex issues succinctly. My time on the JCR gave me anunderstanding of how to run a successful meeting, work effectively with others and manage change. Iremain extremely grateful to Newnham for providing me with these opportunities, which were excellentpreparation for working life.

If you would like your first job to be included in a future newsletter, please contactroll@newn.cam.ac.uk

Young Alumnae meet the FreshersWe were delighted to meet 40 Freshers over pizza and wine at the first ‘Young Alumnae meet theFreshers’ event kindly sponsored by the Guild of Friends. This gave Freshers a chance to ask questions ofyoung alumnae as they embark on their own Newnham adventure. We particularly enjoyed reading theentries for the ‘first impressions of Newnham’ competition, although judging them was difficult, given howeloquent and moving they were! The event was a great success and we plan to make it bigger and betternext year. We hope to continue to build links with the current student body so that, when the time comes,they know there's a Young Alumnae Group dedicated to organising social events and supporting recentgraduates. In the meantime, we would love to hear suggestions from current students as to how theYoung Alumnae Group could help them.

The Young Alumnae Group was set up in 2014 to connect allyoung alumnae (aged 35 years and under) and to organisesocial events. Recent outings include watching the Boat Raceand a tour around the old City in London. We have had a tripto the theatre and are planning an evening at the Boat ShowComedy club. If you would like to learn more, please do get intouch via the Newnham Young Alumnae Linkedin page or e-mail us at: youngalumnae.newnham@gmail.com. We areparticularly keen to hear from anyone who would beinterested in setting up a regional YA group.

11 youngalumnae

12 legacies

Cecily Mary Falkner was a very independent ladywho never married. Born and brought up inLincolnshire, despite excellent school results, shestarted work at eighteen. Joining a bank duringWorld War II, she was quickly promoted to runningsub-branches singlehanded. Confident in her ownabilities, she was very disillusioned when demotedto enable ex-servicemen to take up all the seniorpositions. She moved to London and spent most ofher career working in the Market Researchdepartment at Unilever. At the same time shestarted investing in stocks and shares (out of hervery modest income), studying the workings of thestock market at evening classes and building up aremarkably successful investment portfolio. Thiswas highly unusual for a woman in the 1950s andCecily Mary recalled attending an AGM where theChairman opened the meeting addressing ‘Ladyand Gentlemen’. Ever resourceful, when maderedundant at the age of 57 she deducted fouryears off her age and rewrote her CV – and so keptworking until 64. She was still actively and astutelymanaging her investments and attending AGMs, aswell as undertaking occasional paid work, well intoher 80s.

I was always very close to my aunt and readingMaths at Newnham I invited her to visit on anumber of occasions. She was very impressed byNewnham’s facilities and gardens. During the lastfew years of her life I looked after her and helpedher to manage her investment portfolio.

Following her death in 2013, as an executor andbeneficiary of her estate, I wished to takeadvantage of the reduction in the rate ofInheritance Tax (IHT) from 40% to 36% if 10% ofthe taxable part of an estate is given to charity. Asno IHT is paid on gifts to charities, the net cost tothe beneficiaries is just 24% of the value of the

gifts, the other 76% is paid for by the reduction inIHT. This is a far more significant tax saving thanfor charitable donations made with Gift Aid.

As well as legacies to organisations which my auntsupported during her lifetime and those which hadhelped her in her later years, we wanted to set up afund in Cecily’s name. After consideration anddiscussion, Newnham was chosen as the recipient– Cecily was always a supporter of women’seducation and had very much enjoyed her visits toNewnham when I was in residence. The best use ofthe money to meet our aims and Newham’s needswas a fund to provide bursaries for eitherundergraduates or graduates. All future recipientsof a Cecily Mary Falkner bursary will be given ashort biography, so not only her name but details ofher life will be remembered.

Cecily Mary Falkner Fund

In family history maiden aunts are easily forgotten once those who knewthem personally have passed on. I was determined that the name of myremarkable aunt, Cecily Mary Falkner, would live on through thegenerations.

My aunt had made no provision for gifts to charitiesin her will, which was made a number of years ago.However, you can change a person’s will after theirdeath, as long as any beneficiaries left worse off bythe changes agree. To change a will you need tomake a ‘variation’, which doesn’t need to be aformal document or deed, it can just be a letter, aslong as it meets certain conditions. For example,the variation must be made within two years of thedeath, and if the variation increases a legacy, orincludes a new legacy to charity, the charity mustbe notified that assets are being redirected to itand evidence of this notification provided to HMRCon request.

In this case, we drew up a simple ‘Deed ofVariation’ using appropriate wording sourced fromthe internet. This was submitted to Her Majesty’sRevenue and Customs (HMRC) before probatewas obtained, so that the IHT payment could bemade at the reduced rate. Once probate wasgranted and estate assets collected, the gift toNewnham was made earlier this year and the newFund approved by Council. This was the first legacyto Newnham under the ‘10% rule’; hopefully otherswill also take advantage of this in future.

Anne Sharpley (NC 1968)

Further details may be found atwww.gov.uk/inheritance-tax/giving-to-charity-to-reduce-an-inheritance-tax-bill.

Penny Hubbard has example wording for asimple ‘Deed of Variation’ gifting 10% of thetaxable estate to Newnham.

Email: penny.hubbard@newn.cam.ac.uk

newnhamassociatesI lead the Planning and Infrastructure team at Irwin Mitchell, and wasrecently voted by Property Week as one of ‘40 under 40’ rising stars

in the property industry. I help developers get planningpermission for complex developments and infrastructureprojects, and have been privileged to work on some amazingschemes, such as getting planning consent for the ‘WalkieTalkie’ Tower for Land Securities, Centre Point Tower forAlmacantar, and the redevelopment of Elephant & Castle forLend Lease. I also worked for the Government on the hybridBill for High Speed Two, and with Transport for London on theconsenting route options for Crossrail 2.

My journey has been rich with adventure: I feel thatopportunities are there for the taking! I knew at 11 that Iwanted to be a lawyer, and, despite being discouraged by myschool teachers, I studied Law at Newnham and was called tothe Bar in July 2000. I have worked as a Research Assistant toLord Justice Carnwath at the Law Commission, as Advisory

and Prosecuting Counsel for the Environment Agency, practised asan Independent Barrister in planning and environmental law, andfinally moved into private practice, working as an Employed Barrister,eventually attaining partnership at Irwin Mitchell.

If you would like to know more about my work, please get in touch:Martha.Grekos@IrwinMitchell.com

13 didyouknowMartha Grekos (NC 2000)

Sarah Leiter (NC 2008)carried the flag for team GBduring the opening ceremonyof the Goalball world gamesin Seoul. Dr Laurie Friday,former Graduate Tutor andSenior Member at Newnham,has been appointed Directorof the Newton Trust whichhelps the Colleges providegenerous support to studentsin financial need acrossCambridge. NCBC’s W3 hada fantastic bumps campaign,bumping ARU W1, Girton W2,and Selwyn to win theirblades. Three Newnhamiteswere elected as Members ofParliament in the 2015general election: Lucy Frazer(NC 1991); Diane Abbott(NC 1973); and Rupa Huq(NC 1990). Associates VickiBruce (NC 1971) and LauraCohen (NC 1982) bothreceived honours in theBirthday List: Vicki, Vice-President for PublicEngagement at the BritishAcademy and Professor ofPsychology at NewcastleUniversity, has been made aDame in recognition of herservices to Higher Educationand Psychology; Laura, ChiefExecutive, British CeramicConfederation, received anMBE for her services to theCeramics Industry. In June,racing cyclist HayleySimmonds (NC 2006)produced a superb ride totake the British women’stime-trial title.

Newnham CollegeBoat Club hasnamed the latestaddition to its fleet,Rosalind Frankli,.The boat wasofficially christenedby Head Coach AlanHendrick. NewnhamCollege Boat Clubwould like to thankNewnham JCR,MCR, and alumnaEleanor Holloway(NC 1983) for theirextremely generousdonations that madethis all possible.

The paper used for Changing Lives is an environmentally responsiblealternative to traditional virgin fibre. The paper, LumiSilk, is ElementalChlorine Free (ECF) fibre from well managed forests where internationallyagreed strict environmental, social and economic standards are adheredto as independently evidenced by its FSC® Chain of Custody Certification.

Changing Lives is produced by the Roll and Development Office Newnham College, Sidgwick AvenueCambridge, CB3 9DFroll@newn.cam.ac.uk

Editorial: Rachel HillPhotography: thanks to Ellie Hayes andMark Mniszko

On 16 October 2015 the University of Cambridge launched its new fundraising campaign to raise £2 billion. Newnham has just successfully completed its Changing Lives Campaign, of course, so we willnot be launching into a major new fundraising campaign at this point, but all donations which are madeto Newnham during the University’s Campaign, while remaining with the College, will count towards theUniversity’s £2 billion target. A total of £500m has already been raised since 2011, the end of theprevious 800th Campaign.

The University are using an innovative approach – they are focusing on writing a ‘letter to the world’ – Dear World … Yours, Cambridge – looking at what Cambridge University has achieved and what greatthings it can go on to achieve in the future with the right financial support. So for example: ‘Dear World… you gave us Isaac Newton … we gave you gravity … Yours, Cambridge’. You can see two of theposters they have devised here to show a further adaptation of the approach, celebrating alumnae NobelLaureate Dorothy Hodgkin (NC 1932) and Anna Watkins (NC 2001), Olympic Gold Medal Rower.

Newnham alumna and Honorary Fellow Clare Balding (NC 1990) leads the film highlighting whatCambridge means for many of its alumni: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyJebfIc-7U

Forthcoming events

Law Networking Lunch20 FebruaryA networking event for those whoread Law or work in the legal sector.

Commemoration9 April The reunion years invited back for abusy programme of events on 9 Aprilwill be 1946, 1956, 1966, 1991 and2006. Please contact theDevelopment Office if you have notreceived your invitation by earlyFebruary.

Geography Networking Lunch7 May An opportunity for Geographyalumnae to return to College. Thisyear’s event is particularly special aswe will be celebrating Fellow Emeritaand Special Supervisor Lucy Adrian’s81st birthday.

For further information about all theevents listed here and in the Calendarplease contact the DevelopmentOffice at:E: roll@newn.cam.ac.ukT: 01223 335757

14 events calendar

for an up-to-the-minute listing of events, please visit

www.newn.cam.ac.uk

201627 January Formal Hall – HSPS and PBS (including

Archaeology and Anthropology and PPS)4 February Formal Hall – Law, History of Art, Music,

Management Studies, Economics17 February Formal Hall – Land Economy, Computer Science,

Mathematics20 February Law Networking Lunch 24 February Formal Hall – Nat Sci (Bio)29 February Raleigh Music Society Concert2 March Formal Hall – Engineering, Manufacturing

Engineering, Architecture9 March Formal Hall – AMES, MML, Linguistics9 April Commemoration – alumnae who matriculated in

1946, 1956, 1966, 1991 and 2006 are invited back to Newnham to celebrate their special anniversary year

22 April Jane Harrison Memorial Lecture7 May Geography Networking Lunch19 May (TBC) Oxford Event2 July Strachey Event – hold the date for this celebration

event. Further details will be sent nearer the time.23–25 September Alumni Festival – alumnae who matriculated in

1961, 1976, 1986 and 1996 will be invited back to Newnham for dinner and other events

Please note: anybody wishing to attend a particular Formal Hall shouldcheck the website in advance in case of alteration.

Follow the tweets@NewnhamRoll forthe latest news

Newnham College Business AlumnaeSign up to the alumnae-run LinkedIn group and join the thriving Newnhamite network

Call for email addressesThe Roll & Development Office iskeen to send out more mailings viaemail where this would be welcomedby our alumnae, as it helps keepscosts down and is moreenvironmentally friendly. Please let usknow your preference and check thatwe have your up-to-date emailaddress.

roll@newn.cam.ac.uk

SunflowersYou may remember that we sent out packets ofsunflower seeds as a small thank you to those ofyou who gave to the Changing Lives campaign. Wehave received some lovely photos of your beautifulNewnham sunflowers in bloom!