the brick
the newsletter for the keble community • issue 79 • trinity term 2024
FEATURE
Spotlight on
Chemistry at Keble
Chemistry is the science that explains the everyday world, and molecules are pieces of the jigsaw that make up our reality. Chemistry makes possible many aspects of modern life — there’d be no digital world without the lithium battery, or advanced healthcare without synthetic chemistry.
College News
Father Darren was appointed Assistant Chaplain in 2012. He is leaving this summer, having survived two Wardens, three Chaplains and five Directors of Music. We asked the former Warden, Sir Jonathan Phillips, with whom he was longest in harness, to interview him about his time at Keble.
The college is home to a wide range of poetry series and events, all of which are free and open to the public. English Fellow Matt Bevis writes about one of our most recent initiatives, which centres around HMP Grendon, a therapeutic community prison.
Former Visiting Fellow and composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad has premiered a new work for solo accordion inspired by her visits to the Natural History Museum. The subject matter? Earthworms!
On Friday, 8 March, Keble hosted a Complexity Cluster workshop, bringing together mathematicians from a wide range of research areas to share their work.
A collection of First Edition HG Wells books was donated to Keble College Library this year by Professorial Fellow Sarah Whatmore, who inherited it from her father, the late Colonel Denys E Whatmore.
Chemistry prize for Professor Harry Anderson; Mathematics prize for Professor Gui-Qiang G Chen; Blackhall Road dinosaur refresh; Nabila Walji Photography Prize winner.
Student Life
The Astrophoria Foundation Year at the University of Oxford is a programme designed to offer opportunities to talented students who have experienced severe personal disadvantage and/or disrupted education which has resulted in them being unable to apply directly for an Oxford undergraduate degree programme.
After a five-year hiatus, the 2024 Keble Ball was happy to welcome 1,400 guests to the College on 11 May, inviting everyone to spend an evening of decadence and whimsy in the Wonderful Land of Oz.
Sam White (2016 MEng, DPhil Engineering Science), a researcher in the Thermal Propulsion Systems Research Group, has been awarded the SAE International Award for Outstanding Student Paper honouring Phil Myers.
Trinity Term has been an exciting time for the Keble College Boat Club. Being able to finally get back out on the water has been fantastic for our club, particularly for our novices who had only started rowing this year and who kept up with our land training, despite the lack of water time and racing experience.
Keble DPhil students Seren Ford (2019 Biochemistry) and Harry Stuart (2018 Mathematics) recently secured second place for Keble at the University Orienteering Cuppers competition this Trinity Term.
The College welcomed Lord Leggatt to deliver the Harris Society Annual Lecture on 26 April, entitled 'Precedent in English Law', a topic chosen in honour of Jim Harris and Rupert Cross's book of the same name.
PODCAST
The Application:
with Tim Foster
Olympic fever? In celebration of Paris 2024, we share with you a podcast with gold medallist and Keble alumnus Tim Foster (2013 EMBA), in conversation with Kathy Harvey, the Saïd Business School Associate Dean for MBA and Executive Degrees, and Fellow of Keble College.
Tim was a member of the victorious coxless four at the 2000 Sydney Olympics which included James Cracknell, Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent. Looking for his next challenge, he completed his EMBA at Keble and is currently a leadership coach and Head of Performance for the UK Football League Managers’ Association.
The Application podcast series is produced by the Saïd Business School to mark the 20th anniversary of the EMBA programme. Stream all episodes via Soundcloud.
Alumni News
Zoe Flood (2002 Modern History and Politics) is an independent journalist and filmmaker. Based in Nairobi for nearly ten years and now back in the UK, she writes, shoots and produces for a wide range of international media outlets.
Expanding our annual ‘Ghosts’ matches, this year we were excited to host our first ‘Festival of Sport’ on Saturday 20 April, thanks to the Warden’s endorsement and keen interest in sport. Current students and alumni gathered throughout the day to play against each other in a competitive (though always friendly) spirit.
Some of the greatest treasures of Keble are its people and the wealth of their experiences and achievements. We have now launched a new section on the Keble website entitled ‘Life Stories’, where we can share deceased Keblites’ lives.
Recent publications from Keble alumni. Authors include John Blakesley (1969 Theology), Nigel Fancourt (1981 Theology), Derek Haylock (1959 Mathematics) and Peter J. Lucas (1961 English Language and Literature).
The Talbot Society was set up to recognise individuals who choose to support the College through regular gifts, regardless of the amount or frequency, acknowledging their vital role in continuing a tradition that dates back to the foundation of Keble.
Antony Phillipson (1989 Modern History) CMG; Lionel Tarassenko (1975 Engineering Science) appointed to the House of Lords; Frank Cottrell-Boyce (1979 English, Honorary Fellow) made Children's Laureate; Poetry Prize for Suzanna Fitzpatrick (1994 English); Oxford Strategy Challenge update.
Upcoming events
We warmly invite alumni and friends of the College to join us at our events. A full list of our upcoming events can be found on the Keble website. We look forward to seeing you soon!