the brick

the newsletter for the keble community • issue 82 • trinity term 2025

FEATURE

Celebrations
at the Summer Dinner

Our Summer Dinner saw 280 alumni, friends and family gathered to say goodbye to Professor Stephen Kearsey and Dr Michael Hawcroft as they embark on their well-deserved retirements.

We also celebrated 25 years of undergraduate and graduate achievements in English with alumni and Professor Diane Purkiss.

College News

Issue 82 content

Two New Honorary Fellows

We welcome two new individuals into the Honorary Fellowship following their recent election: Dame Sue Carr, Lady Chief Justice, and author Alan Petty (1972), pen name, Alan Judd.

Keble Runs the Town (and Gown)

This spring, Keble entered its first team into Oxford’s four-decade-old 10k race, the Town & Gown. Made up of staff, students and alumni alike, the team donned a specially designed Keble kit and tackled the warm and winding route whilst raising money for Child Bereavement UK.

The Emmy Network

The Emmy Network, based at Keble, brings together distinguished scholars and students in fields of interdisciplinary research, and supports and directs global collaboration. Emmy Network Executive Director Alex Sheppard recaps recent events.

Green Impact Gold

Keble has been awarded Gold by the University for its sustainability work across College in this year’s Green Impact Awards, advancing on from last year’s Silver.

Festival of Sports

The Festival of Sport returned to our Sports Grounds and University Parks at the start of Trinity Term, with student and alumni teams in football, tennis, netball and rugby going head-to-head against one another to secure victory.

College News in Brief...

Three long-serving Fellows retire; New Poetry Internship launches at Keble; Nabila Walji Photography Competition returns for Trinity; Librarian’s end of chapter; Keble Manuscript goes to France.

Student Life

Issue 82 content

KA Report | Tolu Duckworth-Essilfie

Final year medicine student and Keble Association grant recipient Tolu Duckworth-Essilfie reflects on her impactful ten-week elective spent in Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia, gaining first-hand experience.

Touring Northern Britannia

Peter Haarer, Lecturer in Ancient History, took a group of Classical Archaeology and Ancient History students on a tour of northern Roman Britain, visiting Trimontium, Ardoch, Kaims Castle and the hard-to-get-to Inchtuthil, along with Piercebridge and Vindolanda.

Jonathan and Amanda Phillips Awards

Having gone above and beyond for the College community, six students were awarded this year’s Jonathan and Amanda Phillips Awards for outstanding contributions in areas such as access and outreach, environment, leadership and services to sports and societies.

Summer VIIIs

KCBC President Niamh Walker recaps the four demanding days spent on the Isis during this year’s Summer VIIIs. From tense moments to row overs and from setbacks to blades, find out how our five Keble crews got on.

The Keble Association Arts Leadership Awards

Six Keble students were presented with Keble Association Arts Leadership Awards at the annual St Mark’s Day dinner for their recognised artistic excellence and leadership, spanning several disciplines such as theatre, poetry, stand-up comedy, publicity, classical music, photography and dance.

Student Life in Brief...

Sporting awards for Eleanor Warrington and Ben Futcher; TEDx talk on machine-learning delivered by Kelsey Doerksen; Professional Practice Medicine award for Geena Capps; Symposium’s Genome Poster Prize awarded to Xinran Huang; Sustainability Society contributes to online game-based research.

Alumni News

Issue 82 content

Volunteering with StandOut | Andrew Hughes

Andrew Hughes (1981 PPE) is a Trustee at the prisoner rehabilitation charity StandOut. He discusses the rewarding experience he’s had, and how the charity prepares prisoners for their release, providing training in important life skills and support post-release.

Staying Connected | What’s New

Our Alumni Engagement team is making some changes. From team role tweaks, to more reunions and a new annual gathering, we hope these amendments will make it easier than ever for alumni to connect with Keble and with each other, wherever they are.

Alumni in Print

Recent publications from the Keble alumni community. Authors include Richard Duggins (1989 Pure and Applied Biology), Suzanna Fitzpatrick (1994 English), Alan Petty (1972 Philosophy and Theology, Honorary Fellow), Deryck J Solomon (1972 History) and Max Telford (1986 Zoology).

Entrepreneurs’ Evening

Alumni and friends gathered for the return of the Keble Entrepreneurs’ Evening in London, featuring three presentations from Zoe Flood (2002 Modern History and Politics), Fizel Nejabat (2008 Jurisprudence) and Varun Sarna (2009 Jurisprudence).

What Keble Taught Me | Trevor Norwitz

Trevor Norwitz (1987 Jurisprudence), recently retired from working as a partner at a leading New York law firm, reminisces back to his years studying Law within Keble’s red brick walls.

Name Your Room | A Lasting Link to Keble

Keble’s room naming initiative has had over 300 participants since its launch. Use our room finder to locate your student rooms and find out how to add your name to a meaningful place from your time spent here.

Remembering a Vagabond

Friends remember Michael Burns (1976 PPE), Keble cricketer and ‘Vagabond’.

Alumni News in Brief…

King’s Birthday Honour for Alison Giles (1984 Modern Languages); Master of Wine Caroline Gilby (1982 Botany) granted Slovenian citizenship; Duathlon debut by Guy Collender (1998 Modern History); Cybersecurity fund launched by Paul Wilkes (2018 EMBA); Poetry prize for Suzanna Fitzpatrick (1994 English).

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!

View our events

the brick

the newsletter for the keble community • issue 82 • trinity term 2025

FEATURE

Celebrations at the Summer Dinner

College News

Student Life

Alumni News

Upcoming events

Celebrations
at the Summer Dinner