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Corpus Christi College, October 2025
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The new academic year is upon us, with all the excitement and activity that brings. Last weekend, on the same day, we welcomed our 2025 cohort of students to College, with many of our treasured legators and donors, who attended the 1352 Foundation Society and Benefactors' Day. The two events together offered a fantastic perspective on being part of the Corpus community - whether you are 18 or 94! It was a lovely trip down memory lane for our guests, who witnessed the next generation of Corpuscles heading through the familiar gate on Trumpington Street and lining up for their matriculation photo, wide-eyed, suitcases in hand, full of potential and about to begin their lifechanging journey as a student at Cambridge. The 1352 Foundation Society and Benefactors' Day also served as an opportunity to affirm our appreciation for our Master's Circle of Benefactors and legators, recognising their generous support.
MORE COLLEGE NEWS
PARKER MANUSCRIPT IMAGE FEATURES IN NEW BOOK ABOUT ENGLAND'S FIRST KING, AETHELSTAN
A new book by Professor David Woodman of the University of Cambridge's Faculty of History, The First King of England: Aethelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom, features the famous image of the king with Saint Cuthbert from the Parker Library CCCC MS 183, Bede the Venerable, Two Lives of St Cuthbert with Regnal Lists.
Read more
“Everyone should know about this portrait, it’s one of the most important images in English history,” says Professor David Woodman
EXPERIENCE POSTGRADUATE LIFE SCIENCES (EPLS) ENTERS FIFTH YEAR
This summer we welcomed the fifth cohort of EPLS students for an eight-week paid internship, designed to encourage talented undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply for postgraduate study.
This widening participation initiative provides students with substantive lab-based research experience across the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Clinical Medicine, as well as a wide range of activities to further develop their skills – from data analysis to science communication.
CORPUS MEMORABILIA FEATURED ON ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
A piece of Corpus boating history was featured in a recent episode of the BBC programme Antiques Roadshow when a couple brought a unique piece to be valued. As explained by antiques expert Mark Hill, the object is an umbrella stand made from a Corpus Christi College Boat Club boat in 1925. Read more
ALUMNI NEWS
DAVID ALDRIDGE NAMED PRESIDENT OF ST CATHARINE'S
Professor David Aldridge (m.1990) has been elected President of St Catharine's College Cambridge. David is a Director of Studies in Zoology at Corpus, where he completed both his undergraduate degree (Natural Sciences) and PhD (Zoology). He is Head of Aquatic Ecology Group at the University of Cambridge Department of Zoology, and has been a Fellow of St
Catharine's since 1997. Read more
(Photo credit: Elodie Giuge)
MAISIE JOHNSON DIRECTS CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY AMERICAN STAGE TOUR
Congratulations to Maisie Johnson (m.2021) who directed the latest CAST (Cambridge University American Stage Tour) production of Macbeth, which was performed throughout eastern USA in September. Maisie was always heavily involved in theatrical productions during her time at Corpus and we are thrilled to see her talent being enjoyed across the pond. Read more
GIVING DAY AMBASSADORS - ROLL UP, ROLL UP!
We are looking for ambassadors to make our first ever Giving Day, Corpus Gives, a success. Taking place on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 March 2026, our Giving Day is a 36-hour fundraising campaign aiming to gather Old Members, family members, friends, and supporters of Corpus. Our digital ambassadors will help us maximise the reach of our Giving Day: by sharing messages on social media, email or even face-to-face, you can help us encourage even more Corpuscles to join our cause. If you’d like to get involved, please let us know by emailing development@corpus.cam.ac.uk.
GET YOUR CORPUS STASH - LIMITED TIME ONLY!
Corpus branded stash is once again available to order from Redbird Apparel for a limited time only. A selection of t-shirts, hoodies, jackets and more can be purchased via the online store, which closes on 6 October.
Alumni must not request delivery to College, as we have no way of tracking these and you risk losing your items.
NEWS FROM THE FELLOWSHIP
DAVID ABRAHAMS RECEIVES GOLD MEDAL FROM THE IMA
Professor of Applied Mathematics David Abrahams has been awarded the prestigious Gold Medal and Lecture for outstanding contributions to mathematics over a number of years by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA). He delivered his lecture Applied Mathematics in a Changing World at the Royal Society over the summer. Read more
PASCO FEARON TO LEAD VITAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT STUDY
Professor Pasco Fearon will take the lead on behalf of the University of Cambridge in a vital study into child development, working alongside colleagues from UCL. The £42.8 million Generation New Era birth cohort study will follow the lives of 30,000 children born in 2026, helping provide evidence to improve the lives of future generations. Read more
CLAUDIA BONFIO AWARDED UKRI FUTURE LEADER FELLOWSHIP
Dr Claudia Bonfio has been awarded a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship, which provides up to seven years of support to enable the recipients to tackle ambitious programmes or multidisciplinary questions, and new or emerging research and innovation areas and partnerships. Dr Bonfio’s lab studies how life emerges from non-living matter and tries to answer this question by designing and building active primitive cells. Read more
STUDENT NEWS
PHD CANDIDATE'S RESEARCH MAKES BBC NEWS HEADLINES
A BBC News crew recently spent some time at the Wellcome Sanger Institute with Corpus PhD student Jonah Walker and his doctoral supervisor Dr Joana Meier learning about the dance of the Australian peacock spiders. The research hopes to glean evolutionary insights from the charismatic, tiny spiders, of which there are more than 100 different species, by studying their DNA. Read more
OMAR BURHANUDDIN GETS A TASTE OF COLLEGIATE FUNDRAISING
Second-year historian Omar was one of 12 interns selected to complete the University's Go Far! Cambridge Fundraising and Alumni Relations Internship Programme this summer. He was placed as a Development Intern at Murray Edwards College. Read more
CARLA BRIGGS ROWS FOR CUBC AT BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS
PhD student Carla Briggs joined the development squad of the Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) for the 2025 British Rowing Club Championships, held in Nottingham from 18-21 July 2025. Read more
MEET OUR ALUMNI
JULIET FOSTER (m.1992). A leading social psychologist at King's College London and the first female to be an undergraduate, postgraduate and Fellow of Corpus. From 2013-2018, Juliet was Senior Tutor at Murray Edwards College, and then moved to King’s College London. She is now a Professor of Social Psychology and works as Dean of Education at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s. Read more
SABESAN SITHAMPARANATHAN OBE (m.2008). The founder and President of PervasID, which manufactures the world’s most accurate battery-free real-time Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) location tracking systems. In the 2024 HM The King's New Year Honours List, Sabesan was awarded an OBE for services to innovation technology and the promotion of STEM subjects in education. Sabesan was elected to a Research Fellowship at Girton College Cambridge in 2011 and became an Enterprise Fellow there in 2022. Read more
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING
1352 FOUNDATION SOCIETY AND BENEFACTORS' DAY
At the beginning of the month, 1352 Foundation Society members and the Master’s Circle of Benefactors came together in celebration of their philanthropic commitment to the College.
Guests heard an update from the Bursar on the College estate and finances, viewed the latest Parker Library exhibition, titled Making Medieval Manuscripts, and enjoyed an exquisite musical performance in Chapel from two current students, Seyi Adeyemo (m.2022) and Oliver Clements (m.2024).
After lunch, the day drew to close with a fascinating 'In Conversation' event with Fellow and eminent paediatric oncologist Professor Sam Behjati, who combines clinical work with research on childhood cancers.
MACCURDY REUNION
1994-1998
We welcomed over 125 alumni from the 1994 -1998 cohorts back to Corpus in September, for this year’s MacCurdy Reunion Dinner. Attendees were treated to a tour of the College, choral Evensong in Chapel, a drinks reception in Old Court and a wonderful dinner in Hall.
The programme also featured Corpus alumnus Professor Sir David Clary (m.1974), who gave a fascinating talk based on his book The Lost Scientists of World War II.
CORPUS IN MILAN
In September, 21 alumni, Fellows and guests enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Circolo dell’Unione, a historic private members club in the heart of Milan. The event was hosted by Guild Fellow David Mogford (m.1972) whose vineyard, Tenuta il Finale, kindly provided the wines for the evening. Development Director Rachel Lawson, and Corpus Fellow Dr Nirupa Desai, met alumni and guests and shared the latest College news. Corpus is very grateful to David Mogford for his support in bringing together our international Corpus community.
JOIN US
CORPUS IN NEW YORK
We are delighted to announce that Development Director, Rachel Lawson will be visiting alumni in New York from 9 - 14 December. She will be in attendance at the Vice Chancellor's drinks reception on 11 December and looks forward to reconnecting with alumni and sharing exciting updates from the College. If you are unable to attend the event, please email development@corpus.cam.ac.uk and she will do her best to try and connect with you on the trip. We look forward to sharing more information in due course.
AN EVENING OF JAZZ WITH THREEWAY
Chamber jazz trio Threeway, featuring alumnus Ben Crossland (m.1970), will perform the latest instalment of the Corpus Professional Recital Series in Chapel on Thursday 16 October.
They will perform original compositions by each member of the group, alongside fresh readings of classic standards and at least one piece by Joni Mitchell.
Tickets can be purchased online and in the Porters' Lodge.
ALUMNI/STUDENT LECKSOC TALK AND DINNER
Alumni and guests are invited to a special LeckSoc talk and dinner at Leckhampton House on Tuesday 11 November.
Our speakers are Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett (m.2018), Head of Policy and Strategy for Renewable Delivery at the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Yashasvi Rai (m.2023), a PhD student at the Centre for Climate Repair.
Following the talks, guests are welcome to enjoy a drink in the Leckhampton Bar and a two-course sit-down dinner.
UPCOMING EVENTS
2025
Thursday 16 October: An Evening of Jazz with Threeway
Saturday 18 October: Michaelmas Term Guest Night (Booking Closed)
Tuesday 11 November: Student/Alumni LeckSoc and Dinner at Leckhampton
Sunday 7 December: Friends of Corpus Carol Service (save the date)
Monday 8 December: Carols in the City
Tuesday 9 December: Corpus in New York (save the date)
Thursday 11 December: Corpus Association Dinner (save the date)
2026
Saturday 24 January: Lent Term Guest Night
Saturday 7 February: Lewis Society of Medicine Dinner (save the date)
Monday 16 February: Corpus in Sydney (save the date)
Thursday 19 February: Corpus in Melbourne (save the date)
Sunday 22 February: Corpus in Wellington (save the date)
Tuesday 24 February: Corpus in Auckland (save the date)
Saturday 14 March: Nicholas Bacon Law Society Dinner (save the date)
Saturday 18 April: Beldam Reunion (1999-2003)
Saturday 25 April: Oliver Rackham Society Dinner (save the date)
Saturday 23 May: Easter Term Guest Night (save the date)
Saturday 20 June: May Bumps Dinner and Riverside Gathering (save the date)
Saturday 27 June: Summer Garden Party (save the date)
