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November 2022

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News

Welcome to our New Students

It’s that time of year again – we are delighted to welcome the next cohort of students into each of our seventeen colleges. There has been a full Welcome and Orientation programme to help those students during October – and two full days of matriculation ceremonies. We wish them well at the beginning of their lifelong Durham journey!

First Sir Harry Evans Investigative Journalism Fellow Announced

Reuters, Durham University and Tina Brown have announced Texas-based journalist and photographer Waylon Cunningham as the first fellow of the Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship in Investigative Journalism.

Simulations Reveal New Possibilities for the Moon's Origin

Pioneering scientists from the Institute for Computational Cosmology used supercomputer simulations to reveal an alternative explanation for the Moon’s origin, following an impact between Earth and a Mars-sized body.

Fetuses React to Taste and Smell in the Womb

Our psychologists have shown the first direct evidence that babies react differently to various smells and tastes while in the womb by looking at their facial expressions.

A Warm Welcome Back to Dunelm Days

We are delighted that this year’s Dunelm Days campaign is already under way, with the first event in Boston.
In November 2019, through the Dunelm Days campaign, 65 events were planned and enjoyed by your local communities in 33 countries, meaning that lots of fun, memories and plans were shared by more than 400 alumni and friends.
Check out if there’s an event near you – or please get in touch if you would like to host an event at any time - no matter how big or small!

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Events

Upcoming Events

Dunelm Days
Throughout November 2022
This month we are getting together all across the world for Dunelm Days – our global alumni celebration, bringing together Durham alumni, supporters, friends and family throughout the whole month of November. Organised and hosted by you, it’s a fantastic way to make new connections and celebrate all things Durham, wherever you may be in the world.

Evening Reception in Tokyo with Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Professor Karen O'Brien
Sunday 6 November 2022 from 7pm
It is our great pleasure to invite you to join our new Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Professor Karen O'Brien, senior Durham University colleagues, and fellow alumni and friends for an evening reception.

Talking Bull: a Conversation About the Enigmatic Genius of Jake Thackray
Monday 7 November at 6pm, Hatfield College Bar
Jake Thackray is one of the most brilliant and original songwriters of the last fifty years. Biographer Paul Thompson and Mike Elston will be discussing his remarkable life and work.
The event is free and open to all.

Trajectories of Moral Injury: Future Research, Tensions, and Cross-Cultural Collaborations
Virtual - Thursday 10 November 2022, 6pm (GMT)
A webinar introducing the new International Centre for Moral Injury (ICMI), featuring a discussion of the Centre’s vision and a panel conversation between spiritual and military leaders about the promise of future avenues of collaborative research.
All are welcome, and you can join the ICMI's mailing list here.

50 Years of Collingwood Reunion Dinners
November 2022 – April 2023
Collingwood’s 50th Golden Anniversary will take place over the course of this academic year. We will be celebrating the deep and lasting sense of friendship and community that so many of you will recognise and treasure. Each Class are invited to join us for a reunion dinner at Collingwood.
Tickets are £40 each and include a drinks reception and three-course meal.
Reunion Dinner (1984-1989), 12 November 2022, Collingwood College
Reunion Dinner (1990-1995), 26 November 2022, Collingwood College

Realising the Ecological University: A Feasible Utopia
In-person and virtual - Thursday 17 November
Ronald Barnett (Arts Combined, St Cuthbert's Society, 1967-1970) is Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Education, University of London. He is a leading Philosopher, theorist and analyst of higher education. In his book, The Ecological University: A Feasible Utopia (2018, Routledge), he set out the very idea of the ecological university.

Durham Inspired: Live; Ogden at 20
In-person and virtual - Wednesday 30 November 2022, 2-5.30pm (GMT)
To celebrate our 20th birthday, we are planning a series of special events on 30 November 2022. We will host an Open Day in the morning, with exhibits on cosmology and particle physics. In the afternoon we will unveil a sculpture by John Robinson and host a lecture by the 2019 Physics Nobel Laureate, Professor Jim Peebles from Princeton University, followed by a mini-symposium on 'Five Key Questions About the Universe.'

A Celebratory Alumni Breakfast Reception with Keynote Speaker Author Tina Brown CBE
Thursday 8 December 2022 from 8.30am, New York
Each year we meet in New York for a celebratory event bringing together our alumni, supporters and friends. This year, we are delighted to be joined by our keynote speaker, award-winning editor, author, broadcaster and Durham University supporter Tina Brown CBE. Please join us for this special event.

View all upcoming events

Check our events pages regularly for all the upcoming alumni events across the world.

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Alumni

Ride Across Britain

One of our Deputy Directors, Stuart Thompson, recently completed the Ride Across Britain, which covers 980 miles of the most beautiful and scenic landscapes from Land’s End to John O’Groats! It combines the magic of cycling with raising millions of pounds for charity.
It was a real Durham success as he met up with University College Alumni Tom Agnew, Tom Lowton, Iain Pearce, James Gyselynck, Sean Sarafilovic (pictured with Stuart (left) above). All raising money for great causes, including funding research into ovarian cancer, which James’ wife, Rosie, is currently battling.

Memories of Graduation Summer 2022

In the marquee on Palace Green this summer, many graduates filled out memory cards to share fond memories of their time at Durham with us.
Take a look at our digital memory book to see these and a special highlight video to celebrate our Chancellor, Sir Thomas Allen’s final Congregation at Durham.

Take a Look

Class Notes

Tony Auffret (Botany and Chemistry, Grey College, 1970-73) has published his first thriller novel. “The Death of a Smoker” was published in June 2022 by Cranthorpe Millner and is available at major booksellers.

Yuk Chi Chan (Law, College of St Hild & St Bede, 2016-19) CEO and co-founder of graduate start-up, Charter, which has become the first British space company to be accepted onto the prestigious TechStars Space Accelerator programme, widely considered as the world’s leading programme for start-ups in the space sector.

Natalie Hiller (Natural Sciences, Van Mildert College 2010-13) has been recognised on the Disability Power 100 for a second time when the 2022 winners were announced recently. The list recognises the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK, and Natalie was recognised for her work in increasing disability inclusion in the accountancy profession.

Craig Lappin-Smith (Business Management, John Snow College, 2013-16) has opened Coarse, a tasting menu restaurant in Durham. Opened in October, the restaurant offers an affordable six-course tasting menu with both an omnivore and a veggie version.

Jack Little (Politics, Collingwood College, 2006-9) has published a full selection of poems in the book “Slow Leaving”, published by Red Squirrel Press. “Jack Little has a talent for combining everyday words in new ways, creating something completely original here in Slow Leaving.”

Peter McAuley (Engineering 2008-11, Business Administration, 2017-19, St Chad’s College) has created the specialist watch brand, Nomadic, a timekeeping tribute to all that went on in Belfast when it came to engineering.

Ruth Millington (Combined Arts, Trevelyan College, 2007-10) has published her first book “Muse”, which tells the true stories of the incredible muses who have inspired art history's masterpieces. Published by Vintage publishing and illustrated by Dina Razin, the book is available for purchase at Waterstones.

Hannah Ryley (English Literature, St Cuthbert’s Society, 2008-11) is publishing her first academic monograph. Re-Using Manuscripts in Late Medieval England: Repairing, Recycling, Sharing will be published by York Medieval Press (an imprint of Boydell & Brewer) in August 2022. It presents a fresh appraisal of late medieval manuscript culture in England, examining the ways in which people sustained their books by repairing, recycling, and sharing them.

Dr Tony Wells (History, St Cuthbert’s Society, 1965-69) has been interviewed by London producer Chris Carr about his recent book “Crossroads in Time Philby & Angleton A Story of Treachery”. The interview features in the podcast, “Secrets and Spies”.

Colleges

Hatfield College

We were delighted to welcome back two hundred and fifty of our alumni to celebrate Hatfield’s 175th anniversary. Some of our current students joined to spent a lovely evening mingling, reminiscing and laughing to mark the occasion.

St Cuthbert’s Society

A fantastic response from Alumni for our new Careers and Opportunities Advisors (COA) scheme. This will replace the Careers Angels programme and will continue to match current students with alumni who can provide advice about careers, but will also provide personal development opportunities through mentoring, volunteering, and careers advice.

For information

St John’s College

We were delighted to meet up with John’s alumni from all generations at the Dunelm Society Dinner at the beautiful Armoury House in London on 13 October. October also saw the launch of our first ‘Once a Johnian’ vocation themed formal dinners, bringing current students, alumni and friends of the College together to network and share experiences.
A special thank you to our staff and our diligent Freps for welcoming our new arrivals last month.

Stephenson College

A busy start - welcoming our new students with Freshers’ week, including an Oktoberfest bar night, the first Sunday quiz night of the term and an excellent Stephenson Ideas talk from Professor Peter Stone OBE, the world’s only UNESCO Chair in Cultural Property Protection and Peace. Our students have also been out volunteering in the local community, including visits to the Food Bank Warehouse at Chester-le-Street and Sherburn House.

Departments

Postgraduate Open Days

Interested in postgraduate study at Durham? With options for taught and research Masters, as well as PhD, our Open Days are the best way to find out more. With the choice to attend in person or online, book your place now.

Postgraduate Open Day: 23rd November 2022
Online: 28th November – 4th December 2022

Careers and Enterprise: Enterprise Network Event

A big thank you to our amazing panel guests, Oli Marlow-Thomas, Steve Jackson & Ben Medlock at the Alumni Enterprise Network Event in London. Their insights were informative and valuable in our panel discussion.
The Durham Alumni Enterprise Network is a mutually supportive network for Durham alumni, students and supporters interested in entrepreneurship to share knowledge and connections.

For Information

Department of Geography: Three Academics Receive Awards

Three of our academics have received awards for their research excellence. Professor Pippa Whitehouse has been awarded the SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research, Professor Rebecca Hodge has received the Gordon Warwick Award by the British Society for Geomorphology, and Professor David Evans has been awarded the Clough Medal of the Edinburgh Geological Society.

Department of History; Understanding a century of global fascination with Tutankhamun: In conversation with Professor Christina Riggs

Professor Christina Riggs, Department of History, is a renowned expert on Ancient Egypt and the Tutankhamun excavation. As the world marks 100 years since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, we chat to Christina about her research expertise and how visual culture, such as photography, has been at the heart of a century of global fascination.

Department of Mathematical Sciences

We are welcoming Dr Lassina Dembélé from King's College, London for a colloquium as part of the activities marking Black History Month. Join us at 2pm on November 9, either online or in the Scott Logic Lecture Theatre, MCS0001

Music Durham; Crossing the Celtic Lands: An Evening of Celtic Inspired Music

Join Durham University Brass Band on Saturday November 12 as they embark on a musical journey across the Celtic lands. The concert promises to be a breathtaking evening, with a distinct repertoire that has taken inspiration from all corners of the Celtic lands.

Get Involved

We are looking for Postgraduate Alumni Ambassadors

We are offering an exciting new opportunity for Durham alumni to be involved in our Postgraduate Open Day and advise prospective students on study and career options, drawing from your own experiences. The Open Days for the 2022/23 academic year are hybrid events. This means you can get involved in-person or online!

Get Involved

Spring Congregation 2023

Graduation is one of the largest events on the University calendar.
Are you interested in joining other alumni and DARO staff members on the alumni stand at Congregation this Winter, January 5 and 6 2023 to welcome new graduates into our alumni community?

Get Involved

Retail

Gifts from Durham University Retail Office

Here at the Retail Office, we strive to provide staff, students and alumni with the best possible merchandise, to commemorate their time here at Durham. With stock ranging from stationery and jewellery to clothing and glassware, there is sure to be something that will take your fancy.

Shop now

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