Jesus College, Cambridge

Congratulations to Professor Mia Bay who joins the British Academy Fellowship.

The British Academy is the UK's national body for the humanities and social sciences. Professor Bay is one of six University of Cambridge academics to be elected as new Fellows in 2026.

Mia is a Fellow of Jesus College and Paul A Mellon Professor of American History. She specialises in American and African American intellectual, cultural and social history. Her recent publications focus on black women’s thought, African American approaches to citizenship, and the history of race and transportation.

Announcing the winners of the latest round of songwriting competition Hook, Line and Lyric - run jointly by Jesus College and Cambridge University Centre for Music Performance

First prize: Leah Bindman Cohen (2024) of Murray Edwards College Cambridge with 'Hindsight’.

Second prize: Elizabeth Dearden-Williams (2024) of Jesus College, Cambridge with ‘Nothing Was Ever the Same’.

Third prize: Tom Dubois (2025) of Jesus College, Cambridge with 'Take Me to the Ocean’.

Sonita Alleyne, Master of Jesus College and one of the judges, said: “Hook, Line and Lyric continues to celebrate the remarkable creativity of Cambridge students. Every year we're inspired by the originality, honesty and musical ambition shown by entrants, and this year's winners are no exception.

“Congratulations to Leah, Elizabeth and Tom for their exceptional songwriting. We hope their success encourages even more students to share their music and take advantage of the opportunities available through the competition and the Centre for Music Performance.”

Pictured from left Tom Dubois, Master of Jesus College, Sonita Alleyne OBE, and Elizabeth Dearden-Williams.
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We recently said farewell to Chris Barker who retired after 25 years of service across the two libraries in College.

Chris joined the College in 2000 as a Library Assistant and went on to become Assistant Keeper of the Old Library, making a huge contribution to cataloguing the printed books collection for the benefit of future generations of researchers and students.

Over the years, she introduced many visitors to the collections, from interested members of staff, to students encountering old books for the first time, to visiting professors. All benefitted from her expertise and good humour!

We wish her all the best for her retirement.

More photos of our most recent graduates! 🎓

If you would like a link to the full album, email [email protected]

📸 .catic

2026 marks the 36th year of the Cambridge Alumni Festival and an inspiring array of insights and interactions through tours, lectures and panel discussions will be on offer.

Jesus College is pleased to host the following lectures:

Professor Samantha Harvey (1997, English Literature) is Professor of English Literature at Boise State University, USA and will deliver her talk entitled 'Samuel Taylor Coleridge in America' on Friday 18 September from 2pm-3pm in the Webb Library.

Dr Hanane Hadj-Moussa is a Postdoctoral Associate at Jesus College and will deliver her lecture 'How metabolic rewiring can promote healthspan and longevity' on Saturday 19 September from 2.30pm-3.30pm in the Jardine Room.

Dr Zoe Strimpel (2001, English), is a columnist at The Telegraph where she writes about cultural politics. Zoe will discuss her latest book Good Slut: How Money, S*x and Power Set Women Free on Saturday 19 September from 3.45pm-4.45pm in the Sterne Room.

To find out more and book your places, please see this year's programme on the official website page. https://shorturl.at/8lztp

A long-held ambition at Jesus College is becoming a reality. Thanks to a generous philanthropic gift from Sudipto Sarkar (1967, Law) and his wife, Malabika Sarkar, a dedicated Reading Room has been created within the new Jesus College Archives Centre, helping to preserve and share the College’s rich history for generations to come. https://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/articles/philanthropic-gift-secures-reading-room-new-archives-centre

It is our great pleasure to announce Dr Jonathan Mills (2000, Chemistry) as this year's Alumni Volunteer of the Year. Jonathan was nominated for the award in recognition of his generous contributions to careers mentoring during the past year. https://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/articles/announcing-our-alumni-volunteer-year-2026

Say hello to our latest graduates! We hope you enjoyed your special day. Here are a few highlights.

📸 Nordin Catic

It was great to welcome Stormzy back to Jesus College.

He was here to meet some of the students supported by the Stormzy Scholarships funded by Foundation and HSBC UK. It was a chance to hear from them about the opportunities the scholarships provide and how their degree courses are going.

He was then taken on a tour of the College grounds by the Master.

The scholarship programme has funded 68 students to date.

📷 Thomas Holland

University of Cambridge