St John’s Student to present Chemistry Research in Parliament

Rob Ives, a current St John’s PhD student, has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious STEM for BRITAIN competition where he will present his scientific research in the field of chemistry in Parliament.

STEM for BRITAIN is a major scientific competition and exhibition which has been held in Parliament since 1997, and is organised by the Parliamentary & Scientific Committee. He will be joined by other finalists to present his work to a panel of judges and parliamentarians on 6th March at Portcullis House in Westminster, London.

Rob, originally from East Yorkshire, progressed to obtain his first degree from the University of York, has undertaken international research experience at the Institute of Organic Chemistry & Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague and is currently a PhD candidate in Organic Chemistry at Durham University. He was shortlisted from numerous applicants to make it to the final of the STEM for BRITAIN competition 2023.

Rob said: “I’m delighted to be selected as a finalist for STEM for BRITAIN 2023. It’s a unique opportunity to present and discuss my research with MPs and policymakers. Moreover, I’m very privileged to be representing St John’s College and Durham University. I cannot wait to network with some of the very best early-career researchers in Great Britain.

STEM for BRITAIN exists to raise the profile of Britain’s early-career researchers by engaging with Members of both Houses of Parliament at Westminster with current science, technology, engineering and mathematics research being undertaken in the UK. Rob will discuss his current research which focusses on shapeshifting molecules as a new method in chemical sensing, with potential applications in drug discovery.

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    Jolyon Mitchell joins us as visiting fellow

    We are delighted to announce that Professor Jolyon Mitchell will be joining us on 31 January as a Visiting Fellow in Residence.

    Professor Jolyon Mitchell specialises in Religion, Violence and Peacebuilding, with particular reference to the arts and media. Educated at the Universities of Cambridge (Selwyn), Durham (St John’s) and Edinburgh, Jolyon worked as a Producer and Journalist with BBC World service and Radio 4 before moving to the University of Edinburgh. He is currently Director of CTPI (the Centre for Theology and Public Issues at the University of Edinburgh), and a former President of TRS-UK (2012-2018 – the national association for Theology and Religious Studies in the UK).

    He is author of many books, chapters and articles, including Promoting Peace and Inciting Violence: The Role of Religion and Media (Routledge, 2012); Martyrdom: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2012); Religion and War: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2021) and Media Violence and Christian Ethics (CUP, 2007). His most recent edited book is The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Religion and Peace (2022). He is currently finishing a book on Theatre (Passion Play: The Mysterious Resurgence of Religious Drama, OUP, 2024) and editing Picturing Peace: Photography, Conflict Transformation, and Peacebuilding (Bloomsbury, 2024). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and a life member of Clare Hall, at the University of Cambridge. Ordained within the Scottish Episcopal Church, he has served as an NSM at a number of churches for nearly three decades, including St James, Leith and currently St John’s, Edinburgh.

    Jolyon has also served on international film juries at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals. He directs a number of projects on Peacebuilding, including one which led to the widely used co-edited volume on Peacebuilding and the Arts (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020). He has recently been working with Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders, as well as Palestinian and Israeli journalists, on a peace building project in Jerusalem, the West Bank and beyond. A former marathon runner, he loves teaching and has supervised and worked with numerous PhD students, Post-Doctoral fellows and Ordinands, and lectured all over the world.

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      College Council member Nigel Robson receives MBE

      The College was delighted to hear that Nigel Robson was honoured by an MBE in this year’s New Year’s Honours.

      Nigel is a Member of Council of St John’s College, and is Chair of the Estates Committee. He has been a constant source of support and encouragement to the College not only in its estates strategy but also in reforms of the College’s governance structure, HR practices, and in the mission of Cranmer Hall. Without Nigel’s wisdom, legal expertise and large time commitment, these reforms would not have been possible.

      We are thrilled to hear of this well-deserved honour!

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