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Trinity 2015 Newsletter

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Trinity 2015 Newsletter
Save the Date: 8 & 9 April
2016 Alumni Weekend in Washington, DC
The University is excited to host the 2016 Alumni Weekend
in North America in Washington, DC
home to one of the most vibrant and distinguished
Oxonian communities in the world.
We will make updates available online at www.oxfordna.org.
Please check back periodically.
Greetings from Oxfords North American Office.
The message for this letter is a simple, yet sincere one. I am
taking the liberty of conveying it on your behalf, as well as
on behalf of all Oxonians and friends of Oxford, both on this
side of the Atlantic and around the world. The message is:
Thank you Andy Hamilton!
Six years ago, Andy arrived
from Yale as the first non-
Oxonian in the history of
the University to serve as
Vice-Chancellor. As he
prepares to step down on
December 31, 2015, he
leaves Oxford a far better
place than he found it. And
for that, anyone who cares
about this great University owes him our thanks.
While Andy has brought great vision, determination, and
expertise to the office of vice-chancellor, it is another quality
that anyone fortunate enough to have met him will remember
with great fondness...his enthusiasm! His immediate
predecessors Patrick Neil, Richard Southwood, Peter
North, Colin Lucas, and John Hood had made great strides
in modernizing both the position of vice-chancellor and the
University itself. So, Oxford was primed and ready for an
enthusiastic leader to engage and bring together the academic
community and alumni and friends around the world. Andy
came through with flying colors!
While the positive results of this heady mix of dedicated
academics, enthusiastic and focused leadership, and inspired
alumni and friends are too numerous to list here, highlights
of Andys tenure include the creation of major scholarship
programs for both undergraduate and graduate students; the
construction of a myriad of new academic buildings,
including the Andrew Wiles Mathematical Institute; and the
improvement of resources that benefit both the Oxford
community and the wider world, such as the rebirth of the
New Bodleian as the Weston Library.
As you may have read, Andy will return to the USA to
become the President of New York University (NYU).
The global Oxford family wishes Andy and his wonderfully
supportive wife, Jennie, every success as they begin this new
chapter of their lives.
Below please find information regarding the exciting
announcement that Professor Louise Richardson of St Andrews
University has been nominated to serve as the next Vice-
Chancellor. The nomination of Professor Richardson is a
historic moment in the history of Oxford as she will be the first
woman to lead the University. While I have not met her, you
wont be surprised to learn that I have read a great deal about
Professor Richardson since this news broke a few weeks ago.
Everything I have read indicates that she will be a truly
wonderful Vice-Chancellor. I hope you will join in
enthusiastically welcoming Professor Richardson (perhaps at
the April 2016 Alumni Weekend in Washington, DC) to the
Oxford community.
With best wishes to you and your loved ones
for a happy and healthy summer,
Michael G. Cunningham, FRSA
Executive Director
University of Oxford North American Office
Professor Louise Richardson Nominated as Vice-Chancellor
Professor Richardson has led St
Andrews for more than six
years, combining strong
institutional advancement with a
distinguished academic career in
the study of terrorism and
security issues.
Prior to joining St Andrews in
2009, Professor Richardson
lived and worked in the United
States where she was Executive
Dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at
Harvard University. Continued on Page Two

1
 Professor Richardson (continued from Page One)
Professor Richardson said of her nomination, Oxford is one
of the world's great universities. I feel enormously privileged
to be given the opportunity to lead this remarkable institution
during an exciting time for higher education. I am very much
looking forward to working with talented, experienced, and
dedicated colleagues to advance Oxfords pre-eminent global
position in research, scholarship, and teaching.
The Nominating Committee was chaired by the Chancellor of
Oxford University, Lord Patten of Barnes, who said, The
panel was deeply impressed by Professor Richardsons strong
commitment to the educational and scholarly values which
Oxford holds dear. Her distinguished record both as an
educational leader and as an outstanding scholar provides an
excellent basis for her to lead Oxford in the coming years.
Subject to the approval of Congregation, the Universitys
parliament, Professor Richardson will succeed the current
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, on January 1,
2016. Professor Hamilton said, I am delighted by the
nomination of Louise Richardson and wish her every success
in leading this great university. The role of Vice-Chancellor is
both challenging and rewarding and I look forward to making
the transition as smooth and straightforward as possible in the
coming months. Professor Richardsons leadership of St
Andrews has been marked by a strong focus on academic
mission, student experience, and development of the
Universitys infrastructure.
Professor Richardson is an internationally renowned scholar of
terrorism and security studies, on which she has advised policy
makers and others internationally. Her publications include the
ground-breaking study: What Terrorists Want: Understanding
the Enemy Containing the Threat.
Born in the Republic of Ireland, Professor Richardson holds a
BA in History from Trinity College, Dublin; an MA in
Political Science from the University of California,
Los Angeles (UCLA); and an MA and PhD in Government
from Harvard University.
2015 Oxford in North America Events
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton and his wife,
Jennie, launched the 2015 Oxford in North America events in
Texas with a drinks reception in Dallas followed by a vibrant
visit to Houston.
Professor Hamilton then journeyed to Canada for his first visit
to Ottawa as Vice-Chancellor, where he was warmly greeted at
an event in the House of Commons attended by many alumni
and friends, as well as the dedicated volunteers of the OUS
Ottawa Branch.
Stay Connected: OxfordNA
2015 Oxford in North America Events (continued) Vice-Chancellors Circle Seventh Annual Meeting
On Thursday May 21, Oxford welcomed over 150 guests to the seventh Annual Meeting of the Vice-Chancellors Circle, held
under clear blue skies in the beautiful surroundings of Pembroke College. Members of the Circle gathered from across North
America, Europe and Asia to join the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, in celebrating the significant support that
members have provided to the collegiate University.
A lively debate was held in the newly-built Pichette
Auditorium at Pembroke on the motion Mind over
matter: sport has no place in academia. Speaking in
favor were Professor Helen Watanabe-OKelly
(Professor of German Literature) and Professor Sir
Drummond Bone (Master of Balliol College). Victory
belonged to Professor David Clary (President of
Before departing Canada, the Vice-Chancellor hosted alumni Magdalen College) and Professor Kieran Clarke
and friends in Toronto for an academic program featuring (Professor of Physiological Biochemistry) who were
Professor Gillies McKenna, Head of the Department of speaking against the motion. The debate was skillfully
Oncology (Wolfson), speaking on The Best of Times, the Worst chaired by Professor Nick Rawlins, Pro-Vice-Chancellor
of Times the Future of Cancer Treatment. A conversation for Development and External Affairs, and was followed by a black-tie gala dinner in Hall.
entitled Canadas Place in the World with Chrystia Freeland
(St Antonys 1993) Membership of the Vice-Chancellors Circle (which is comprised of alumni and friends with life-
MP for Toronto time giving to Oxford of over 250,000), has recently surpassed 300 donors, having begun in 2009
with just 90 members. This Annual Meeting is a wonderful opportunity for Oxford to recognize
Centre and Chris
and thank some of its most committed and loyal supporters. The provisional date for next years event is Thursday May 19, 2016.
Alexander (Balliol,
1989) MP for Ajax
View photos of the event online at tinyurl.com/OXFVCC2015.
-Pickering and
Canada's Minister
of Citizenship and
Immigration Join Oxfords Online Alumni Community
followed. The
Honorable Peter The University has launched the Oxford Alumni Community, an online networking platform
Milliken (Wadham, 1968), former Speaker of the Canadian especially designed for Oxford alumni to search for jobs, mentors and other alumni.
House of Commons, moderated the lively discussion. More than 2,100 alumni have signed up since the website was launched in February 2015.
The enthusiasm continued in Chicago where alumni and friends The platform is notably different from other networking tools because
convened for an academic program that also featured Professor all of its members are verified alumni of the University. This means it
is an exclusive and secure space to connect with other alumni, and it is
McKenna as well as a discussion by Professor Richard Blackett
(Rothermere American Institute and The Queens College) geared towards improving employability.
on The Underground Railroad and the Struggle Against Slavery. As well as finding and posting jobs, members can offer to share
professional advice, insights and experience with fellow Oxonians.
These Road Show events provided Professor Hamilton with You can also find relevant mentors via the online directory by
the opportunity to engage with alumni and friends throughout searching for industry, subject read, matriculation year, location or
North America and employer. Registering is quick and easy as you can use your LinkedIn
share news regarding or Facebook sign-on and can import information from either account,
the latest initiatives and thereby avoiding the need to create a new profile.
plans from Oxford.
The North American Christine Fairchild, Director of Alumni Relations at the University,
Office is grateful for says, Our alumni trust the Oxford Alumni Community because they
the support of such a know it is a protected website only for Oxonians. More and more
dynamic network of members are finding mentors, posting events and exchanging messages thanks to the
alumni who continue platform. We are harnessing the power of technology to benefit our alumni.
to demonstrate their Members can post and search for jobs and mentors, view events,
support for all that is Oxford. and search for other alumni all over the world at www.oxfordalumnicommunity.org.
View photos from the events at Flickr.com/OxfordNA.
2 Oxford_NA | www.oxfordna.org 3