New roles for St Catharine’s Fellows

St Catharine’s is preparing to wish fond farewells to two Fellows as they take up new roles in Cambridge in the coming months, and celebrating the appointment of two Emeritus Fellows in recognition of long service to the College. 

The Rev’d Ally Barrett (2019) will be leaving St Catharine’s in September 2024 to become Associate Vicar at Great St Mary's, the University Church in Cambridge. During a time when the College has aimed to be at the forefront of student wellbeing provision in Cambridge, she has been a core member of the Health & Wellbeing Team and a Tutor alongside her duties as Dean of Chapel. She has also supported many other important aspects of College life as chair of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Working Group (2020–22) and as an active member of the Green Working Group since its formation, the LGBTQ+ Care Group (2023–24) and the Neurodiversity Project Group (2023–24). The College’s Chapel & Music Committee will oversee the process of appointing the next Chaplain, which will start very soon.

Ally commented, “Being part of the College community over the last five and a bit years has been a wonderful and formative experience, and I’m grateful to everyone for the way that I’ve been encouraged and supported here, and for all that I’ve learned and will take with me into this next exciting chapter in my life and ministry.”

Dr Joe Ellis (2021) will be taking up the role of Deputy Senior Tutor at Hughes Hall from the middle of September 2024. This is a full-time position that will involve membership of the Senior Tutor’s leadership team, oversight of teaching and strategic direction of outreach activities as well as new anthropological research projects. During his three years at St Catharine’s, Dr Ellis has supported undergraduate teaching as Director of Studies in Human, Social & Political Sciences and provided valuable support as one of four Fellows who have shared responsibility for the welfare of our postgraduate students this year. He has been involved in a series of events co-organised by St Catharine’s on ‘reframing failure’ and College events for postgraduate students to help them feel welcome and settled in our community. 

Dr Ellis said, “While I am sad to be leaving Catz, I will look back on the last three years with great fondness. I have hugely enjoyed working with everyone at Catz and valued the commitment so many have to supporting our community. I hope I have been a friendly, if somewhat busy, face around the College. This isn’t goodbye as I am not going far and I am sure I will be back to collaborate with colleagues as part of my new role. I want to say a massive thank you to our students and Fellows, and in particular to our amazing staff across so many departments who continue to be the core of what makes any of our successes possible.”

Two further Fellows have stepped down from the College’s Governing Body this year and they have each become an Emeritus Fellow, a title that may be awarded by St Catharine’s in recognition of long service spanning a minimum of 17 years:

• Dr Rose Melikan (1993) resigned her Fellowship on 31 December 2023 in order to devote more time to research (academic and fiction). Since October 2019 she had been seconded from her teaching duties as a College Lecturer in Law to a wholly administrative role as Fellows’ Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Body. She was made an Emeritus Fellow on 15 March 2024.
• Professor Eilís Ferran (1980, Law; Fellow 1987) has resigned her position as Tom Ivory Professorial Fellow at St Catharine’s with effect from 1 October 2024 to focus on her roles as Provost of the Gates Cambridge Trust and Professor of Company & Securities Law in the Faculty of Law. She will become an Emeritus Fellow from that date.

Sir John Benger (1979, English), Master of St Catharine’s, reflected:

“Since I was elected Master in October 2023, I have had the pleasure of meeting one-to-one with almost all the Fellows who serve on Governing Body and learning about how they oversee the College’s development. I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to all four for everything they have done for our community. I am delighted that Rose and Eilís have been appointed Emeritus Fellows so we can benefit from their continued involvement in College life – and I am pleased that we still have several weeks before Joe and Ally leave us for everyone at Catz to add their own best wishes.”