It’s not easy condensing postgraduate research into a timed lecture or poster pitch. It is even harder to own the stage and engage an audience whose expertise spans an eclectic mix of disciplines.
But that was the challenge faced by Churchill Postgraduates who took part in the Conference on Everything last Saturday (7 March).
The event is one of the highlights of the year and is run by the MCR. It showcases students’ intellect, doggedness and innovation, but also their ability to communicate complex findings clearly and confidently. Honing skills like these are crucial for the workplace, and useful practice for presenting to academic peers, as one Postgraduate later pointed out.
More than 20 students took part, presenting their research to a panel of judges, the Master, Fellows, students, alumni, and staff. Their theme – Research for a Sustainable Future – was fitting given the College’s work around sustainability.
The audience was treated to a fascinating and varied mix of research, from early Martian astronomy to maternal obesity’s impact on offspring in sheep, sustainable education to AI-generated planets. The common thread was their enthusiasm.
The judges panel faced the unenviable task of choosing winners. Made up of Dr Leyi Loh (Postdoctoral By-Fellow), Dr Alastair Lockhart (Senior Postgraduate Tutor) and Prof Alex Webb (Postgraduate Tutor), the panel awarded its top prizes to:
- Skaai Davison: Best Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) long-form lecture: ‘Cardiometabolic Effects of Maternal Obesity During Pregnancy on Adult Offspring in an Ovine Model’
- Solomon Hajramezan: Best Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) long-form lecture: ‘Pre-Space Age Planetary Science: William H. Pickering and the Observers of Mars, 1915-1930’
- Ana Ribeiro-Orsi: Best STEM short-form lecture: ‘Anterior visceral endoderm formation and function in mouse, cow and human’
- Favour Uzoma (Mastercard Foundation Scholar): Best HASS short-form lecture: ‘Holistic Teacher Support as a Foundation for a Sustainable Education System in Nigeria’
- Celia Chen: Best STEM poster presentation: ‘Stabilising Perovskite Materials in Glass’
- Lindsey Peacock: Best HASS poster presentation: ‘Age and Systematics of an Early Pliocene Hominin Mandible (KNM-LT 329) from Lothagam, West Turkana, Kenya’
Three awards were put to popular vote, and these prizes went to:
- Varun Manoj Rawat: People’s choice long-form lecture: ‘Self brewing order in nature: How simple rules generate complicated truths’
- Jasmine Kiley: People’s choice short-form lecture: ‘Preconceived Notions: Lessons from a Global Meta-Analysis of Pregnancy Studies’
- Laura Beale: People’s choice poster presentation: ‘Covalent Trapping of Sequence-Defined Macrocycles’
Alumni contributions were evident throughout the day. Without their support, the Conference on Everything would never have become an annual College fixture, and we are grateful for this continued support. Once again, special thanks to Dr Iain Bratchie (U&G76) for his significant and continuous support of our conference prizes.
The College is also hugely grateful to the three alumni who gave up their time at the weekend to take part in the conference.
Honorary Fellow and alumna, Dr Helen Czerski (U&G97) gave a keynote speech on ‘Planet Earth: A Factory of Entropy and Delight’. Her research explores the physical processes that shape our oceans and influence climate.
As a regular science presenter on the BBC, Dr Czerski gave a masterclass in simplifying scientific research for all. She also shared the sometimes harsh reality of conducting fieldwork at sea, so students could appreciate the lengths oceanographers go to furthering everyone’s knowledge.
Former Churchill College students, Dr Helen Mulligan (U&G75) and Dr Liesl Conradie (G00) later took part in a student Q&A session about their careers post Churchill.
Dr Mulligan is a distinguished figure in the field of architecture, known for her expertise in climate-responsive design, green urbanism, and client consultation techniques, while Dr Conradie is a senior academic and researcher whose work intersects youth work, digital cultures, and public service leadership.
They spoke of how their Cambridge degrees had shaped their careers. Having studied at the University, they understood the academic demands facing Cambridge Postgraduates. They shared tips – the need to adapt, pivot and think on your feet – and how Churchill’s wider academic community helped open their minds to other research disciplines. Dr Conradie referenced portfolio careers that are commonplace today, while Dr Mulligan spoke of the opportunities offered by the rich network surrounding Cambridge students.
Summing up the event, Dr Alastair Lockhart, the Senior Postgraduate Tutor, said:
“We were delighted with the mix and quality of the papers and posters presented at this year’s Conference which has become a wonderful academic showcase of Churchill’s impressive postgraduate community. I’d like to thank the two MCR Academic Officers, Tyler Myers and Samuel Agyapong, in particular for bringing it all together and making the day such a success.”
