Ustinov Newsletter

USTINOV

USTINOV COLLEGE

NEWSLETTER

THURSDAY

05/02/2026

Principal’s Welcome

Behind the Scenes at Ustinov

Glenn McGregor Professor of Climatology (Geography) and Principal of Ustinov College

A glimpse into college life, from formals and WOW Week to the daily work that keeps Ustinov running.

Having worked at Durham University for over eight years, I’ve been lucky to experience different parts of the institution and the people who make it what it is.

Joining Ustinov College in December 2024 has been a particularly meaningful chapter in that journey. My secondment role as College Administration Coordinator, from People and Pay Services within Durham University Human Resources, has been one I’ve become completely immersed in.

At the heart of Ustinov College is conversation.

Walk through our shared spaces, linger over coffee, or listen in at one of our formals, GCP seminars or events in The Paddle, and you will hear it: a rich, layered dialogue shaped by accents, experiences, disciplines, and worldviews drawn from across the globe.

Ustinov is a college defined not by a single tradition or place, but by movement, encounter, and exchange.

In a world where public discourse too often retreats into division, Ustinov offers a quieter but powerful alternative because we are a community built on respect for difference and a shared commitment to intellectual and cultural exchange.

The voices of the world do not simply pass through Ustinov College. Rather, they shape it and remind us that diversity is not a static label, but an ongoing process of listening, learning, and responding. This is something we celebrate at Ustinov, and it underpins my oft-repeated belief that Ustinov is a great place to be a postgraduate student.

Many of our students know me from always being extremely approachable; running around college, supporting sports matches, attending formals/college events, or helping to bring new events like the Christmas Fair together. They may also see me at our Global Citizenship Programme seminars and at Ustinov SPARK activities. My favourite part of my role is working with our postgraduate students. Ustinovians bring a unique story, shaped by different cultural backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. The warmth, openness and strong sense of community we create make coming to work each day a real joy, and it’s this that makes my job so special.

Jasmine Donovan College Administrations oordinator

Away from College, my time is happily taken up by my greatest joy: my young children, husband, family and our two dogs, who keep life wonderfully busy. Life is full of adventure, laughter, chaos, and many spontaneous trips. Weekends are rarely quiet; if I’m not in College, I’m usually planning and delivering children’s parties across the Northeast through my side business. It’s a busy balance, but one I absolutely love!

USTINOV

USTINOV COLLEGE

NEWSLETTER From Newcomer to President: My Ustinov Journey

When I first arrived at Ustinov College in September 2024 as a master’s student, I never imagined that just over a year later I would have the honour of serving as President of the College.

Sports and Community at Ustinov Whilst we are ultimately all at Durham University to pursue academic goals, there is a lot more to university life than academia. For many, a key aspect of the wider student experience is the opportunity to get involved in sport. Whether through university clubs, college teams, or day-to-day physical activity, there is space for students of all abilities and backgrounds to get involved in sport at Durham. Team Ustinov members range from sponsored athletes to complete beginners who compete side by side across a range of over 10 different sports.

As someone involved in far too many of these sports, I hope to share my experience of Team Ustinov from both ends of this spectrum.

Having learned to play badminton over the course of my five years in Durham (yes, I’ve been here forever!) with the help of my peers, it has been incredibly fulfilling to now be on the other side and support new Ustinov students as they develop their own skills.

Moreover, it has been especially rewarding to see their progress and to watch them grow confident enough to take part in intercollegiate matches.

I have also cherished the new responsibility of captaincy for both the squash and table tennis teams.

The success of the squash team this year is a personal point of pride, but it is truly thanks to having such a great group of members who make every training enjoyable and turn up to every match full of energy.

At the other end of the spectrum, I tried hockey for the first time this year, originally with no intention of making it a regular commitment.

Unfortunately for my already busy schedule, the incredibly welcoming community and joys that getting involved in a new sport brings made me instantly fall in love with hockey. Now even the cold, wet weather of Durham can’t keep me away from getting down to Maiden Castle to train on a Friday night.

For me, sport plays a crucial role in maintaining good mental health.

With academic deadlines and responsibilities, university life can get stressful. Sport provides a break from the mental stress of academia, allowing me to relax in a productive and healthy way and return to my work feeling more focused and energised.

Adam Barber Second-year PhD Candidate in Maths

Since August 2025, I’ve had the pleasure of serving as Chair of the Graduate Common Room (GCR). Working alongside Dom Thomas as Vice President and an exceptional committee, we have set out to modernise what the GCR does, how it does it, and put community and postgraduate engagement at the centre of everything we do.

I’m proud to say that in the 25/26 academic year so far, we’ve broken engagement records, streamlined our executive structures and ways of working, and improved our collaboration with the College Team. We have also refreshed Team Ustinov, introducing a new kit, a first social, and a sustainable long-term structure for sport within the College.

My vision as President for students is simple: ‘Inclusive by Design’. Every postgraduate, regardless of background, course, time in Durham, or life outside the university, should feel welcomed, supported, and able to participate fully in college life.

Jonathon Dawes Ustinov GCR President

USTINOV

USTINOV COLLEGE

NEWSLETTER

Sport: the ignition, the humbler, the reminder, the backbone, the privilege.

Sport has always been the backbone of my being. It is one of my many senses of selves, a creative outlet, a remedy, a safe space, a place where I can solve the majority of my problems and where I can make things ‘right’.

At the age of 14, I was diagnosed with Langerhans’ cell Histiocytosis. A rare condition diagnosed in about 1 in 200,00 children with approximately 50 new cases annually. Due to the location and extent of its aggression, I needed a year's course of chemotherapy and steroids, as well as reconstructive surgery.

As chemo progressed through the year, and my ability to swim diminished, I resorted to spending most of my time in the gym developing sessions with my coaches, that worked around my treatment plan and declining abilities.

Chemo was intense, but moving my body helped ease my mind and also helped with maintenance and recovery. It gave me a sense of identity that I was so desperately trying to cling on to. As much as I loved looking like Sinead O’Connor with no hair... I struggled to keep up with the constant change in my appearance. The only place I was able to be around people and experience a sense of community was through sport.

During remission, after finishing chemo, I had intended to fully leap back into swimming. It was what I knew, it was where my community was, along with my identity. But this was easier said than done. During the time I was in treatment, the club had seen some major changes, which meant that when I got back into the pool things were never the same. The more I tried to get back into swimming, the more I found myself yearning for more; more time in the gym, more time doing other sports - I felt as though I was chasing an identity and a lifestyle that no longer felt like “me”. My gut was telling me it was time to move on and follow this stream of curiosity. By the time I was 17, I had left swimming and joined the Team Bath weightlifting team, and it was a thrill. Alongside this sport, I was also able to pick up climbing and mountaineering.

Slowly but surely my strength and sense of self came back. From being able to just about lift an iPad during chemo, sitting in hospital receiving treatment and watching Red Bull TV dreaming and telling myself “one day, I’ll get there,” to hitting a clean and jerk PR of 90kg, back squatting 120kg, trad/ ice climbing 40m+ routes, and hiking up mountains without reaching extreme levels of exhaustion was so incredibly freeing. Moving my body was and continues to be dream-like, a cloud nine experience over and over again, a continuum that fuels my fire.

On the days where my mind plays tricks on me, or when I catch myself talking negatively to my body, I always - without fail - remind myself of everything I have been through, everything I am now capable of, and the journey I have been on to get to where I am today.

Emily Brindle-Shattock MA Environmental Humanities

International Women’s Day Knit-A-Thon With the Knitting & Crochet Society Last March 8th, on International Women’s Day 2025, the Ustinov Knitting and Crochet Society ran a charity Knit-A-Thon to support Newcastle Women’s Aid, an organisation which supports women and girls affected by domestic abuse throughout Newcastle and the North East of England. The volunteers and Ustinov College community were able to fundraise £529.75 for the charity, whose workers are making a lifesaving difference to the women and girls who walk through their doors.

The wonderful volunteers knitted and crocheted for twelve hours straight, making squares that represented the colours of Ustinov College and Newcastle Women’s Aid. The squares were sewn into a snug woollen blanket. The talented Maddy KeightleyPhillipps embroidered a patch for the blanket to identify that it was made by Ustinov College. The yarn was sourced from A Wing and a Bear, a local yarn store located in Durham city centre.

The Knit-A-Thon reflected the global nature of International Women’s Day and Ustinov College, through a concerted effort to explore global and intersectional feminism. This was achieved through watching a variety of films, tv programmes, and documentaries which celebrated women and brought light to the continuing importance of feminism.

Lucy Smith and Kate Paterson Co-Captains of the Ustinov Knitting & Crochet Society