Van Mildert College Trust
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Van Mildert College Trust The Van Mildert College Trust was established in 2009, with the aim of supporting excellence across all areas of College life, with a particular focus on promoting the energy and talent of our students. The Trust has four key aims: Enhancing Research Promoting Learning Facilitating Career building Enabling Cultural Enrichment Following on from the Trust’s 10th Anniversary celebrations in September 2019, the Van Mildert Trust hosted a virtual Wine Tasting in February. The session, led by Abigail Bennington, Van Mildert College Trustee and who was recently awarded a Diploma from Wine & Spirit Education Trust, brought together members of the College’s alumni and wider community for an insightful and engaging evening. Guests sampled a delightful selection of Argentinian wines, and it was wonderful to catch up on guest’s experiences of the past year, via Zoom. A highlight of the College’s Epiphany term was certainly the annual Trust Lecture,
hosted virtually this year in collaboration with the Van Mildert Dimensions programme. The Trust was delighted to welcome Dame Jane Francis, Director of British Antarctic Survey, who gave a fascinating talk entitled ‘Antarctica: The Global Impact of a Changing Environment’. The Lecture can be viewed on the Van Mildert College YouTube Channel. The talk was followed by a discussion with University executive, College alumni and colleagues from the Departments of Geography and Earth Sciences, which provided further fascinating insight into the complexities of this changing landscape. Following on from the Trust’s 10th anniversary celebrations in 2019-20, the College Trust has continued to provide financial support to the College across three key areas; our Scholarships and Bursaries programme, support for key College Common Room initiatives, and the College environment, namely the College Anniversary Garden, which has continued to thrive this year.
In particular, a key success for the Van Mildert College Trust in the past academic year, was the election of a new Van Mildert College Trust PhD Scholar, Matthew McCullough, following a rigorous application process. The VMCT provides three years of support for students undertaking a postgraduate research doctorate, covering tuition, accommodation, living costs and other expenses. We are delighted to have Matthew, undertaking a PhD in Music, join our College community. Overleaf, Matthew McCullough provides an insight into his first year as the Van Mildert College Trust PhD scholar, and the College projects he has been a part of in the past year. Looking ahead, the next academic year offers further opportunities for the Trust to support excellence in all areas of College life, and we look forward to welcoming guests who have supported the College’s Trust in person again soon. Elizabeth Ryder
