Principal and Major Gifts
Message from the Director of Development
“Gifts of any size matter a great deal to Jesus College. Even the smallest donations from our alumni, when added together, make a deep impact on what we as a College can achieve, and we could not be more grateful to our donors for their incredible generosity and support at every level.
In addition to the wonderful regular donations that come to College each year, we are also thankful for and wish to recognise the special contribution Principal and Major Gifts can make. Gifts of this kind can help initiate major capital projects, such as the Stevens Close development in North Oxford, the Ship Street Centre, or, more recently, the Cheng Yu Tung Building on the edge of our historic site. Principal and Major Gifts have also helped endow and support graduate studentships, research, and academic posts for College in all subjects.
It is a privilege to help donors find meaningful projects to support, which will help Jesus College for posterity. We are immensely grateful to each and every Jesus College donor.”
– Dr Brittany Wellner James
Director of Development and Fellow
Graduate Support Highlight
The Jan and Belinda Pethick DPhil in Computer Science
Thanks to the generous support of the Jan and Belinda Pethick Foundation and an anonymous donor, College is pleased to offer a fully funded DPhil Studentship in Computer Science for Michaelmas 2026.
This competitive graduate studentship will fund one DPhil candidate in the Department of Computer Science at Oxford for the duration of their research in areas like algorithms, AI, quantum computing, cybersecurity, and software engineering. Research undertaken in these cutting-edge fields can lead to exciting careers at the forefront of technological innovation in sectors like healthcare, AI and machine learning, and finance, with many graduates going on to build their own start-ups.
Computer Science was added to the Jesus College subject family at both the undergraduate and graduate level with the arrival of Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt FRS FREng FBCS as Principal in 2015.❖
Graduate Support Highlight
The Stephen Walker MSt Studentship in History
Thanks to alumnus Stephen Walker (1968, Modern History), we have been able to create a new MSt Studentship opportunity for a Jesus graduate in History. The degree offers broad exposure to historical theory and method with opportunities to specialise in fields such as Medieval History, Early Modern History, British and European History, Intellectual History, and US History. The MSt degree at Oxford is differentiated by a substantial research component, which culminates with the submission of a dissertation at the end of the student’s final term. The MSt is often a springboard for doctoral study. Postgraduate funding in humanities is College priority. ❖
“The support of donors like you has made it possible for me to do this programme and live at Jesus, which I have enjoyed and benefited from hugely. I have been accepted to do a DPhil at Oxford next year and this next step would not have been feasible without having the funding to do the Master’s course. As my academic career progresses, I hope to present and publish work in my field of study, as well as to get experience teaching undergraduates and supporting them with their own academic work.“
Cora Wilson
2024, MSt Intellectual History
Recipient of The Stephen Walker MSt Studentship in History
Academic Priorities Highlight
Transformative philanthropy from the Richey Family Foundation
Our thanks to alumnus Christopher Richey (1984, MPhil Management Studies), his wife, Dr Sara Hope Browne, and the Richey Family Foundation for their transformative gifts which have endowed a graduate studentship in perpetuity and created several new academic posts at Jesus College. These exciting posts include Research Associates in Medical Sciences and a new Career Development Fellowship in Study Skills. The Foundation has also supported a two-year Digital Access Officer position for the Access and Outreach team.
“I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my grandfather, Earle Jacob Richey, and his business partner and brother-in-law, Nelson J. Carr. These gifts are a way of expressing that gratitude. Nelson J. Carr, of Osage, Cherokee, and European descent, provided the capital to start Richey and Carr’s Rexall, a local pharmacy and general store in Erie, Kansas, in the 1920s, while my grandfather provided the knowledge and labor. That Richey and Carr store provided the income that put my own father and three of his brothers through college during the 1930s and 1940s, which were hard times to raise, educate, and provide for children. I wanted to honor those two men because of the emphasis they placed on family; having held families together through the Great Depression, as well as the Osage murders, though each came from less than ideal family upbringings.”
Sara’s main focus is on Global Health. The named Research Associates at Jesus are a meaningful way to connect her medical legacy and Oxford training to College.
It is important to also acknowledge Sir Nigel’s monumental contribution to both the physical and intellectual expansion of the College. His tenure as Principal has firmly placed Jesus College at the center of the future of the University.”
Christopher Richey
1984, MPhil Management Studies
We are delighted that these new posts are set to begin in Michaelmas 2024.
A four-year Career Development Fellowship (CDF) in Academic Skills Support, given in the name of Nelson J Carr.
Ten Research Associates in Medical Sciences, given in the name of Dr Sara Hope Browne.
A match-funded four-year DPhil Studentship in Computer Science, given in the name of Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt FRS FREng FBCS, Jesus College Principal.
A spend-down two-year Digital Access Officer position to support College’s access team, given in the name of Earle J Richey.
As an additional thank you to the Richey Family Foundation for their support, Mr Richey was given the opportunity to name the Tower Room in the Cheng Yu Tung Building. The Richey Family chose to name this room after former Jesus alumnus Capt. Angus Buchanan VC, who returned to College to complete his studies after serving in the First World War. ❖
Research Support Highlight
Junior Research Fellowship in Climate Change
Professor Thomas Phillips and his wife Dr Jocelyn Keene provided vital spend-down funding of £125,000 to support a College JRF in Climate Change. Professor Phillips was College’s first Research Fellow in Physics in 1963 and wanted to give a young researcher a similar opportunity to that which he received at Jesus.
The Professor Thomas Phillips and Dr Jocelyn Keene JRF in Climate Change was the first of its kind held at Jesus and was designed to work collaboratively within the Oxford Department of Physics to advance the study of climates and climate evolution of Earth and other planets. The post-holder, Dr Kristian Strommen, worked specifically on long-term climate projections and on seasonal predictability of the Euro-Atlantic winter.
Student Support Highlight
The Bradley Wilson Scholarship in Geography and the Environment
With thanks to Jesus College Geography alumni Bradley Wilson (1967) and Rodney Wright (1962), together with matched funding from the School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE), College has secured a fully-funded Doctorial Studentship for UK residents from Black and other minority ethnic backgrounds.
The scholarship is part of a wider College aim to attract and admit students with outstanding academic potential from underrepresented backgrounds. Professor Gillian Rose, Head of School, commented “Commitment to equality and diversity are at the heart of the academic missions of SoGE and Jesus College, and the Bradley Wilson Scholarship in Geography and the Environment will reduce barriers to access for a student group currently underrepresented in our Doctoral programme.”
The Studentship covers three years of University tuition fees, along with a maintenance allowance and a generous research allowance. ❖
“Having the chance to study a fully funded DPhil at Oxford has been a life-changing experience for me, and something I never though would have been possible!”
Zac Gunaratnam-Bailey
2023, DPhil Geography and the Environment
Recipient of The Bradley Wilson Scholarship in Geography and the Environment
Access and Outreach Highlight
Champions of Change: The Welsh Access Fund
Thanks to the generosity of alumnus Oliver Thomas (2000, Economics and Management) and Family, the Welsh Access Fund was established in 2019 to endow the Seren Network Summer School at Jesus College. This programme, in partnership with the Welsh Government, enables over 70 talented Welsh students to attend an academically competitive summer school at Jesus each August.
Since its establishment, the programme has had a direct and positive influence on the number of applications to Oxford from Wales and has played a role in the successful admission of Welsh students to the University.
When asked about their experiences at the Seren Network Summer School, the responses from our summer residential participants were overwhelmingly positive, including the following:
"The lectures we received were my favourite part of the summer school. I learnt so much in such a short space of time. From knowledgeable facts to new ways of critical thinking, I felt I learned more from the lectures alone than from most academic lessons I’ve previously had in education. In addition to this, the social aspects summer school were also fantastic and I have gained so much from meeting people from so many different walks of life."
Of the 76 attendees in 2022, 52 made Oxford applications, and 17 received offers. That is a 32.7% offer rate, compared to a university-wide 16% offer rate. Of the 17 offers, eight were to Jesus College. All eight students met their conditional offers.
In recognition of this transformative gift, the Thomas Family dedicated College’s Fourth Quad in the name of The Welsh Access Fund. ❖
“I feel fortunate to have received encouragement to apply to Jesus College, and the opportunity to study in a place with such a rare culture of excellence and friendliness. My wife and I are glad that for years to come more Welsh students will be encouraged to apply to Oxford and to discover the same special experience.”
Oliver Thomas
2000, Economics and Management
Major Capital Projects Highlight
The Cheng Yu Tung Building, Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub, and Rosaline Wong Gallery
Located on the corner of Cornmarket and Market Street in the heart of Oxford, the Cheng Yu Tung Building was designed by MICA Architects and constructed by BAM Construction UK. It opened in 2022.
The construction of Jesus’s newest building was made possible in large part thanks to a transformative £15 million donation to College’s 450th Anniversary campaign by Hong Kong entrepreneur and philanthropist, Dr Henry Cheng Kar Shun. The development is named in honour of Dr Cheng’s father, Dr Cheng Yu Tung.
The Building is also home to the new Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub, an interdisciplinary education and research space, that is named after the donor. Built with the purpose of supporting state-of-the-art digital streaming technologies, the Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub offers Jesus students an exceptional learning experience and enables College’s academics to engage with fellow colleagues, researchers, and institutions from across the globe.
The Rosaline Wong Gallery, located in the new Buchanan Tower Room, was opened the same year and completed the space.
“Ms Wong has a global reputation as a serious collector of art. She not only collects grand masters, she has also developed a keen eye and appreciation for contemporary art and emerging artists. We are indebted to her for these incredible gifts of new art to the College and delighted that Rosaline has given her own name to this exciting new exhibition space.”
– Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt FRS FREng FBCS
Principal of Jesus College
For the dedication, Ms Wong also gifted the College with a piece from her personal art collection, a lenticular lightbox portrait of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, titled ‘Equanimity’, by Chris Levine. ❖
Corporate Sponsorship Spotlight
SOUTHWORKS Digital Media Lab
In 2024, SOUTHWORKS became founding corporate partners of a new Digital Media Lab located in College’s Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub. The SOUTHWORKS Digital Media Lab will be a fully equipped space for the student community to develop a range of digital media content, including podcasts and videos. The concept also includes offering a digital skills training programmes for all College members.
“Contributing to the tech community is at the core of SOUTHWORKS’ values, and we are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Jesus College Oxford and support the continued development of the Digital Hub…We are excited to see the impact of the Digital Media Lab and the skills training programme, and we are proud to be part of such an innovative and impactful initiative.”
– Alejandro Jack, alumnus and SOUTHWORKS Founder
“I’m thrilled about our continued partnership with Jesus College, Oxford. At SOUTHWORKS, we believe in empowering people and organisations to accomplish great things through technology, and this partnership allows us to do just that…This partnership exemplifies our commitment to innovation and excellence, and we’re excited to be a part of it.”
– Johnny Halife, SOUTHWORKS Chief Technology Officer
