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Murray Edwards College
University of Cambridge

College leadership

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    College Governance

    Murray Edwards College was incorporated in 1972 by a Charter given by the Queen in Council. The purpose of the College is to provide excellence in the education of outstanding young women from all backgrounds. It also seeks to provide the opportunities through which young women can further develop their skills, experience and confidence in order to realise their chosen paths forward.  At both undergraduate and graduate level, we encourage and enable our students to develop as creative thinkers, as informed leaders and as insightful decision-makers, equipped to take on the challenges they will meet in life.

    Attached to the Charter are the Statutes, which provide for the constitution and government of the College. The ultimate governing authority in the College is the Governing Body which comprises official, supernumerary, professorial and research fellows.  

    The Council with oversight of the day to day running of the College consists of four ex officio officers, nine Fellows elected from the Governing Body and the Presidents of the JCR and MCR. It makes decisions which govern the College’s activities.  

    College Officers

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    President – Ms Dorothy Byrne

    The President is elected by the Governing Body to preside over the College. She is responsible for the overall direction and management of the affairs of the College and presides at all meetings of the Governing Body and of the Council. The President has the power to make provision for the good government and discipline of the College within the limits of the Statutes and Ordinances.

    Ms Dorothy Byrne became the 6th President of Murray Edwards College in September 2021.

    Prior to joining the College, Dorothy was Editor at Large at Channel 4, a role that was specially created for her after she stepped down as Head of News and Current Affairs after 15 years.

    During her time at Channel 4, Dorothy was responsible for news and current affairs programmes that have had a national and global impact, winning her numerous international awards.

    In 2019, Dorothy delivered the prestigious MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival and was honoured with the Grierson Trustees’ Award at the 2019 Documentary Awards.

    In 2009, she was made a Fellow of The Royal Television Society for her ‘outstanding contribution to television’ and received the Outstanding Contribution Award at the RTS Journalism Awards in 2018.

    Born in Paisley, Scotland, Dorothy studied for her undergraduate degree in Philosophy at Manchester University followed by a Diploma in Business Studies at Sheffield University. 

    Fellows page profile


    Vice President – Professor Steve Morris

    The Vice President is elected by the Governing Body from among their own members. They support the President to build the College, and most particularly represent the Fellowship, taking any issues and concerns to the relevant people. They act as President when the President is temporarily unavailable. In addition, the Vice President leads the election process for a President or, should the need arise, for an Acting President.

    Steve Morris is the RAND Professor of Health Services Research at the University of Cambridge. He leads the Cambridge Research Methods Hub (CRMH), is co-Director of the Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research (CCHSR), and is Deputy Director of the Primary Care Unit (PCU). He completed his PhD in economics in 2002 and is an experienced health economist. He worked previously at University College London (where he was Professor of Health Economics), Brunel University London (Reader), Imperial College London (Senior lecturer) and City University London (Lecturer). He was elected to his current position at the University of Cambridge with effect from 1 June 2019.  

    Steve was elected Vice-President in 2023.

    Fellows page profile

    Rob Hopwood
    Bursar – Mr Rob Hopwood

    The Bursar is responsible for the College’s finances and investments, estates strategy and general operations, human resource management, commercial conference business, regulatory compliance and for supporting the mission of the College as a place of learning, education and research.

    Mr Rob Hopwood joined Murray Edwards College as Bursar in 2018.

    He was educated at the University of Southampton and Geneva University in Switzerland. After graduating as a modern linguist, Rob specialised in Finance and Corporate Services roles, spending 14 years in Cambridge at Jesus College and then Trinity College, before serving for over 8 years as The British Academy’s Director of Finance and Corporate Services.

    Fellows page profile

     

    Senior Tutor – Dr Andew Rudd

    The Senior Tutor is responsible for the environment of the College as a place of excellence for undergraduate and graduate learning, for overseeing the management and delivery of all College teaching and for the support and guidance of Directors of Studies and Tutors. As an academic leader, the Senior Tutor is a strong and credible advocate for the College within relevant intercollegiate and University forums.

    Dr Andrew Rudd became Senior Tutor and a Fellow of Murray Edwards College in April 2023.

    Andrew grew up in Essex and studied at the University of Durham as an undergraduate before completing an MPhIl and PhD in English at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was Parliamentary Manager at the Charity Commission for England and Wales, then  was successively Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter, where he served as Director of Education in English and had responsibility welfare and wellbeing.