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Professor Chris Young, Master of St Edmund's College

Professor Chris Young

College Master

Professor Chris Young

College Master

Professor Chris Young became Master of St Edmund's on 1 October 2024.

Professor Chris Young is Professor of Modern and Medieval German Studies at the University of Cambridge and was Head of the School of Arts and Humanities prior to his appointment as Master of St Edmund's College. He is also Director of the Cambridge DAAD Research Hub for German Studies, and founder and Director of the Cambridge-LMU Strategic Partnership, Cambridge’s first institution-wide partnership with any university. He is both a medievalist and a prize-winning historian of modern sport.

His primary teaching and research interests focus on medieval German literature and language, as well as the history of European sport, with a particular emphasis on German sport. He has been a Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (Cologne), a Permanent Visiting Fellow of the Friedrich Schlegel Graduiertenschule für literaturwissenschaftliche Studien der FU Berlin (2010-12), a Visiting Fellow of the Institut für Zeitgeschichte Munich (2018) and an Honorary Fellow of the Historisches Kolleg Munich (2018). His monograph ‘The 1972 Munich Olympics and the Making of Modern Germany’ (UC Press, 2010, with Kay Schiller) was the first book to win the prizes of both the British and North American Societies for sports history. In 2021, his ‘The Whole World was Watching. Sport in the Cold War’ (Stanford University Press, 2020) also won the latter’s anthology prize. He curated a major exhibition this summer at the Fitzwilliam Museum on the 1924 Paris Olympics (best known through the film ‘Chariots of Fire’) and serves on the German government’s Historical Commission on the terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

Dr Alex Pryce

Senior Tutor

Dr Alex Pryce

Senior Tutor

Alex joined St Edmund’s College as Senior Tutor in September 2025. Before joining the College, Alex was the inaugural Course Director for the University of Cambridge Foundation Year which was launched in 2022 and provided a unique pathway to Cambridge for students who had experienced significant educational disadvantage.

Alex completed a DPhil in English at the University of Oxford specialising in contemporary Northern Irish poetry and feminism. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She was previously a Fellow of Homerton College and a Bye-Fellow of Fitzwilliam College.

Alex’s past professional experience includes setting up Cambridge’s first Foundation Year, work in widening participation and student recruitment at the University of Oxford and research communications at Cranfield University and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Mr Graham Watson

Bursar, Fellow

Mr Graham Watson

Bursar, Fellow

Graham joined St Edmund’s College as Bursar in November 2020. 

Before joining the College, Graham was CEO of the Seckford Foundation a charity based in Suffolk whose aim is the care and education of the young and old. The Foundation then included Woodbridge School, five academies, Seckford Care for older people and the Springboard programme for marginalised and disadvantaged young people.

Previously, Graham was Deputy Chief Executive of the National Endowment for Science, Technology, and the Arts (NESTA), a non-departmental public body set up by the Lottery Act 1998. NESTA funded programmes for creativity, invention and innovation, and education.

Prior to working for NESTA and after 10 years in commerce, he was Director of Finance and Support Services for The Prince’s Trusts and Royal Jubilee Trusts.

Graham is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and has extensive knowledge of charity law, tax regulation and governance issues.  Graham has been a board member of a number of other charities including Community Action Suffolk and Suffolk Libraries.

Fr Ed Hone

Dean, Fellow

Fr Ed Hone

Dean, Fellow
Fr Ed Hone is Dean of St Edmund’s. He was educated at the universities of Durham and Kent. Ordained in London 1988, he worked in Redemptorist Publications, writing, editing and managing the governing and editorial teams; he has published widely in the field of popular Catholic/Christian pastoral publications, and has worked part-time for publications for over 20 years.

As a member of the Redemptorist Order (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer) Fr Ed has long been engaged in preaching parish missions, retreats, been occupied with youth ministry, adult lay formation, joint ecumenical projects, and helping re-invent a parish as an active model of mission. In Edinburgh, he led a team which actively engaged in the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, promoting a Catholic Christian presence in the world’s biggest arts Festival. This deepened his engagement in an ecumenical, multi-faith and no-faith environment.

Fr Ed pursued further studies in Durham, and was appointed parish priest to the English-speaking community in Luxembourg, where he served for eight years, engaging even further in a multicultural, multi-linguistic environment.

Dr Vittorio Montemaggi

VHI Director, Fellow

Dr Vittorio Montemaggi

VHI Director, Fellow

Vittorio Montemaggi is Director of the Von Hügel Institute for Critical Catholic Inquiry of St Edmund’s College.

Vittorio is also the Academic Director of Notre Dame London, responsible for leading the academic team, shaping the academic vision, and advancing the University’s mission of education and research in the UK. Vittorio oversees Notre Dame London’s academic programs, as well as its academic partnerships and collaborations with institutions in the UK.

Vittorio previously served as a faculty member at Notre Dame from 2009 to 2017 and most recently as reader in religion, literature, and the arts at King’s College London.

Vittorio’s primary academic expertise is in the relationship between literature and theology, and in the significance of the arts for humanity’s exploration of divinity. His research focuses primarily on Dante and Primo Levi, and his comparative interests also entail exploration of works of authors as different as Saint Gregory the Great, Duccio di Buoninsegna, Saint Catherine of Siena, Shakespeare, Mozart and Roberto Benigni.

Gemma Burgess 2

Professor Gemma Burgess

Vice-Master, Fellow

Professor Gemma Burgess

Vice-Master, Fellow

As Director of the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, my research spans the domains of housing, digital inclusion, and social policy.

Professor Burgess is Director of the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research in the Department of Land Economy, Director of the Isaac Newton Trust, Vice-Master of St Edmund's College, and Deputy Senior Proctor, University of Cambridge.

Ms Kate Glennie

Fellow, Development Director

Ms Kate Glennie

Fellow, Development Director
Ms Kate Glennie MA was appointed the College’s first full-time Development Director in January 2017, and is responsible for Alumni Relations and Fundraising at St Edmund’s.

Kate studied History as an undergraduate and postgraduate at University College London before joining the Development Office at the London School of Economics in 2003 to work on their £100 million Campaign.

Prior to her appointment at St Edmund’s, Kate spent three years as Development Manager at Trinity College, overseeing their Major Gifts team.

Norfolk Building and Chapel

Baroness (Janet) Cohen of Pimlico

Honorary Fellow

Baroness (Janet) Cohen of Pimlico

Honorary Fellow

Barry Brown

Fellow-Commoner

Barry Brown

Fellow-Commoner

Barry studied Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of Cambridge as a member of St John’s College.

In 1983 he formed Bland, Brown & Cole with Julian Bland and was made a Fellow Commoner of St Edmund’s College in recognition of this work in doubling the size of the College.

Bernadette O’Flynn

Emeritus Fellow

Bernadette O’Flynn

Emeritus Fellow
Emeritus Fellow

Bernadette O'Flynn was Head of Personnel for the assistant staff in the University of Cambridge from 1992 - 1999, having joined the University in 1972 as Industrial Relations Officer. From 1999-2005 she worked for the British Council, as Personnel Director for Spain.

Catherine Arnold

Honorary Fellow

Catherine Arnold

Honorary Fellow
Honorary Fellow of St Edmund's College
Catherine Arnold was elected as the 15th Master of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge in 2019. She served a term of five years, which ended in 2024.

Catherine has had a distinguished international career in the diplomatic service and joins the College from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. As Ambassador to Mongolia until February 2018, Catherine championed stronger economic, political, cultural and educational links with the UK. She particularly enjoyed working with young adults and was regularly asked to speak to leadership and personal development programmes. Catherine was awarded an OBE for services to British foreign policy in the 2019 New Year Honours.

Her FCO career has also seen her serve in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Oman. She has led on a range of issues including human rights, counter terrorism, trade, and public affairs, most recently leading the successful UK campaign to secure the nomination to host the COP26 climate conference in 2020. Prior to joining the FCO, Catherine was a journalist and travel writer in the Middle East. Her career started with leading global management consulting firm, Oliver Wyman.

Born in South Korea, she was then schooled in Asia & the UK before coming to Cambridge as a student. She studied as an undergraduate and for an MPhil at Trinity College, where she was a Research, Senior, and Choral scholar. She also holds an MA in Religious Conflict from the University of Nottingham and has attended the Higher Command & Staff Course at the UK Defence Academy.

On her election, Catherine said: 'I am delighted to be returning to Cambridge and to joining St Edmund's College. I have already been struck by the warmth of the community and the welcoming environment that has made St Edmund's one of the most international colleges in Cambridge. This is an exciting time for St Edmund's, with the opening of the Mount Pleasant Halls in time for Michaelmas Term. I look forward to working with the whole college community to foster and promote inclusion, support and excellence at St Edmund’s, as we take the College to the next stage in its development.'

Catherine Dobson

Fellow

Catherine Dobson

Fellow
Barrister, Supervisor in Constitutional Law at Faculty of Law, Cambridge

Catherine Dobson read Law at Jesus College, Cambridge, where she was an Exhibitioner and Scholar. During her degree, Catherine spent a year studying at the University of Poitiers, France, obtaining a Diploma in French law. She subsequently read for the BCL at Lincoln College, Oxford. Catherine is a qualified barrister and practises at 39 Essex Street Chambers in London. Before becoming a barrister, Catherine worked at the International Criminal Court. She is currently taking a sabbatical from practice to clerk for Lord Clarke at the UK Supreme Court. Catherine supervises Constitutional Law.

Norfolk Building and Chapel

Dame Bridget Ogilvie DBE FRS

Honorary Fellow

Dame Bridget Ogilvie DBE FRS

Honorary Fellow

Former Director, Wellcome Trust

Dame Kate Barker

Dame Kate Barker DBE CBE

Honorary Fellow

Dame Kate Barker DBE CBE

Honorary Fellow

Kate Barker is a business economist.  She is presently as a non-executive director of Taylor Wimpey plc and Man Group plc.  Among other roles she is also chairman of trustees for the British Coal Staff Superannuation Fund.

Kate was a member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) from 2001 until May 2010.  During this period, she led two major policy reviews for Government, on housing supply and on land use planning.

Dr Aitichya Chandra

Post Doctoral Research Associate

Dr Aitichya Chandra

Post Doctoral Research Associate

Dr Aitichya Chandra is a Research Associate in Resilient Networks with the Asset Management Group at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM). His research explores the behaviour of complex networked systems under disruption, focusing on intelligent, adaptive strategies that enhance resilience and sustainability. Within the Group, he leads the design of dynamic resilience solutions for Boeing (USA) and contributes to the UK’s National Hub for Decarbonised, Adaptable, and Resilient Transport Infrastructures (DARe). Dr Chandra earned his PhD in Transportation Systems Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, in 2024. His doctoral work developed analytical frameworks to optimise terminal airspace performance, improve en-route network coordination, and support resilient gate-to-gate operations. A recipient of the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (2020–2023), he also holds an ME in Transportation Engineering and a B.Tech in Civil Engineering. His interests span network science, intelligent & dynamic decision-making, and optimisation of complex systems.

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