diverse as entropy production in the human brain and obscure (but fun) problems on the structure of hypergraphs. Modern Languages Simon Kemp has continued as Admissions Director for the Modern Languages Faculty, managing the transition to a new format and provider for the university’s admissions tests. As Opportunity Oxford coordinator for the Humanities Division he has been busy adapting and updating the bridging Music Philosophy course for the 2024 undergraduate Samantha Sebastian published James Ravi Kirkpatrick has had a cohort, including a new module on a chapter titled ‘War and conflict busy year of research, publishing five the uses and dangers of generative AI in resettlement contexts: Music in papers in leading philosophy journals, in academia. On the research side, he children’s everyday lives’, written with a focus on the meaning of generic published an article earlier this year on with Kathryn Marsh, in the Oxford generalisations. He also has a slew of France’s newest Nobel laureate, Annie Handbook of Early Childhood Learning further work in the pipeline, including Ernaux: ‘Perspective and Sexual and Development in Music. Samantha work on dual character concepts, Politics in Mémoire de fille’ in French discussed this area of work at the quantification in natural language, Cultural Studies. Endangered Voices event in College, and issues in the ethics of AI. Most For Almut Suerbaum, after three years as part of a series of talks following excitingly, he is currently investigating as Faculty Board Chair for Modern the Yazidi Women’s Peace Choir the reasoning capacities of large Languages, it was a pleasure to return performance. She also published language models like ChatGPT and to teaching, especially teaching in ‘Building bridges: Translating refugee hopes to publish his findings shortly. person and seeing a new generation narratives for public audiences with Sadly, this is also James’s last year at of first year students settle into their arts-based media’, written with Somerville. He is excited to announce course and life at Somerville. At the Rosebud Campion, in the Journal of that he will be taking up a Departmental same time, the experience was useful Intercultural Studies. This was a write- Lectureship in Philosophy of Language for chairing the faculty’s Athena up of a project with an Oxford-based at the Faculty of Philosophy and Swan equality charter application school, led by Cayenna Ponchione- Magdalen College. He is excited to begin and convening a working party about Bailey. Samantha also published ‘Voicing this new chapter, which would not have conditions of Early Career Researchers. voicing: Attuning to the material in been possible without the support and Hybrid modes allowed Almut to attend studio recording the Lullaby Choir’ encouragement of his colleagues at various meetings of the Göttingen in Music Education Research. As the Somerville, as well as the keen intellect Academic of Sciences who had elected Academic Lead of Access & Outreach of his students, both past and present. her to a fellowship by correspondence. at the Music Faculty, Samantha has Thank you, Somerville, for providing But for creative interchange, meeting worked together with the new Access such a stimulating and academically in person remains key, and Somerville is & Outreach Administrative Officer in engaging environment over the last a stimulating base for interdisciplinary generating a music teachers’ mailing five years! research such as a workshop on list, and trialling a few new Faculty- medieval music manuscripts or the specific events, including the Music Politics colloquium of the Somerville Medieval Experience Day and school visits by Research Group on ‘Post-Human performing undergraduates. Her ‘Music This year, Patricia Owens finished her approaches to Pre-Modern Culture’ in the Community’ course continues book Erased: A History of International which Almut convened in June. In July, to work with Turtle Key Arts and Sing Thought Without Men, which will be a Mercator visiting professorship at Inside, and they have developed a new published by Princeton University Press the LMU Munich allowed her to re- partnership with Music at Oxford. in January 2025. She was excited to connect with medievalist colleagues Samantha is also on the inaugural first present the book at the Oxford and post-docs working on religious Steering Committee for the University’s Meeting Minds Festival and then later song. Almut also presented at the Lyric new Performance Research Hub. She talks in Cambridge, Copenhagen, LSE, Communities conference at Christ delivered the conference paper ‘Setting and the Institute for Historical Research. Church, the Women Read Differently works for diversity: Courtney Pine Patricia was honoured to join the conference in Freiburg, the International in the curriculum and the classroom’ Executive Board of the Oxford Initiative Graduate Colloquium in Geneva, and on at the 36th World Conference of Global Women’s Narrative Project, ‘Greenness’ in Hildegard of Bingen and the International Society for Music which held its summer training in Konrad of Megenberg in Munich. Education, Helsinki, Finland. Somerville College. 16