Worcester College, Oxford

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as HR Manager at Worcester College, Oxford!

Our Control Group at the University of Oxford is hiring a new Associate Professor! This is a permanent/tenured academic position; anyone with research interests in theory/applications of control (including Biotech!) is encouraged to apply by 13 January 2025. https://lnkd.in/e9UburzQ

🗺️ What if the very location of a protected area could determine the survival of an entire ecosystem? 🐆 New research from Borneo suggests that selecting protected areas — especially in forests at high risk of development — could significantly impact biodiversity. The Sunda clouded leopard, a crucial predator in these forests, exemplifies what’s at stake, reports Carolyn Cowan for Mongabay. 📊 According to the study, Borneo’s existing protected area network mainly covers remote, rugged terrain that naturally limits human encroachment. However, these zones may not be ideally placed to protect biodiversity. “Clouded leopards are emblematic of forests and forest conservation,” said co-author Ewan Macdonald from the University of Oxford. Protecting them could also support the survival of other dense forest species, including 🐘 elephants and 🦧 orangutans. 🔍 The study used the clouded leopard as a measure across seven models for protected area planning, finding that focusing on areas with high biodiversity and development risk improved habitat connectivity by over 50%. Yet, experts caution that economic and political hurdles often complicate proactive measures. 🌎 “This is especially important given that not just in Borneo, but in most places around the world, the existing protected area network is dominated by remote and lower-risk locations,” said Rebecca Runting from the University of Melbourne. 📬 I featured this article in the Mongabay newsletter, which highlights the week’s top articles from nature’s frontline. Subscribe today to get more conservation news straight to your inbox: https://lnkd.in/eXiNpyks 🌳 Read the full story at Mongabay News: https://lnkd.in/gQMnPJuR 📷: 1️⃣ & 2️⃣ A Sunda clouded leopard captured by a camera trap in Borneo. Image courtesy of Andrew Hearn and WildCRU/University of Oxford. 3️⃣ An informal logging road cuts through a forest corridor in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Image by Rhett Ayers Butler/Mongabay. 4️⃣ The study’s insights likely apply to other forest-dependent species, such as Borneo’s orangutans. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay. 5️⃣ The Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) has a darker coat than the mainland clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). Image by Spencer Wright via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). 6️⃣ A road through tropical forest and oil palm plantation in Malaysian Borneo’s Sabah state, where the Pan Borneo Highway threatens to increase habitat fragmentation. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay. Saïd Business School, University of Oxford Environmental Change Institute (ECI), University of Oxford Worcester College, Oxford

Academic excellence and a warm community: the success of Worcester College today stands on these foundations. We are proud to regularly receive more applications than any other college, to dedicate thousands of pounds annually to ensuring every student flourishes, and to foster an extraordinary multidisciplinary community of world-class academics #WorcesterIsWonderful Why does Worcester need support? Unlike many other colleges, Worcester wasn't founded with a big endowment - but we do have big aspirations! In a time when funding is being cut (each undergraduate costs the College £5,000 annually, despite high tuition fees) and global competition for bright minds is intense, we are committed to maintaining our high standards and high levels of support for those studying here. This is only possible with the help of Old Members and friends like you, giving to the Worcester Fund. What difference will I make? By giving to the Worcester Fund, you allow College the flexibility to direct your donation where the need is greatest. It might be helping a student who falls into financial hardship, supporting a researcher early in their career, or assisting with retrofitting a building to become more eco-friendly. Donations to the Worcester Fund ensure Worcester thrives today and long into the future. Can you support us? Head to our Giving Day site to make a gift https://lnkd.in/ekrgJXJs