Every postgraduate at Christ’s is automatically a member of the Middle Combination Room (the MCR).
The MCR is a term for the postgraduate community as well as for the committee, a group of students dedicated to improving the postgraduate experience.
Here each committee member outlines their role and their key aims for the next year.
President, Amanda Gardiner (She/Her), PhD in Genetics
I represent you and every other MCR member at the College level, interface with the College to manage student services, communicate concerns that you might have, start new initiatives with the rest of the Committee to improve postgraduate life, and also support the rest of my amazing Committee to help put on great events for you to enjoy!
As President, I am also a member of College Council which manages the property, income, expenditure, and educational business of the College.
Vice President, Bar Manager. Jackie Rao (She/Her), PhD in Biostatistics
As Vice President I am responsible for helping Amanda and all the other committee members out with their roles and making sure the MCR runs smoothly.
vicepresident@christsmcr.co.uk
I manage the MCR Bar - aka Maggie's, named after Lady Margaret Beaufort! The bar team are a great group of people to hang around with, and I have made truly great friendships mixing drinks behind the bar. if you've ever wanted to learn how to make a cocktail, or are just looking for a fun, rewarding break from your actual work, please come join us!
Treasurer, Cerys Walsh (She/Her), PhD in Chemistry
As treasurer, my responsibilities involve budgeting for social events and activities, financial management and spending oversight, and record keeping. If you would like to chat about how the MCR can support your postgraduate society or initiative at Christ’s, please get in touch! I'm here to help make our graduate community the best it can be.
Welfare Officer, Charlotte Wood (She/Her), PhD in Archaeology
I organise a variety of events from arts and crafts evenings, nature walks, day trips, museum visits and more. I also host the MCR’s weekly welfare coffee. If you have any welfare related queries or issues, I would be happy to help, either via email or come find me in person at one of our events. I additionally provide the MCR’s welfare resources and can sign post you to appropriate services and support.
All enquires will be handled anonymously and non-judgmentally. If you have any ideas or requests for particular events, concerns, questions or aren’t sure where to turn, please do get in touch!
Academic Officer/Ethnic Diversity Officer, Neo-A.H.O Allert (He/Him), MPhil in African Studies
I will be organising many different events that aim at bringing together the our very rich and diverse research community. I hope to create many opportunities for you to engage with the fascinating research being done by your fellow MCR members as well as our brilliant Fellows. I will also be serving as Interim Ethnic Diversity officer functioning as point of contact and advocate for our community at Christ's. Feel free to reach out at any time!
International Officer, Yunxiao (Betty) Wang (She/Her), PhD in Clinical Neurosciences
It is much appreciated that we have postgraduates from all over the world, and I aim to foster an inclusive, open-minded college environment for international students. I will pass on epic events such as international mixer bar nights and karaoke, as well as initiate new events to celebrate festivals around the world. From pumpkin carving on Halloween to sharing a dish in the international potluck, I am excited to encourage everyone to embrace, share, and appreciate different cultures.
international@christsmcr.co.uk
Entertainment (Ents) Officer, Nicolas Dupont Bernal (He/Him), MPhil in Latin American Studies
As your Ents officer I’m responsible for planning BOPs (Big Organized Parties), Superhalls (Special formal hall dinners for holidays), Afternoon Tea in the Buttery, and all other sorts of events for the MCR.
Green Officer, Aramish Fatima (She/Her), PhD in Zoology
This year, I’m excited to dive into various green initiatives to help make our college community more eco-friendly and connected to nature.
I’m actively involved in running regular gardening volunteer sessions alongside our dedicated college gardeners. These sessions are a wonderful way to get involved, learn about sustainable gardening practices, and contribute to our vibrant garden spaces. I’m also proud to have helped establish our charming Tea Garden, where sustainability meets relaxation in a serene environment.
Looking ahead, we have some exciting events lined up, including a plant sale and swap. This will be a great opportunity to refresh your plant collection and adopt new green friends while supporting sustainable practices. Additionally, we’ll be exploring sustainable fashion practices next term, encouraging eco-friendly choices in our wardrobes and promoting a more sustainable lifestyle.
LGBTQ+ Officer, Alex Baker (He/Him), PhD in Biological Physics
Hi! I'm Alex and I'm the LGBTQ+ Officer for Christ's College MCR. I'm studying for a PhD in Biological Physics, based out in West Cambridge for my lab work. I’m responsible for the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community in the MCR, and advocating for you at a college level. This includes planning events like LGB-Tea, group trips to Cambridge Pride, and Pride themed cocktails nights! If you ever want to get in touch to discuss anything, or just want to have a chat, I'd love to hear from you! Either come along to one of the events I run or get in touch via my email.
Disability Officer, Laura Chilver (She/Her), PhD in Zoology
My job is to represent the postgraduate student body, especially for disabled students (including neurodivergent students, d/Deaf students and/or people with chronic health conditions and/or mental health conditions). In this role, I have regular meetings with college, discussing the experiences of disabled students as well as raising any feedback, concerns or issues that may arise.
If there is anything that you would like to discuss in relation to accommodation, accessibility, equipment or anything else, please get in touch! We would also like to share information in the MCR news bulletin so if you have anything disability-related, please do let me know. Take care, and know I'm here for you!
Halls & Swaps Officers, Aelfred Hillman (He/Him), PhD in English and X. Chai (She/Her), PhD in German Literature
As Halls and Swaps Officers, we organise and coordinate Grad Halls every Tuesday (MCR only formal halls), as well as formal hall swaps with other colleges. If you’re looking to get more involved with the MCR community, meet students from other colleges, or simply fancy dining in a different Cambridge hall, we’d love to have you join us for Grad Halls and the many fun swaps to come!
halls@christsmcr.co.uk, swaps@christsmcr.co.uk
Women’s & Non-Binary Officer, Alice Hilder-Jarvis (She/Her), PhD in Philosophy
I am a point of contact for all Christ’s postgraduate students who are women or who identify as non-binary or as a gender minority. If there’s anything you’d like to chat about, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Secretary, Millie Zhou (She/Her), PhD in Biomedical Data Science
I maintain a weekly bulletin and facilitate communication between MCR committee, postgraduate students, and college. I also help the MCR committee run more smoothly behind the scenes by taking minutes in meetings and other small administrative tasks. Please reach out if you have any questions!