A historian and pioneer
Alice Prochaska is elected Principal. A historian and former librarian of Yale University, Prochaska oversees a growth in Somerville’s endowment and its fundraising. She also works to honour the college’s longstanding connections with India.
A Unique Oxford-India Partnership
The Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development is inaugurated at Somerville. It is a unique Oxford-India partnership created to advance research and policy on the complex challenges and opportunities posed by sustainable development in India.
'Forms Assembled in Light'
ROQ East and West buildings open on the north side of the college. Made possible by donations from over 1,000 alumni and friends of the college, ROQ East and West present a striking modern face to the college, winning awards for architect Niall McLaughlin.
A living legacy
The Margaret Thatcher Scholarship Trust is established, offering scholarships to enable the most promising students to benefit from an Oxford, and specifically Somerville, education.
Cornelia Remembered
Somerville launches the Cornelia Sorabji scholarship in law to honour India's first female lawyer and the first Indian woman to study at Oxford. It is the first in a series of awards in memory of prestigious Somervillians from India, the first recipient of which is Divya Sharma (pictured).
From Westminster to Somerville
Jan Royall is elected Principal, following a distinguished career in politics. Honouring Somerville’s founding ethos of including the excluded, Royall works tirelessly to promote social equity and sustainability.
The Once and Future Somerville
Somerville celebrates its 140th anniversary and opens the Catherine Hughes building, allowing it once again to accommodate all of its undergraduates on site.
Towards a Virtual World
The global pandemic moves life and learning online, bringing Somerville’s mission for equity and sustainability into even sharper focus and enabling deeper connections with our community worldwide.
Sanctuary and Sustainability
Somerville is recognised as a University College of Sanctuary. The college divests from fossils fuels and launches an ambitious sustainability plan to coincide with a visit from HRH King Charles.