Fellows Promoted to Full Professorships

Magdalene College is delighted to announce that six Fellows have been promoted to full Professorships.

Dr Hugues Azerad (2001), Ms Silke Mentchen (2005), Dr Marcus Waithe (2010), Dr Walid Khaled (2014) and Dr Anastasia Fialkov (2022) have been promoted to Professorships in the University of Cambridge's Academic Career Pathways 2023 promotions, with effect from 1 October 2023. Dr Philippa Steele (2010) has been promoted to Principal Research Associate, the research equivalent of Professor. This well-deserved recognition reflects their outstanding contributions and dedication to their respective fields.

Dr Hugues Azerad is a Fellow and Director of Studies in Modern and Medieval Languages at Magdalene. Assigned to the University of Cambridge Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics as a University Senior Language Teaching Officer in French, he has made substantial contributions to the field of comparative literature, modernism, romanticism, aesthetics, and postcolonial theory. His expertise and passion have enriched both the College and Department academic environment and beyond.

Ms Silke Mentchen is a Fellow, Tutor and Director of Studies in Modern and Medieval Languages (MML) at Magdalene. Her promotion to a full professorship is a well-deserved acknowledgement of her outstanding dedication as a University Senior Language Teaching Officer at the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages. Her role as the Director of Studies for MML at Magdalene has played a pivotal role in shaping the education and success of many students.

Dr Marcus Waithe is a Fellow, College Lecturer in English and the College Librarian at Magdalene. Assigned to the University of Cambridge Faculty of English, he has consistently demonstrated excellence in his teaching and scholarship. His expertise and commitment to advancing knowledge in English literature have made a significant impact on our academic community.

Dr Walid Khaled is a Fellow and Director of Studies and College Lecturer in Natural Sciences. Assigned to the University of Cambridge, Department of Pharmacology his promotion to a full professorship is a testament to his remarkable work as a University Lecturer. His specialization in cancer biology and his dedicated research efforts to find innovative approaches for treating breast and lung cancer have garnered widespread recognition.

Dr Anastasia Fialkov is a Senior Research Fellow. Working in the Department of Astronomy, where she is a Royal Society University Research Fellow, she has made a major contribution to research in her field leading the large and vibrant Cosmic Dawn group at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge.

Dr Philippa Steele is a Senior Research Fellow based in the Faculty of Classics where she has led research in the UKRI project on Visual Interactions in Early Writing Systems. She runs the ERC-funded project Contexts of and Relations between Early Writing Systems (CREWS) employing a research team to develop our understanding of how and why writing systems change over time and can be passed on from one society to another.

Master of Magdalene, Sir Christopher Greenwood: "These promotions, all of which are very well deserved, are a matter of great delight to the whole College and a mark of the impact our Fellows make in their different fields. Heartfelt congratulations to all concerned."

The College is immensely proud of these individuals' achievements and is confident that their continued contributions will have a lasting impact on the academic landscape at Magdalene College and the University of Cambridge. Please join us in celebrating their success and wishing them continued excellence in their careers.