Welcome to Univ’s Middle Common Room (MCR) also known as the Weir Common Room or WCR! All graduate students at University College are automatically a member of the WCR and members of the current 2022-23 WCR Committee have provided the information on this page to introduce you to who we are and what we do.
The WCR has a double meaning: it refers to the graduate body of students at University College and also to the physical space in the College where graduate students can relax and socialise. It is an engaging and diverse community of early-researchers consisting around 150 members across all year groups and subjects. Whether you are here for a one/two-year Masters programme or a DPhil programme we do hope you choose to get involved with college life!
The WCR has a committee of graduate students (you can find the details of the committee members below), whose role is to serve, advocate for and represent the interests of the graduate student body within the College and the University. The aforementioned services range from running fun social events, such as BOPs (informal parties) and quiz nights, to providing welfare support and promoting environmental awareness. The WCR committee changes every year, with elections held in Hilary Term.
No matter whether you are a current or prospective Univ graduate student, below you will find all the essential information related to the WCR. Get to know the committee members and the WCR building, or learn about our upcoming events and the welfare support available to students.
Meet the Committee Members 2023-24
Meet the WCR Committee for 2023-24. The WCR committee deals with the College and wider University community on behalf of graduates, runs events and functions, and strives to ensure the welfare of its members. In non-pandemic times the WCR organise social events including parties, theatre and orchestra trips, exchange dinners and quiz nights, which they have been doing virtually as much as possible!
President: Naroa Ibarra-Aizpurua (She/her)
(2019, DPhil in Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics)
Naroa is a third-year DPhil student in Neuroscience (DPAG). Originally from the Basque Country in Spain, she came to Oxford to study an MSc in Neuroscience. Because she could not get enough of , she stayed to complete her DPhil. Naroa’s main hobbies include listening to ridiculous amounts of music (Taylor Swift has a special place in her Spotify), reading, yoga, and releasing all her stress at the elliptical machine in the gym. She also spends half her stipend on fancy barista coffees, so give her a shout if you want the best coffee recommendations in Oxford!
After being the WCR Vice-President/Treasurer last year and the Secretary the year before that, Naroa is now the WCR President, and her goal is to make everyone’s time at Univ WCR the best and most memorable possible. She is always happy to help in any way she can, so do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or issues!
Contact: wcr.president@univ.ox.ac.uk
Vice-President/Treasurer: Lovisa Reiche (She/her)
(2022, DPhil in Economics)
Lovisa is in her first year of the DPhil in Economics. She arrived in Univ for her master’s in 2019 and never left since. Before coming to Univ, she studied at the University of Aberdeen and the Chinese University of Hong Kong and worked at the European Central Bank. Outside of coding up consumer expectations data and modelling inflation, Lovisa enjoys rowing, yoga and travelling (clearly a perk of the DPhil thanks to Univ travel grants and reopened borders).
After being WCR Women’s Officer for a year, Lovisa has now taken on a new role as VP/Treasurer. She hopes to make good use of the money to create a supportive and vibrant social scene for all our WCR members to engage in. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions on what the WCR needs or how college could improve for you please do get in touch!
Contact: wcr.treasurer@univ.ox.ac.uk or mcr.vpresident@univ.ox.ac.uk
Secretary/ Women’s Officer: Viktoria Brunner (She/her)
(2021, DPhil in Interdisciplinary Bioscience)
Viki is a second-year DPhil student focusing on antimicrobial resistance and computational biology. She previously studied in Switzerland for her MSc. Feeling like a change of scenery after five years in the mountains, she decided to continue her academic route in the much less mountainous Oxford. If not working away at the lab, you will find her on the Iffley Tennis courts, somewhere along the river (either rowing or cycling) or in one of the many beautiful cafes that Oxford has to offer.
As our secretary, she will keep records of meetings at the MCR and is responsible for the graduate student portion of the Univ website and other internal digi-comms, and assisting the President and VP. She also supports Kitty in her role as women’s officer, taking care of the administrative side of things.
Contact: wcr.secretary@univ.ox.ac.uk
Welfare Officer: Jack Saunders (He/him)
(2021, DPhil in Interdisciplinary Biosciences)
I am Jack, a second-year DPhil student in Interdisciplinary Biosciences with a focus on immunology and vaccine development for a group tick-borne diseases. I came to Oxford in 2020 for a master’s in Integrated Immunology at Keble which turned out to be quite a topical period to study this, and after graduation spent some time working on the Oxford/AZ COVID vaccine. If I am not stuck in the lab, you’ll likely find me playing/watching football, at the pub with friends, or getting lost on a long run around Oxford locations.
As a Welfare Officer, I look forward to helping ensure the WCR continues to be an inclusive place that all students feel comfortable in and promote awareness of the support and opportunities available should you need them. Please get in touch with welfare-related questions/concerns and I will try to help or direct you to the best person. Also, feel free to contact me for any suggestions regarding welfare ideas or events.
Contact: wcr.welfare@univ.ox.ac.uk
Social Secretary and Women’s Officer: Kitty Clarke (She/her)
(2022, DPhil in Inorganic Chemistry, OxICFM CDT)
Kitty is a first-year DPhil student in Inorganic Chemistry here at Univ, after completing her integrated master’s at the University of Bristol. When she’s not busy helping to plan exciting new events for the WCR, you may find her doing early morning shifts in the library helping to restock the shelves, or eating enormous brunches every weekend courtesy of our amazing buttery!
As well as being a quarter of our social secretary team, Kitty is also the other women’s officer for the WCR. She is hoping to use both of these roles to not only keep Univ as a fun entertaining social scene, but as a supportive space for the members of our college. If you have any questions, or even just want a friendly chat, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Contact: wcr.entertainment@univ.ox.ac.uk
Social Secretary: Julia Dabrowska (She/her)
(2022, DPhil in Interdisciplinary Bioscience)
Julia is a first-year DPhil in Interdisciplinary Bioscience, focusing on neuroscience and psychology. Before coming to Univ, she lived in Kent and Warsaw, studied biomedical sciences and biomedical engineering at Imperial, and managed to squeeze in a neuroscience degree at Cambridge too. When she’s not analysing people’s brains (or writing about them in student papers/blogs), Julia enjoys swimming, rowing, overpriced coffee, and, when the sun comes out, spending as much time outdoors as humanly possible. As one of the four social secretaries this year, she’s excited to amplify the WCR social scene and bring you a full term card — do get in touch if you have any ideas, or say hello at the next event!
Contact: wcr.entertainment@univ.ox.ac.uk
Social Secretary: Daniel Cox (He/him)
(2022, DPhil in Organic Chemistry)
Dan is a first-year DPhil in organic chemistry at Univ. Originally from Buckinghamshire, Dan recently completed his undergraduate at Univ. As one of the four new social secretaries, along with Julia, Kitty, and Holly; Dan is excited to be involved in plenty of fun events this term. Outside of his studies, Dan enjoys walking and reading, and can frequently be found spending too much of his stipend on music down Cowley Road.
Contact: wcr.entertainment@univ.ox.ac.uk
Social Secretary: Holly James Johnston
(2019, MSt in English (1900 – present day))
Holly is reading for a DPhil in English. Holly grew up in London and completed their undergraduate degree at University College London, before coming to Univ in 2019 for their Master’s. Outside of their academic work, Holly performs as the drag king “Orlando”, a dandy with good hair and a pretty face.
Contact: wcr.entertainment@univ.ox.ac.uk
Environment and Hall Officer: Jacob Ridley (He/him)
(2021, DPhil in English)
Jacob is a second-year DPhil student in English, with a BA and MSt from Magdalen. He was born and bred in Southampton but has now spent half the year in Oxford for over five years. He tried to move away by applying to University College London but by a cruel misunderstanding, the universe sent him to University College Oxford instead. He’s on the committee of the Society of Bibliophiles (look them up) and enjoys history books, drinking, and playing squash and tennis. As your Environment and Hall Officer, Jacob sits on the College Sustainability Committee and is looking forward to helping to make Univ more environmentally friendly. If you have any suggestions or concerns about this, he would love to hear from you!
Contact: wcr.environment@univ.ox.ac.uk
LGBTQ+ Officer: Peter Manshausen (He/him)
(2020, DPhil in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Planetary Physics)
Peter is a third-year PhD student researching clouds and their role in the global climate. Most of his free time is spent with the College’s boat club, baking dark German bread, and reading queer novels.
He is very happy to be the WCR’s LGBTQ+ officer for this year and looking forward to organising socials, exchanges, and welfare events for our queer community and allies. He is also a peer supporter in Univ. Please reach out to Peter with any questions or comments, or just to say hi! 🌈 🐣
Contact: wcr.lgbtq@univ.ox.ac.uk
International Students Officer: Carlos Gonzales Perez (He/him)
(2021, MPhil + DPhil in Economics)
Carlos is a second-year MPhil and DPhil in Economics student, so yes, he will be around for a long time at Univ. Born and raised in Valladolid, Spain, Carlos holds a double major in Economics and International Studies from UC3M (in Madrid). During his undergrad, he spent some time abroad in the United States, China, and Italy. As an experienced international student, Carlos is looking forward to empowering the International Community here at Univ. Carlos held this same position last year and is willing to keep promoting international diversity in College. Carlos started running to replace Oxford mental pain with physical pain, and now he is obsessed with it! He also loves hiking, rugby, chess, wine, weird geographic facts and Atletico de Madrid. His inbox is open to anybody who has any concerns regarding international matters, but in particular, if you are an International Student, he is really looking forward to hearing from you!
Contact: wcr.international@univ.ox.ac.uk
Ethnic Minorities and Racial Equality Officer: Khuluud Hussein (She/her)
(2022, DPhil in Clinical Medicine)
Khuluud is a first-year DPhil student in Clinical Medicine, with a focus on cancer research. Her research centres on identifying and exploring innovative ways to harness the immune system against cancer. Khuluud recognises that the idea of having an “enjoyable Oxford experience” can vary between individuals. As such, she is committed to fostering a welcoming and truly inclusive environment that recognises and accommodates the needs of ethnic minority students. This is to ensure that everyone can have an enjoyable Oxford experience at Univ and that no one is left behind!
Contact: wcr.equality@univ.ox.ac.uk
External Affairs Officer: Samuel Lam (He/him)
(2022, DPhil in Mathematics)
Samuel is currently a member of CDT Mathematics of Random Systems, which leads to a DPhil in Mathematics. Prior to Univ, Samuel resided in Hong Kong before moving to London to read Mathematics at Imperial College.
As the external affairs officer for WCR, he is primarily responsible for representing our graduate community in the Oxford Student Union (SU) Council and bringing back updates on how the SU improve your experiences in Oxford. He will also redevelop the WCR website this summer to make it more informative and accessible. The website will initially contain basic information about the graduate community (e.g. list of WCR events and essential welfare information), although he is keen on liaising with other Univ societies and sports clubs to develop a platform detailing the events happening around Univ. He is delighted to receive any feedback about his duties. Finally, he is also engaged in the Chapel Choir as a tenor and would love to get stuck into the Univ community even more.
The Weir Common Room Building
The WCR, located behind the Old Library, has a comfortable lounge and a fully equipped kitchen and two gender-neutral bathrooms. The WCR makes up the large proportion of the Mitchell Building and the space is a regular meeting-point for the graduate community here at Univ. A whole suite of events are held in the WCR from drinks receptions, art socials, discussion groups and our graduate bops. When you first enter the building one is met with a small vestibule where all the pigeon holes, or “pidges”, are located. These brown, wooden shelves will host all mail correspondence sent to you during your stay in college accommodation.
Inside the large, spacious lounge several zones exist from multiple seating areas containing grey sofas with orange striped patterns to a large wooden dining table.
The lounge also hosts our table football and a table tennis table great for relaxing with other graduate students and are available for use to all members of the WCR.
Along with a variety of newspaper and magazine subscriptions, the WCR also hosts a large selection of books and DVDs that have been kindly donated to the common room by alumni and the previous Master. Music and TV facilities are present in the WCR and are a great accompaniment to any small-scale or large-scale event hosted in the common room.
The WCR also contains a fully equipped kitchen, available for use by any member of the graduate body. A coffee machine is also located in the kitchen, free of charge for our members to use.
Find out more about the Mitchell Building on our College Buildings page.
Freshers Information
Freshers information will be added here in due course. Please check back.
Social Events and Societies
Within the WCR, we know how important being able to meet and socialise with other members of the graduate community is. As a result, the WCR is involved with the organising and running of a wide range of events to bring people together and allow them to share experiences. Some of the events that have been run in the past include theatre trips, parties, quiz nights and exchange dinners between the MCRs of different colleges.
Some of the favourite events of the community are the bops, where everyone can come together to sing and dance the night away in a fun and safe environment. These large events occur once or twice a term and have been based on a wide variety of themes such as Prohibition, the 1990’s and “Heroes and Legends”. In addition to these events, there are a number of graduate societies within the college, one of them being the Martlets’ Society where graduates are able to present their work to the college community, as well as the college sports teams, such as our football team that has been undefeated for two seasons, that graduates are welcome to take part in.
As a result of the pandemic over the past year, the WCR has had to shift some of its events online. This has included virtual Sunday Socials, inter-household competitions and a virtual Glühwein making session over Christmas. We have had a lot of fun with these events and have been a great opportunity to socialise even when they had to be at home. With the easing of restrictions, the social team will be hoping to produce a balance of both virtual and in-person events and allow members to meet each other in as many ways as possible.
In order to see what events are currently being hosted by the WCR social team, you may view our social term card on the WCR website. Sign-up forms for some of the events will also be distributed via our mailing lists and through our social media accounts. We look forward to seeing you at the events!
Welfare Support
Hi! Welcome to Univ, and welcome to the WCR.
We hope that you’ll find it as friendly as we have, and to make sure that your time here is as enjoyable as possible, you can always come talk to us with any problem – no matter how small.
Welfare Officer: Jack Saunders (He/him)
(2021, DPhil in Interdisciplinary Biosciences)
I am Jack, a second-year DPhil student in Interdisciplinary Biosciences with a focus on immunology and vaccine development for a group tick-borne diseases. I came to Oxford in 2020 for a master’s in Integrated Immunology at Keble which turned out to be quite a topical period to study this, and after graduation spent some time working on the Oxford/AZ COVID vaccine. If I am not stuck in the lab, you’ll likely find me playing/watching football, at the pub with friends, or getting lost on a long run around Oxford locations.
As a Welfare Officer, I look forward to helping ensure the WCR continues to be an inclusive place that all students feel comfortable in and promote awareness of the support and opportunities available should you need them. Please get in touch with welfare-related questions/concerns and I will try to help or direct you to the best person. Also, feel free to contact me for any suggestions regarding welfare ideas or events.
Contact: wcr.welfare@univ.ox.ac.uk
LGBTQ+ Officer: Peter Manshausen (He/him)
(2020, DPhil in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Planetary Physics)
Peter is a third-year PhD student researching clouds and their role in the global climate. Most of his free time is spent with the College’s boat club, baking dark German bread, and reading queer novels.
He is very happy to be the WCR’s LGBTQ+ officer for this year and looking forward to organising socials, exchanges, and welfare events for our queer community and allies. He is also a peer supporter in Univ. Please reach out to Peter with any questions or comments, or just to say hi! 🌈 🐣
Contact: wcr.lgbtq@univ.ox.ac.uk
Secretary/ Women’s Officer: Viktoria Brunner (She/her)
(2021, DPhil in Interdisciplinary Bioscience)
Viki is a second-year DPhil student focusing on antimicrobial resistance and computational biology. She previously studied in Switzerland for her MSc. Feeling like a change of scenery after five years in the mountains, she decided to continue her academic route in the much less mountainous Oxford. If not working away at the lab, you will find her on the Iffley Tennis courts, somewhere along the river (either rowing or cycling) or in one of the many beautiful cafes that Oxford has to offer.
As our secretary, she will keep records of meetings at the MCR and is responsible for the graduate student portion of the Univ website and other internal digi-comms, and assisting the President and VP. She also supports Kitty in her role as women’s officer, taking care of the administrative side of things.
Contact: wcr.secretary@univ.ox.ac.uk
Ethnic Minorities and Racial Equality Officer: Khuluud Hussein (She/her)
(2022, DPhil in Clinical Medicine)
Khuluud is a first-year DPhil student in Clinical Medicine, with a focus on cancer research. Her research centres on identifying and exploring innovative ways to harness the immune system against cancer. Khuluud recognises that the idea of having an “enjoyable Oxford experience” can vary between individuals. As such, she is committed to fostering a welcoming and truly inclusive environment that recognises and accommodates the needs of ethnic minority students. This is to ensure that everyone can have an enjoyable Oxford experience at Univ and that no one is left behind!
Contact: wcr.equality@univ.ox.ac.uk
More detailed information on the above and about the College’s welfare provisions can be found on the Welfare Support page.
If you have any welfare queries or concerns, you can always reach us individually by email, stop us around college if you see us, or you can reach out to the Welfare Email address wcr.welfare@univ.ox.ac.uk
WCR Social Media
Our Facebook group provides a one-stop shop for all current affairs occurring at Univ. Any member can post a question, query, event or statement here! Please join the group for regular day-to-day details pertaining to the graduate body. Note: This is a private group reserved for current members of the Univ WCR.
See: www.facebook.com/groups/433253188107301
Our Twitter provides a platform for the WCR to tweet out the thoughts of our common room. We love retweeting our members’ posts and promoting statements posted by Univ college and the wider Oxford community!
See: @UnivWCR
The Gradlet is a space to showcase the members of the graduate body on instagram. We post regular content in a Q&A style. Follow to learn more about the current graduate community at Univ and do reach out if you’d like to be featured if you are a current Univ WCR member.
See: @thegradlet
The univwcr instagram account is the social page for our common room. We promote the events that are currently occurring in the WCR. Get to know the events occurring at Univ and do send us a message if you’d like to be featured or would like to organise a social event together.
See: @univwcr
Our WCR website is a great first-point of searching for a broad-brush of information. Our social calendars can be found here. The website is currently under the process of being renovated!
See: univwcr.wordpress.com
News from the WCR
Univ is a very active community, both among its current students and its alumni, and publishes a wide variety of news and features online. These cover many aspects of College community life and are a great way to keep up to date with what is happening in Univ and also to gain an insight into what Univ alumni are up to.
All these can be found on Univ’s News and Features page; they can be filtered by year of publication and news “type” including College News, which covers undergraduate, graduate, staff and academic news.
A selection of news items about the WCR can be seen in the gallery below.
If you have any news to share or an idea for a feature, please email communications@univ.ox.ac.uk.
Anti-Racism and Inclusion
Univ actively opposes and deplores racist and other discriminatory behaviour and language and has made a commitment to be proactive in working to ensure that our principles of equality, diversity, inclusion, and tolerance are reflected in our practice.
You can help make Univ a more welcoming and inclusive community by sharing your experience. Reports of discriminatory behaviour personally experienced or witnessed are especially welcome as are any thoughts and suggestions for how to make Univ a more inclusive place.
The system for submitting the form ensures 100% anonymity, and no one, not even an IT officer, can determine your identity. All forms will be reviewed by an Equalities Officer at Univ charged with the task of helping to make Univ a better community for all.
The form, which will open in a new window, can be accessed here.