2023-2024 Committee

About The Committee

Each year, out of the MCR membership, we elect representatives to what we call the MCR committee. The role of the committee is two‐fold, it exists to:

  1. Serve as your representatives to college
  2. Organise the social‐side of the MCR

Members of the MCR Committee also sit on all the college level committee meetings, so as to best represent the graduate community at Clare College. Elections are held in Easter Term every year with the exception of the First Year Officers, who are elected towards the end of Michaelmas term.

Bjarne Bergh
President and Admiral of the Punts

(He/Him)
Bjarne Bergh

Hi everyone! I am Bjarne, a fourth-year PhD student in Mathematical Physics, and your MCR President for the 2023-2024 academic year. My main role is to represent you to College and to oversee the work of the MCR committee. I am also there to help with any issues that might arise during the year. Please don't ever hesitate to get in touch with me if you have a question or a concern, you will also find me in the MCR on various occasions (almost certainly on friday evenings). Come and chat if you get a chance!

Alyssa Crabb
Vice President

 
Alyssa Crabb

Hello! I’m Alyssa, a fourth year PhD student in Biochemistry and I am your MCR vice president for this year. I will be helping out Bjarne and the rest of committee this year, as well as representing the views of the MCR in college committees. I am also in charge of MCR stash, which you should get an email about during term. Please email me if you have any questions and I hope you have a great start to your time at Clare!

Tim Moy
Treasurer

(He/Him)
Tim Moy

As treasurer, it is my job to oversee financing of our activities through the MCR accounts. You should have a say where your membership fee goes, so you should feel free suggest to the committee how the MCR allocates its budget. If what you have in mind is to the benefit of all members, there is a good chance we can support it. This is especially pertinent as we think about refurbishing the MCR as work begins on the southern wing of Clare. In addition, I represent the MCR on the colleges finance and investment committees.

Shamsher Bhangal
Secretary

(He/Him)
Shamsher Bhangal

Friends,

My name is Shamsher. I am a History PhD at Clare, working on modern Europe, and am the secretary to the MCR. I author the weekly MCR bulletin — The Clare Times — which normally comes out 11:00am on Sundays during term time. Most of what you’ll need to know for the coming week, academic and otherwise, will be there. It is one of our main communication mechanisms in the MCR — keep an eye out for it.

Capucine Mamak
Social Secretary

(She/Her)
Capucine Mamak

Hello and welcome to Clare!
I'm Capucine (she/her), a PhD student working on solar energy! I'm super excited to be one of your social secs this year and already have lots of fun plans in the works... If you have any other ideas for socials this year then let me know and I'll be happy to see what I can do to make them happen!
One of the main tasks as social sec is organising the weekly MCR formals - a true highlight of the week! Come along on Fridays as these are a great way to see everyone and celebrate the start of the weekend. The MCR bar is normally buzzing with people afterwards and a fun place to have a catch-up or a dance.
Feel free to send me a message with any ideas you have or any questions!
Looking forward to seeing you all in the MCR very soon! :)

Sammie Mason
Social Secretary

(She/Her)
Sammie Mason

Hi everyone, welcome to Clare! I’m Sammie (she/her), a fourth year PhD student in Haematology. As one of your social secs I have been busy along with Capucine organising you a fun freshers’ week full of events. We can’t wait to welcome you all to Clare!
After freshers’ week, my main role as a social secretary is helping to organise the MCR formals. Formals take place every Friday in the Great Hall and are an ideal chance to meet and to catch up with your fellow MCR members. If you have any social related questions, regarding freshers’ week or MCR life in general, please get in contact!

Chris Herrmann
Bar Manager

(He/Him)
Chris Herrmann

The Clare MCR bar is known for its rock-bottom prices, an exquisite whisky collection, and the most fun bar nights of any Cambridge College. To quote an anonymous porter, “I have worked in 4 colleges but no MCR bar was as wild as this one“. As the new bar managers, Patryk, Grant and I will work tirelessly to maintain this spotless image in the coming year.

Grant de Jong
Bar Manager

(He/Him)
Grant de Jong

Hello! I'm Grant. Alongside my other bar managers, I have been graced with the most holy of tasks: managing the MCR bar. When it comes to cheap drinks, medium quality liquor, and good vibes, we've got you sorted. Please reach out if you have any requests or (even better) if you'd like to join us.

Patryk Wesołowski
Bar Manager, LGBTQ+ Welfare Officer and International Students' Officer

(He/Him)
Patryk Wesołowski

Hey there, Clare People!

I'm Patryk (he/him/his), and I'm a second-year PhD student in the fascinating world of Chemistry. I might come across as a bit of a loud extrovert – You know the type – I'm the guy with volume control issues. Recently I also somehow convinced myself that 5:30 am rowing sessions are a good idea. Who knew chilly mornings could be so motivating?

This year, I'm not just a student. I'm your Bar Manager, LGBTQ+ Officer, and International Student Officer. Yep, I'm taking multitasking to a whole new level. Expect a year jam-packed with fun and energy, especially during our Friday night bashes at the MCR bar. Me and the other Bar managers are cooking up plans to make those nights legendary.

More than anything, I want Clare MCR to be your home away from home. A place where you can find the most incredible, supportive folks. Do you have questions or wanna chat? Please shoot me an email. I'm your go-to for both serious stuff and casual coffee catch-ups. See you in the MCR bar, where the good times roll! 🎉🔬

Jasmin Bath
Disabilities Officer

(She/Her)
Jasmin Bath

Hi Clare Humans! I am Jas (She/Her), and I am your MCR Disabilities Officer. I am a third-ish year PhD student in American history. As your MCR Disabilities officer (until October 2023), I work with the rest of the MCR welfare team to ensure that those with disabilities, regardless of whether they are physical, mental or SpLDs, feel supported and represented by the MCR and Clare more broadly. As someone who has Dyslexia, and ADHD I know how hard postgraduate study can be, so please do not hesitate to get in touch with me about anything!

Aliya Ali
Sports Officer

(She/Her)
Aliya Ali

I'm Aliya, currently pursuing a PhD and in my final year. You'll spot me around the MCR, working to complete my thesis. If not there, I'll be arranging yoga classes as the sports officer. I recall the excitement I felt when I first started, and I hope your experience here surpasses expectations, just as mine has. Looking forward to meeting all of you!

Ellie Williams
Green Officer

(She/Her)
Ellie Williams

Hello my green beans! I'm Ellie, a second year PhD student in Bioinformatics and I'm your MCR Green Officer. I'm involved in lots of aspects of college life related to the environment, from waste reduction, recycling and reuse to carbon neutrality plans for college. If you have ideas for how we can push the MCR community and college more widely towards more sustainable activities then I'm all ears! Feel free to chat to me in the MCR or drop me an email.

Lots of green love!

Adelaide Brooks
Exchange Officer

(She/Her)
Adelaide Brooks

Hi everyone, my name is Adelaide, and I am a second year PhD student working on Italian women’s Holocaust testimonies. I am originally from the US, and I did my undergrad at the University of Virginia. I am also your exchange officer this year! (the person who organizes dinners for Clare MCR members to attend at other colleges and who organizes other colleges’ students dining at Clare)

Since I started at Cambridge for my MPhil two years ago, one of my favorite parts of MCR life has been going on “swaps” to other colleges, to meet new people and see beautiful and unique Cambridge buildings that I wouldn’t normally get to see. I am so excited to be your swaps officer this year and to organize a diverse selection of swaps for you to attend!

Swaps (formal dinners at other colleges) are always very popular and book up quickly, but I am committed to ensuring that everyone in the MCR who would like to attend one this year has the possibility to, so if you are unsuccessful at booking onto several swaps in a row, please get in touch by email, and I’d be happy to book you onto one in the near future.

Please also get in touch if you’d simply like to go for a coffee or a walk or are feeling a bit homesick or just want a friend—I know what it’s like to be far from home and adjusting to a new place. I am looking forward to seeing all of the new faces around the MCR this autumn and hope to get to know many of you!

Megan Armstrong
Quartermaster

(She/Her)
Megan Armstrong

Hi Everyone! I’m Megan (she/her) and I’m a second year Pathology PhD student at Clare. This year I have one of the most important roles in the MCR committee as quartermaster; I’m in charge of keeping the free tea, coffee and biscuits stocked in the MCR. Let me know if you have a favourite biscuit you want bought in or any preferences you have for milk selection. Also feel free to reach out to me about any concerns you have about anything relating to the MCR or life at Clare; we can even discuss over a cup of tea and a biscuit :).

Haley Perkins
Mature Students' Officer

(She/Her)
Haley Perkins

Hello! I’m Haley (she/her), and I’m in my second year of a PhD in Education. At the MCR, we consider you 'mature' if you fit into any of the following categories: doing a PhD, older than average (25+ish), have a family, and/or live in private accommodation. If this is you, you likely prefer weeks-old Instagram content to TikTok and will never entertain low-rise jeans (again). As your Mature Students Officer, I will be organising events throughout the year where we can meet-up, get to know each other better, and share stories about our sore backs, carpal tunnel, and ‘kids these days.’ Whether you’re mature in age, or simply an old soul, I look forward to seeing you at our events. Please feel free to reach out if you have any queries or concerns prior to your arrival, during freshers week, or throughout the year so that we can make the MCR a great place for you!

Gaël Kemp
Clareity President

(He/Him)
Gaël Kemp

Hey, my name is Gaël (good luck with the pronunciation) and I am happy to coordinate Clareity this year. I am a third year PhD student at the Engineering department, doing research in fluid mechanics (I am playing with water in the lab). Clareity is a series of informal evening talks where MCR members present their latest research to the graduate community. The presentations are covering a broad range of subjects (basically any subject taught in Cambridge) and are accompanied with free pizza and wine. Everyone is welcome! There will also be a college-wide symposium in March. If you are interested in presenting do not hesitate to email me.

Stefan Schöpf
Accommodation Officer

(He/Him)
Stefan Schöpf

Hi, my name is Stefan (he/him)! I am a second-year Engineering PhD student doing research in multi-agent reinforcement learning. I’ll be the accommodation officer this year and am happy to hear from you regarding any (accommodation) ideas to improve life at Clare. Feel free to reach out anytime!

Liv Smith
Welfare Officer

(She/Her)
Liv Smith

Hi I’m Liv (she/her) and I’m about to start my second-year as a Biochemistry PhD student. As one of the Welfare Officers this year, my role is to make sure that your time at Clare is enjoyable and provide you with support should you need it. I am able to provide a point of contact with the College and signpost you to the resources that will be most helpful.

I’m always up for a tea or coffee so if you have any welfare issues relating to the MCR or need someone to debrief to after a stressful week, please feel free to drop me a message or find me for a chat!

Yasmin Begum
BAME Officer

(She/Her)
Yasmin Begum

Hi everyone! I am a final year PhD student in education focusing on economics education. I am looking forward to being your BME officer this year! I plan to host a few BME events throughout the academic so if you have any ideas for BME socials or if you have any enquiries/issues, please feel free to get in touch :)

Claire Saint-Amour
Library Officer

(She/Her)
Claire Saint-Amour

Hi! I am Claire (she/her), and I’m very excited to be serving as your Library Officer this coming year! My job is to serve as a liaison between the MCR and the Forbes Mellon Library and I can help with any questions and concerns about library stock, programming, and resources. Outside of the MCR, I'm pursuing a PhD in Classics with a focus on imperial Greek rhetoric.

Cara Mallon
First Year Officer

 
Cara Mallon

Hello all! I'm Cara, a graduate student at Clare, delving into the fascinating world of Martian meteorites. As the St Regis representative this year, I'm here to connect with you on anything related to St Regis or Clare in general. Feel free to share your thoughts on potential social events for the year, and I'll do my best to bring them to life. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Clare Heinbaugh
Computing Officer

 
Clare Heinbaugh

Hello! My name is Clare (spelled the same as the college), and I am thrilled to be your Computing Officer. Aptly, I am currently doing an MPhil in Machine Learning and Machine Intelligence. Outside of programming, I enjoy cooking, rowing, and drinking chai lattes. Feel free to reach out with any questions related to technology at Clare.

Rosie Ward
Admiral of the Punts

 
Rosie Ward

Hi all! I’m Rosie, and I’m an MPhil student in Environmental Policy. As Admiral, I’m in charge of handling any punts booking matters and, on a good day, keeping the punts afloat. Please do reach out if you’d like to book the punts for an outing or event, if you’d like a mediocre lesson on how to punt, or if any of the punts look closer to sinking than they should!