Alumni Representatives

Alumni Representatives act as an additional point of contact between the alumni as a group and the College.

Alumni Representatives support the Development Office team by acting as a sounding board for new ideas, such as the online Who's Who, and in shaping regular events and activities by providing feedback and supporting skills, e.g. IT assistance in producing good quality souvenir Reunion booklets. They also promote ideas and activities that other members have suggested as useful and enjoyable ways for alumni to stay in touch with one another, for career and social reasons, and with the College.

The alumni representatives come from across the matriculation years of Robinson and each of them has a profile on these pages. If you would like to discuss an idea or initiative with one of them, or simply see which of them is likely to be at your next reunion, these profiles should help you to identify the right person. You may contact any of the alumni representatives by using their contact details from the online Who's Who. If you are a member of Robinson and have not yet activated your own Who's Who account and need a reminder of your user name and password, please contact the Development Office on development-office@robinson.cam.ac.uk.

Development Team

Helen Cornish

I came to Robinson as the Development Director and a Fellow of the College in the summer of 2004 and have been enjoying the place and the people that make it special ever since. I read Geography at Reading in the late '80s and then worked in event organising before agreeing to "help out" at the British Brain and Spine Foundation for a month when it launched in 1992. I was there 5 years. I moved to another medical research charity and then to Imperial College School of Medicine, where I greatly enjoyed working with Robert Winston and colleagues as we raised the funds for the construction and equipping of the Wolfson and Weston Research Centre for Family Health, the largest research centre for women's and babies' healthcare in Europe. From there I arrived in Cambridge via the Institute of Historical Research, where I worked with historian David Cannadine, after my marriage to Liam, an electronics design consultant. I'm always pleased to meet Robinson members to update you about College today and to answer your questions and respond to your feedback about our events and fundraising programmes. Also, if you ever need a sounding board about your fundraising activities for other causes close to your heart, whether it's your child's drama group or sports team, or your favourite charity, I'm happy to offer what advice I can!

Alumni Representatives

Alastair Beresford (1996)

I came to Robinson to study Computer Science in 1996 and graduated in 1999. Some of you might remember me as RCSA President in 1997-98 and as one of the yearbook editors in 1999. After graduating I took a job at BT Labs, working on next generation mobile phone technologies. After one year with BT, I returned to Robinson to study for a PhD, and I haven't quite managed to leave again yet! I now work as an RCUK Academic Fellow and faculty member in the Computer Laboratory and as a Fellow at Robinson.

Bex Bowtell (2002)

I matriculated at Robinson in 2002 and studied SPS, specialising in Politics. While at college I was involved in womens football, fusion groups and student politics, including spending a year on the RCSA as women's officer. Since graduating in 2005 I have worked in the third sector, specialising in Social Enterprise. I am currently living in Tower Hamlets, east London, and working for a regeneration charity as Business Development manager, managing a team including several other Cambridge alumni.

Ben Crewe (1993)

I studied SPS at Robinson from 1993-1996 and thoroughly enjoyed my time at the college. I played for the football team, as well as the rather less committed volleyball team, and got involved in the RCSA. After I completed a PhD at Essex University, I returned to Cambridge - and to Robinson - as a post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of Criminology, where I've been conducting research into prison life since 2001. I now live in North London and am still in very good contact with lots of people from the college.

James Crispe (1987)

Horseracing journalist specialising in international racing (irregularly appearing on obscure satellite tv channel) and point-to-pointing (deafening crowds with my over-excited commentaries on the tannoy). 2006 was a momentous year featuring no less than five general anaesthetics, most serious to mend the jaw broken while training to ride a mountain stage of the Tour de France with Pete Brook (I didn't make it up Alpe d'Huez but got a lot further than he did!). Much more importantly, got married to Anna and we have recently moved to a lovely house in Beyton, near Bury St Edmunds.

Nicola Forsdike (nee Barber) (1980)

As a Robinson music graduate I find myself, still to my own bewilderment, in my 8th year of working in international rail consultancy, my 20th year in the rail industry. The story is too long to tell in full here, but carries hope for all undergraduates or recent graduates wondering what on earth to do next in their lives!

My home base is York, where I live with my husband and two sons. Although my work means a lot of travelling at least York has decent rail connections! So, if you ever want information on the city (whether on the best choir to join, or on local attractions) I'll be pleased to hear from you. Equally, if you're curious as to working life in an international infrastructure services/engineering consultancy I'll be pleased to help there too!

Family and work pressures mean I don't always get to all the Robinson events I'd like to be at, but I do try to get to as many as I can - I look forward to seeing you there.

Rachel Gray (1987)

Rachel Gray (ne Derry) was an undergraduate at Robinson College between 1987 and 1990. She studied Natural Sciences and was an active member of the Robinson College Boat Club (including being Ladies Captain in her 3rd year), Entertainments Society and Girl Fridays Club. She met Robert on New Years Day 1998 and they married 18 months later in Denmead near to Portsmouth. Together they have 3 children, Henry (born in 2002), Samuel (born in 2004) and Annabelle (born in 2006) and are currently living close to Paris in France. Rachel is working at Cisco - the worldwide leader in networking - where she is currently on an international assignment in Paris as a Global Sales Manager. When in the UK, Rachel lives in Surrey with her family and dog.

Nik Holgate (1994)

Studied Engineering and then Management Studies at Robinson from 1994 to 1997. Met a lot of great friends in that time, also my wife Kate (sister of Jen Fox - vet med 1995) and managed to pick up a couple of rugby blues along the way. Post graduation I qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC, and am now Finance Director of an outdoor advertising agency in central London. Currently living in South-West London with Kate and our two children. Always more than happy to hear from any 'Binsonites.

Thea Lee (1998)

Originally from Bolton, Lancashire, I arrived at Robinson in 1998 and read SPS, graduating in 2001. In my spare time, while not trying to get my head around postmodernism, I sang in the choir, was the publicity officer for the music society and had a lot of fun on the committee for the May Ball in 2000 - Ritmo Latino.

After leaving college, I joined the commercial graduate programme of a multinational oil company and spent three years working in various locations across the UK, before moving into the communication department. I now project manage the organisation's sustainability reporting - exercising the interest in how business and society interacts that I developed over the course of my degree.

On a personal level, in late 2007 I am getting married to Josh, who is also a Binsonite, and live in south-west London. I enjoy making the most of what London has to offer in terms of music, theatre, art, good food and good wine.

Lyndsay Markham (1983)

I spent three very happy years at Robinson from 1983-86, where I studied history. I then went into corporate communications, and decided to go freelance 10 years ago. I now live just outside Bristol, and I'd be happy to organise informal reunions for alumni living in the south-west.

Andrew Telford (1989)

I started at Robinson in 1989 as a scruffy youth and left in 1992 as a slightly less scruffy NatSci and Management Studies graduate. While at college I played waterpolo, squash and rowed badly. I was also the Catering rep for a year, and most importantly held the position of 'President of the Record Library'. I've been working in Marketing ever since, firstly in brewing and for the last 11 years in foods at Unilever. I married my wife Karen in 2004 and we had a baby boy William in March 2007. So far I'm loving parenthood, kids just do the funniest things and there's lots of giggling in our house. We live in Surrey where our social life revolves around our fantastic neighbours and the local Squash Club. I keep in touch with a fair few folks from the years around mine, and often catch up with people for a drink or meal in London. It's a small world and fascinating to see what eveyone's up to.