Australian legal scholar elected as next master of Christ's College Cambridge

Professor Jane Stapleton FBA will become the 38th Master in September, succeeding Professor Frank Kelly CBE FRS, who has been Master since December 2006.

Professor Stapleton is a distinguished academic lawyer who currently holds posts at the Australian National University College of Law and the University of Texas School of Law. She was elected a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy in 2015 and is an Honorary Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge. She began her academic career as a scientist before moving to law, completing a DPhil at Oxford, and specialising in the law of torts.

She spent 10 years as a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. Since 1997 she has been at the Australian National University where she is a Distinguished Professor and, since 2002, at the University of Texas where she is the Ernest E Smith Professor of Law.

Professor David Sedley, who chaired the Search Committee, said: “Jane’s wide intellectual interests will ensure she is a Master who can engage fully with the whole College community and who can represent Christ’s College in the University and beyond. We are delighted that she will be joining us.”

Professor Stapleton commented: “Christ’s is widely and rightly renowned for its great tradition of academic excellence and thriving community of scholars, students, administrative and operational staff and alumni.

"I have been deeply impressed by how the College fosters a very special dynamic of warm support for all its members drawn as they are from many countries and all backgrounds.

"The College has benefited from outstanding leadership so it is an especial honour and privilege to be elected the next Master.

"I am eagerly looking forward to working with everyone at Christ’s and its wider alumni community as we encounter the many exciting opportunities the future holds for the College."

Professor Stapleton will take up her post in September 2016.