From the James Webb Telescope to Summer Eights! Rector Roe looks back at Trinity Term 2026

I am delighted to pen this short overview of Trinity Term. All the evidence suggests that the College and its students are flourishing, with a rich and broad array of activities and achievements to report and celebrate. Of course, for many, the focus of the Term is rightly prelims and finals – and demonstrating academic achievement. But, as you will read below, there has also been ample time for fun, sporting success, and a wide range of activities, which have benefitted all as the weather has improved. It is also, of course, a time of goodbyes, as we say a fond farewell to those graduating or those leaving to return to Williams College, Massachusetts – including the ‘WEPO’ Director, Professor Sam Crane. The headline is that the College remains in extremely good heart: excelling across multiple outputs, increasingly punching above its weight, and, reassuringly, there is a very nice collegiate, welcoming, and questing feel to Exeter.

Although I am unable to summarise this year’s student academic successes (this will follow in Michaelmas Term), I am pleased to report some wider achievements and activities. Dr Jake Taylor, the Glasstone Fellow in Astrophysics, has been awarded 112.7 hours of observing time using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study the emission spectra of nine hot Jupiters. This is the largest survey ever to be awarded with JWST to study emission spectra of hot Jupiters. It is also the largest number of hours of JWST time given to a United Kingdom Principal Investigator to study the atmosphere of exoplanets. It, therefore, comes as little surprise that the College hosted a particularly successful exoplanet conference in April. In May, Professor Christopher Peacocke, Exeter College alumnus, Honorary Fellow, and the Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University, gave an insightful and well-received lecture on ‘Understanding Music’ in the Fitzhugh Auditorium, Cohen Quad. And Cohen Quad, most recently, has been used as the venue to host Bita Ghezelayagh’s excellent exhibition, titled Everything Flows. With impressive artwork throughout the building, the essence of Bita’s work is renewal, change, and connection through the mediums of textile, glass, and metal. Of late, Bita and Professor Oreet Ashery, Professor of Contemporary Art and Director of Studies for Fine Art at Exeter College, conducted a fascinating conversation where they discussed their artistic practices, creativity within today’s social and economic constraints, and the role and contribution of artists in society.

Photos from the Everything Flows launch at Cohen Quad

On the sporting front, Exeter College Boat Club (ECBC) has had an extremely successful Trinity Term. After a lack of rowing due to poor weather in Hilary Term, the Club more than made up for the setback, entering six boats into ‘Rowing On’. Unsurprisingly, as the Club has been building a strong reputation on the Isis over recent years, ECBC excelled during Summer Eights. The two most notable performances came from O1 and W1 – although all other boats did extremely well. O1 had an amazing campaign, bumping on every single day and securing blades. Even more impressive is that they were awarded the highest blades on the river (the second year in a row). They now sit firmly in the top half of Division 2. W1 similarly excelled. After a hard-fought bump on day one, they had a row-over on day two, a bump on day 3, and despite a klaxon unfortunately ending their final race on the final day (in touching distance of the boat ahead), they are the highest Exeter women have ever been on the river – an incredible achievement. Of further note, they are close to the top of Division 2 and set to step-up into Division 1 soon. Serco Group Plc have recently confirmed that they will buy ECBC a new set of blades to support our quest of getting O1 and W1 into the First Division – as you have read, we are tantalisingly close! 

Photos from Summer Eights 2026

Of interest, members of Exeter JCR and MCR travelled to Cambridge for a Sports Day on 9 May with our sister college, Emmanuel College. Sporting activities occurred at the well-tended Emmanuel playing grounds and included women’s football, men’s football, mixed touch rugby, mixed lacrosse, mixed netball, and mixed tennis. Exeter students brought enthusiasm, energy, and noteworthy camaraderie to all events, as well as a great deal of skill, flair, and talent. All in all, it was a great day, and everyone present was hosted wonderfully by their light blue counterparts. In a wider sense, Exeter College (Mixed) Basketball Team (ECBT) has enjoyed its second year of competitive play, taking part in both the league phase and cuppers competitions; our mixed hockey team won Division 1 League, leading them to play against the top Cambridge college team, where they put up a great effort but unfortunately lost 2-1; and the College has recently established the Exeter College (Mixed) Lacrosse Club (ECLC), where teamwork and enthusiasm have made up for a lack of stick competency and field expertise. Sports are alive and well at Exeter and, yet again, the College entered a large team to participate in the annual Town & Gown 10 kilometre run in support of EXVAC. 

Photos from the Exeter-Emma Sports day 2026

Turning to wider matters, this has been a particularly busy and lively Term in the Chapel. From the Lord’s Prayer in many languages, to a range of stimulating preachers, the Chapel has contributed hugely to College life. The choir remains a key feature of the Chapel, and this term has been especially busy: Bach’s Cantata Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (weeping, lamenting, worrying, fearing) was simply wonderful. We are very proud of our choristers in both their commitment as well as their talent. This year’s Ball, delivered jointly with Jesus College, was an out-and-out triumph – both colleges showing themselves off to their best and complementing one another wonderfully. We are hopeful that this will be the beginning of a tradition between both colleges. As is customary at Exeter, we have continued to mark several religious celebrations in Hall. Vaisakhi, which marks the traditional Punjabi spring harvest and the solar New Year, was an especially noteworthy occasion, amongst others, with traditional music and prayers before dinner, wonderful fare, and the Hall magnificently decorated for the occasion. And the JCR Drama Society’s production of Federico García Lorca’s Yerma in the Fellows’ Garden, was outstanding. A story of isolation, alienation, and tragic obsession in rural Spain, it was a tour de force and rightly received rave reviews from everyone. 

Exeter College Choir

Before closing, you would also wish to be aware that improvements will start on Stapeldon House this month, work continues on Cohen Quad, and the extensive upgrades to staircases 12, 13, and 14 have concluded successfully at Turl Street. Staircase 4 has been re-decorated, new readable signs are in place in the front and back quad, multiple student rooms have been painted, re-carpeted, and received new furniture, and an up-to-date audio-visual system is now operating effectively in the Fitzhugh Auditorium at Cohen Quad. Work will start on removing the shingle path in the Fellows’ Garden and replacing it with York stone next month (the threadbare lawn will be addressed over the winter months, starting in October). Moreover, work is progressing on the redevelopment of the College website. The College’s communications team is working with an agency, The Web Kitchen, and members of College to create a website that will celebrate Exeter as an historic institution that is firmly forward-looking: anchored in its heritage, yet at the forefront of education and research. The goal is a website that is easy for our different audiences to navigate, that captures what makes Exeter special, and that would make anyone want to be part of this vibrant and forward-leaning community, with the new site’s launch anticipated in January. 

I hope this short update gives you a sense of the vibrancy, energy, and momentum across the College in Trinity Term. Sadly, I can only scratch the surface in the wordcount available. There continues to be a very nice feel to Exeter, which sees our students and academics excelling. And it is heartening to see so many alumni engaging with the College, either attending High Table, supporting ECBC, or offering targeted support. We are very grateful for all offers of help. I conclude this update by wishing our graduates every success in whatever follows. They are a super cohort, who will be missed, and I am confident that each will change the world for the better – big or small. Finally, you would wish to note that ‘EXOq’, Exeter’s proposed large-scale development just north of the city, centred around a nationally significant sovereign compute asset, with a focus on quantum and AI, is now registered and on Cherwell District Council’s website. I will keep you updated on progress.