Monday, 16 March 2020
Help us rename the University’s most uncreatively named building in honour of International Women’s Day 2020.
Last year we asked you to nominate women who have made a significant contribution to teaching, learning or research, so that we could rename the Teaching and Learning Building in their honour.
We received over 100 nominations, which we have now been shortlisted:
- Meena Alexander, award-winning poet and scholar
- Helena Brownsword Dowson, magistrate, councillor, and champion of women’s suffrage and education
- Monica Partridge, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½’s first woman professor
Who would you like the Teaching and Learning Building to be named after?
The building will be named after the woman with the most votes. The runners up will have rooms within the building named after them, and the long list will now be put forward for future building names on campus.
Meena Alexander
Meena Alexander (1951-2018) was a multi award-winning poet and scholar. Born in India, she moved to Sudan with her family, and then to England where she began a PhD in Romantic Literature at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. She completed her PhD aged 22 with a dissertation that she would later develop and publish as 'The Poetic Self'. After her studies, Meena taught at universities in India and the United States. She became a globally-renowned writer and gained many awards for her published works, which included a number of essays, eight books of poetry and two novels.
Helena Brownsword Dowson
Helena Brownsword Dowson (1866-1964) was an early 20th century educationalist, member of the Council of University College ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and champion of women’s education who dedicated her life to fighting for girls to have the same educational and employment opportunities as boys.
In 1896 Helena became Secretary of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Women’s Suffrage Society. She was also a member of the national Executive Committee, and was one of the first two women in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ to become magistrates - serving in this role from 1920 to 1950. She was also the first woman to become a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ City Councillor, elected in 1920 to represent The Meadows.
Monica Partridge
Monica Partridge (1915-2008) was the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½’s first woman professor and a leader in Slavonic and European studies.
Professor Partridge read French at University College, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, before becoming interested in Russian during World War II. She joined ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ University College’s Department of Slavonic Languages as a tutorial assistant in 1947 and became an Assistant Lecturer in 1967. She established close links with universities in Slovenia and Croatia, paving the way for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students to study in Ljubljana and Zagreb.
She retired in 1980 and was made an Emeritus Professor of The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. In the same year her achievements were recognised internationally, with the Order of the Yugoslav Flag with a Gold Star for her promotion of Yugoslav studies in Britain. Monica died in 2008, leaving a generous legacy to the department in her will. The Partridge Bequest Fund continues to support students and staff in activities that enable contact with Russia and the Slavonic world.