Profile photo of Richard Dennis

Mr Richard Dennis

Emeritus Fellow

Richard Dennis is an Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College. He was formerly Director of Development from 2000 until June 2018.

Degrees obtained

  • BSc, Queen Mary, University of London.
  • MA, Cantab.

Biography

Richard Dennis is an Economics graduate of Queen Mary College, University of London. He has been an Emertius Fellow of Jesus College since 2018, having previously been a Fellow from 2007 and a Fellow Commoner from 2000.

Richard set up the College's first permanent fundraising and alumni-relations operation, marshalling the generous support of Jesuans to refurbish North Court in his first few years of office. Other improvements included renovations to the Chapel - keeping it sound for decades to come - significant upgrading of the College's accomodation in Malcolm Street and Jesus Lane; a major refurbishement of the Boat House; the Chapter House and Song School projects in Cloisters; the endowment and funding of teaching posts; support for undergraduates students through the funding of bursaries either endowed or through the Annual Fund and funding likewise for postgraduate scholarships. Richard's remarkable roster of achievements culminated in the ambitious development of West Court, officially opened by HRH The Earl of Wessex in October 2017.

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    Matthew

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    Jesus College has been at the heart of my Cambridge experience. I chose the College because I was impressed by its distinctive blend of academic rigour and extracurricular achievement. A College for all-rounders, Jesus is a lively and rewarding place to study. I couldn’t be happier here! Friendly and engaged, the Jesus postgraduate community never ceases to impress me. At ease with themselves and forever curious, my peers go out of their way to cultivate a sense of camaraderie. After a day of leafing through old manuscripts at the National...

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    Imogen

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    I chose Cambridge for my PGCE as it’s the leading UK institution for teacher training and Education, with an exciting, research-dominated, cutting edge course. The staff are welcoming and approachable, and make studying here an absolute joy. I’ve already completed one of my three primary school placements, in a reception class in a school just outside Cambridge, and am due to start the next one soon. I chose Jesus because of its reputation as a sporty College, but the proximity to the city centre is a big bonus. Jesus also...

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    Tara

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    Jesus College has all the benefits of being large, historical and prestigious college, whilst also retaining fantastic welfare: the staff and other students all care about each other, and will be there to cheer you on when you are thriving, but also there to support you if you need any help. I chose Jesus due to several reasons, including its prime location, where it is very central, and easy to access everywhere, even if you work in one of the institutes further out. I also selected Jesus for its MCR...

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    Jake

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    When applying to Cambridge colleges it can feel a bit overwhelming as there are so many to choose from. I applied to Jesus College because it has a large MCR which was important for me because I wanted to feel part of a community. Now that I’m doing my PhD here, I’m very glad I did choose a college with a large postgraduate community. Throughout the year there are lots of postgraduate events, including formal dinners, special formals at Christmas and Easter, bops in the bar and film nights in...

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    Ellie

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    Jesus College has been a great home for me during my PhD. I chose Jesus College for a number of reasons – first, the location. We are central enough to be within easy walking distance of most things, but far enough away to avoid the hustle and bustle (and tourists in summer!). The College also has extensive grounds, with amenities like the hockey pitch, football pitch and tennis courts all on site. Secondly, the accommodation is some of the best I’ve seen in Cambridge. My house was newly renovated when...

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