Press release: Jane Shaw to become Gresham College’s new Provost

Respected academic, historian and author to join London’s oldest higher education institute this December

We are delighted to announce that following a highly competitive recruitment process, Professor Jane Shaw has been appointed as the sixth Provost of Gresham College and will take up the role in December.

Based in Holborn, Gresham College is the oldest Higher Education institution in London. Since the 16th century, it has been offering free lectures initially to those who attended in person. These continue today and are also broadcast online.

Professor Shaw has been Principal of Harris Manchester College and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Oxford for the last seven years, roles from which she retires at the end of September. She will continue to hold the position of Professor of the History of Religion at the University of Oxford.

Prior to her recent posts at Oxford, she was Dean for Religious Life and Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University; Dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco; and Dean of Divinity and Fellow of New College, Oxford.

She was educated at Oxford, Harvard and U.C. Berkeley.

Her books include Miracles in Enlightenment England (2006); Octavia, Daughter of God: The Story of a Female Messiah and her Followers (2011); and the co-authored Gen Z, Explained: The Art of Living in a Digital Age (2021).

For the coming academic year, she has been awarded a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship to complete her book Seeking Infinity: Mystics in the Modern World (forthcoming with Penguin Allen Lane).

In her role, Professor Shaw will curate the academic programme of the College, working closely with the academic staff team and academic board.  

Richard Smith, Executive Director of Gresham College, said: “We are delighted that Professor Shaw is joining Gresham College as our Provost.

“We were seeking a truly exceptional candidate with the necessary academic reputation and leadership skills to build on the 400-year tradition of Gresham College, while developing innovative ideas to realise its vision, mission, and values.

“Professor Shaw will bring her experience and expertise to guide our academic offering, ensuring we can continue to host high quality and free lectures in the heart of the City of London.”

Professor Shaw said: “I am delighted to be appointed the next Provost. Gresham College has a long and distinguished history of providing the highest quality education to lifelong learners, which I deeply value. I look forward to working with the Executive Director, the College Council and all my new colleagues to continue this exceptional tradition.”

Professor Shaw will take over the position from Acting Provost Professor Sarah Hart, who remains in the role until December 5th.

Richard Smith said: “We are tremendously grateful to Professor Hart for her dedicated leadership and contributions to the College and look forward to a continuing relationship in the years ahead.”

Gresham College is London’s oldest higher education institution. Founded in 1597 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham, it has been delivering free public lectures for over 427 years from a lineage of leading professors and experts in their field who have included Sir Christopher Wren, Robert Hooke, Iannis Xenakis and Sir Roger Penrose.

There are around 100 lectures a year, and all are free for the public to attend without charge. Attendances in person number up to 9,000 a year, and more than seven million online views

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Pictures available on request. For more information or to arrange an interview please contact: Phil Creighton press@gresham.ac.uk 

About Gresham College 
Gresham College has been providing free, educational lectures – at university level – since 1597 when Sir Thomas Gresham founded the college to bring Renaissance Learning to Londoners. Our history includes some of the luminaries of the scientific revolution including Robert Hooke and Sir Christopher Wren. 

Today we carry on Sir Thomas's vision.  

Gresham College is a registered charity number 1039962 and relies on donations to help us encourage people's love of learning for many years to come. For more details or to make a gift, visit our Support Us section