Professor Melissa Lane Honoured with Gresham College Fellowship

Professor Melissa Lane completed her tenure yesterday as the 50th Gresham College Professor of Rhetoric.

Professor Lane, who is also a distinguished Professor of Politics at Princeton University, has delivered four outstanding lecture series exploring the political structures and ideas of ancient Greece, drawing fascinating comparisons with the challenges and complexities of politics in our own era.

The Provost, Professor Jane Shaw, said: “Professor Lane has been a fantastic Professor of Rhetoric. 

"Her lectures have brought the political ideas of ancient Greece vividly to life, illuminating their enduring relevance to the world we live in today.

"We are immensely grateful for the depth of scholarship, clarity of thought and fresh perspectives she has shared with our audiences, and for the significant contribution she has made to the intellectual life of the College.”

At the end of Professor Lane’s final lecture, the Provost announced that Professor Lane has been elected a Fellow of the College, recognising both her contribution as professor and her continuing connection to the College in the future, and presented her with a Certificate of Fellowship.  

Gresham College's Executive Director, Richard Smith OBE, said: “Becoming a Gresham College Professor is one of the pinnacles in an academic career, and becoming a Fellow of the College at the end of their tenure recognises and celebrates what is a lifelong link with the College.”