L to R: Sophie Mayes, Associate Professor Megan Robertson, and Emilia Sterjova.

Queen’s College is proud to celebrate International Women’s Day 2026, with five female leaders in our College community :

  • Chair of Council – Associate Professor Megan Robertson (Wyvern 1980)
  • Principal Fellow – Dr Jane Tovey (Wyvern 1980)
  • Wyvern Society’s Arch Wyvern – Katie Skillington (Wyvern 2006)
  • MCR President – Emilia Sterjova (PhD Law)
  • JCR President – Sophie Mayes (3rd year Arts).

For Sophie, this has significant meaning.

“Having women in leadership is something I have been passionate about for a long time. It was the focus of a mini research project I did on the barriers to women’ s entry into executive leadership roles, and an interest I have continued to examine through my university studies. Now, being a woman in leadership, it feels incredibly special. I am able to watch the social narratives I have studied about women in leadership play out. I am keen to lead with a team of incredible, strong, and authentic women, and help guide these systems to change.”

Sophie considers the 2026 line up of women in leadership roles in Queen’s, reflective of broader change.

“I’ve recently been interested in cultural memory and the affective response to a deep history of male dominated leadership. Having so many leadership roles filled by women this year is slowly but actively reimagining our cultural memory of women being hidden away in workplaces or organisations. As leaders, we are now visible, we don’t need to ‘act like a man’ in order to be taken seriously in these roles. More and more, being authentic to our own leadership style is becoming not only celebrated, but vital. I feel so privileged that this year there are so many female leaders, each one of these women is unique, kind, and inspiring. I am excited to look up to them throughout my year as JCR President.”