Who's Who

Professor Thom Brooks, Principal

Thom is Professor of Law and Government at Durham Law School, an associate member of the Department of Philosophy and the School of Government and International Studies who has held visiting appointments at universities including Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Oxford, Penn and Yale. He was the 112th President of the Society of Legal Scholars and the longest-serving Dean of Durham Law School. His multidisciplinary research cuts across ethics, law and public policy, with current interests in citizenship and integration, immigration law and policy, political philosophy and sentencing. He is writing a major monograph on jurisprudence under contract with Cambridge University Press, is actively engaged in policy analysis, has given evidence to parliamentary committees and has made over 2,000 media appearances on television, radio and in print since arriving at Durham in 2012.

A member of Collingwood for many years, Thom became Principal in September 2025. He sees his role as empowering students to develop their potential in meaningful ways, supporting their success wherever their endeavours inspire them.

Ms Emma Brownlow, Vice Principal

As the Vice Principal, Emma is responsible for the strategic development of Collingwood, particularly in relation to student experience, enrichment, employability and opportunities, as well as alumni relations, fundraising and community engagement. Emma is an alumna of Collingwood College. Her role at Collingwood is full-time and although she does not deliver academic teaching at Durham, her academic background and interest lies in Theology, Global Ethics and Sustainability.

“My role (in just one sentence) is to manage the strategic direction of Collingwood, especially when it comes to student development, opportunities for enrichment, and overall student experience. Over a number of years we have been building an impressive programme to provide opportunities for Collingwood students to enhance their personal development in a whole range of ways. From research placements as part of Collingwood’s flagship Undergraduate Research Internship Programme, to global internships in professional domains, and opportunities to make a difference to the lives of others around the world. Our priority is to make these opportunities accessible to all Collingwood students; our alumni gifted funds ensure that no Collingwood student has to turn down a life-changing opportunity simply because they might otherwise not be able to afford it. So many of these opportunities are made possible thanks to the generosity of Collingwood alumni and supporters. Joining Collingwood means you become part of a community of people dating back to 1972 (Collingwood’s founding year) who continue to support each other even after they leave the physical grounds of The Wood. As a Collingwood alumna myself, I know this to be true – I met my very closest friends (including my husband!) at Collingwood; those friendships and our connection to the College will last a lifetime, wherever we are in the world.”

Mr Grant Slater, Assistant Principal

As the Assistant Principal, Grant is responsible for all matters related to student support and wellbeing and for the allocation of accommodation to students. Grant heads up the Student Support Team at Collingwood and is available to support students with any personal, medical or support issues, as the need arises. Grant works full time at Collingwood and although he does not deliver academic teaching at Durham, his academic background and interest is in History.

“It is my pleasure to head up the student support side of our community. This element of the College is important to us as a ‘family’ and your wellbeing is something we take very seriously indeed. We won’t do your degree for you (bad news, I know), but if things get hard or you fall on the way, we will help you up and get you back on your path as much as we can. The student support provided within Collingwood and across the University as a whole is one great reason our retention figures are so high here in Durham. Student support is easily accessible here in College - most of you will walk past our offices several times a day. Our doors are always open to anyone with health, academic or financial concerns, or just to have a chat; and we work closely with our amazing student run JCR Welfare Team. If we can’t help find a solution for your woes, we will know someone who can.

My other responsibility in College relates to discipline and behaviour. At Collingwood we expect the best of our students and in almost all cases we get that. Where people occasionally fall below the standards we set ourselves, we prefer to take a supportive approach to putting things right and all of us here take pride in how effective that is. Every member of staff here plays a vital role in student support, from the porters, the cleaners, catering staff, admin teams and management right through to the Principal. We are here for you in good times and in bad. For me, the most special thing about Collingwood is this: we are a family. We want to see each other do the best and be the best we can be. We care for each other; we look out for each other. There is a spirit in this place that is hard to find elsewhere (and difficult to capture in a few words).”