Mantas Drelingas

Community Bursary Award Holder

DPhil Inorganic Chemistry (2022)

I am incredibly grateful to receive the St Cross College Community Bursary and sincerely thank the donors for their generous support. I am a DPhil student in Sustainable Polymer Chemistry, developing biodegradable plastics for water-based home and personal care formulations. 

Alongside my research I have been committed to strengthening the St Cross community through sport and student engagement.

As Sports and Societies Representative, I introduced a programme that enables students to launch new societies, secured external funding to expand access to sport, and organised well-attended events that revitalised college traditions. 

I also served as Men’s/Open Captain of the St Cross/Wolfson College Boat Club, where I coordinated training logistics and supported the smooth running of a large squad, and was glad to see the team’s collective efforts culminate in a historic double headship in Torpids and Summer Eights. These experiences reflect my commitment to initiative, leadership, and community building. 

This bursary will alleviate financial pressures and, more importantly, affirms the value of the work I have pursued, while enabling me to continue contributing to college life and attending industry conferences to deepen my expertise in sustainable materials innovation.