Cambridge University has, in a statement released today, December 6, publicly expressed its support for Dr Ally Louks, a PhD graduate whose celebratory tweet about passing her viva with no corrections went viral last week.
The post of the scholar, shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on November 28, attracted over 100 million views but also led to a wave of online harassment.
In their statement, the university condemned the misogynistic and abusive comments directed at Dr Louks. Several netizens targeted her academic achievements, education, PhD topic, and gender, overshadowing what was intended as a moment of celebration.
Despite the negative backlash, Dr Louks received an outpouring of positive messages from thousands of supporters, including members of the Cambridge community — students, staff, and alumni, the statement said.
According to Dr Louks, the majority of the over 11,000 comments and 20,000 retweets she received highlighted "generosity, intellectual curiosity, and kindness."
Dr. Louks’ research topic, Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose, explores the role of olfactory discourse — how literature addresses the sense of smell and its impact on shaping societal imagination and interactions.
In a reply to her original tweet, one netizen wrote, “The politics of smell? That's the best you could do?”
“Take a shot every time she says “olfactory”,” said another troll comment on her post, mocking the content of the thesis posted by Dr Louks.
In their statement, Cambridge University extended congratulations to Dr Louks for her exceptional academic achievement and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting her against harassment.
