Dr. Ally Louks, a Cambridge University scholar, recently found herself at the center of both praise and criticism after her social media post celebrating her academic achievement went viral. Despite widespread support, Dr. Louks became the target of online abuse, including misogynistic remarks and threats, prompting Cambridge University to issue a statement strongly backing her and condemning the harassment.
A Viral Moment Turns Sour
Dr. Louks initially shared a post on the platform X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate passing her PhD viva without any corrections—an impressive academic milestone. The post quickly gained traction, attracting over 100 million views and an outpouring of congratulatory messages from around the world. However, the viral moment also brought an influx of harassment, with trolls targeting her research topic, educational journey, and even her gender.
In its statement of support, Cambridge University addressed the situation directly. “Dr. Louks, we support you,” the statement began. “Last week, Cambridge PhD student @allylouks published this photo on X to celebrate passing her viva with no corrections. Her tweet went viral, attracting over 100 million views.”
The university went on to condemn the abuse: “But the attention that Ally’s achievement received turned to harassment and misogyny when trolls attacked Ally’s PhD topic, her education, her achievement, and her gender.”
A Community Rallies Behind Dr. Louks
Despite the negativity, Dr. Louks received overwhelming support from people around the world, including members of Cambridge’s student, staff, and alumni communities. According to the university’s statement, Dr. Louks shared that the majority of the responses were positive, reflecting “generosity, intellectual curiosity, and kindness.”
“In the days afterwards, thousands of commenters—including from Cambridge’s own student, staff, and alumni communities—have added their supportive messages for Ally,” the university noted. The post garnered over 11,000 comments and 20,000 retweets, the majority of which expressed admiration for her achievement and curiosity about her research.
Olfactory Ethics: A Unique Research Topic
Dr. Louks’ PhD research topic, titled Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose, explores how literature highlights the significance of smell and its role in shaping social interactions. This innovative area of study delves into the “olfactory discourse” and the imagination it fosters, contributing to our understanding of the social world through sensory perception.
Congratulating Dr. Louks, the university wrote: “Curious about Dr. Louks’ topic? Olfactory Ethics studies how literature registers the importance of olfactory discourse—the language of smell and the olfactory imagination it creates—in structuring our social world. Congratulations, Dr. Louks, on passing your viva with no corrections.”
Positive Reactions to Cambridge’s Support
Cambridge University’s public backing of Dr. Louks has also garnered widespread praise, with many applauding the institution for taking a stand against online harassment. The university’s post went viral, receiving numerous comments from users expressing admiration for both Dr. Louks’ research and Cambridge’s stance.
“Congratulations, Dr. Louks! I would love to read your thesis. Also, kudos to Cambridge for supporting your learners offline and online,” one user commented. Another wrote, “Congratulations on this achievement. I am really looking forward to reading and quoting your research.”
