Author Archives: Athene Donald

Inspirational Gentlemen

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Athene Donald

This week I have taken on a new role as Chair of the Royal Society’s Education Committee. School education (like so much in the UK)  is an area of much flux and I can imagine an increasing role for this … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Research, Science Culture | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Inspirational Gentlemen

Physicists, Algae and Sustainability

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Athene Donald

A couple of weeks ago my university was able to announce a large new initiative, £20M to set up The Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability, funded by David Harding, the founder, chairman and head of research of Winton … Continue reading →

Posted in Biological Physics, Interdisciplinary Science, Research, Science Funding | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Do we need a Female Brian Cox? Inspiration, Role Models and the Media

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Athene Donald

Last week I talked to undergraduates in Cambridge about my new role as Gender Equality Champion within the University, about the sort of activities I envisaged in my new role and how I had got to where I am in … Continue reading →

Posted in Communicating Science, Education, Teaching, Women in Science | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Stereotype Threat, Underperformance and Diversity

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Athene Donald

Some months ago I came across a review in the THE for a book with the strange title of Whistling Vivaldi, by Claude Steele and it finally came to the top of my reading list recently. Far too late to … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Equality, Teaching, Women in Science | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Educational Breadth

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Athene Donald

I am now off to Paris for a 2 day meeting of the ESPCI International Advisory Committee. ESPCI Paris Tech (the École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, one of a group of institutions … Continue reading →

Posted in Biological Physics, Education, Interdisciplinary Science, Teaching | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments