Author Archives: Athene Donald

Celebrating a Pioneering Engineer

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Athene Donald

Constance Tipper (née Elam) was born on this day in 1894. Although some years ago I gave a talk at TWI, just outside Cambridge, to the Tipper Group – a group which endeavours to promote diversity and inclusion to wider … Continue reading →

Posted in Women in Science | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Celebrating a Pioneering Engineer

Inequity and Research Culture

Posted on January 29, 2023 by Athene Donald

Research culture remains a topic that is of concern to many, because it can be so very far from ideal. You don’t have to be from a minority background – of whatever kind – to find yourself in an environment … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Science Culture | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Inequity and Research Culture

Where is Social Mobility Heading and for Whom?

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Athene Donald

Levelling up may have been a phrase that tripped off Boris Johnson’s lips more than other politicians, but whether or not the phrase is politically dead, the concept is as important as it ever was during his prime ministerial tenure. … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Equality | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Where is Social Mobility Heading and for Whom?

The Humane Scientist

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Athene Donald

It was Philip Ball who drew my attention to the recent memoir by Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman. He said, over Twitter, that he thought it would resonate with me, and it certainly did. His … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Culture | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Humane Scientist

What Does Excellence Look Like?

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Athene Donald

Harnessing the Metric Tide, the recently-published follow-on to the 2015 Report The Metric Tide, provides a welcome focus on our cultures and practice within HEIs. It imagines an ecosystem where metrics are collected which inform the community about the health … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Research | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on What Does Excellence Look Like?