Author Archives: Athene Donald

Facing up to the Existence of the Jerk

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Athene Donald

As stories of harassment and bullying multiply in the media (social and otherwise), it is worth thinking about what it is in management and leadership that lets situations get out of hand. Too often I hear the phrase that someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Leadership | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Pyramid Schemes and the Book Cover Challenge

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Athene Donald

As a child I occasionally got sucked into a strange pyramid form of exchanging postcards, an old-fashioned form of chain mail (but not of the metal variety). The details escape me but the basic idea was that you contacted half … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A Bad Week to be in Brussels

Posted on December 16, 2018 by Athene Donald

Historians of the future will no doubt make much of the UK’s political ramifications of the moment. This week has seen a particularly strange spectacle as the Tory party tears itself apart and the Labour party seems unable to sort … Continue reading →

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Loading the Women – or Not?

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Athene Donald

The question of what should the composition of any team ‘look’ like remains one I feel uncertain about. Whereas a list of a dozen invited speakers who are all males smacks of bias or incompetence rather than a true reflection … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Culture, Women in Science | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Being Resilient

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Athene Donald

Have a setback, bounce back. That is what all the self-help books would proclaim loud and clear. It applies as much in science as anywhere else, perhaps more so since the setback need not be in one’s career or personal … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Culture, Women in Science | Tagged , , | 3 Comments