Author Archives: Athene Donald

To Be or Not to Be a Role Model

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Athene Donald

When you grow up what do you want to be? That is a familiar enough question but I’ve never heard of anyone who expected the answer to be ‘a role model’. Yet there are those who have an expectation that … Continue reading →

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

Will I not be ‘Important’?

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Athene Donald

This is the troubled question Jeremy Baumberg asks rhetorically in his recent book The Secret Life of Science when he discusses the vexed question of what happens if he decides not to attend some conference, along with ‘Will I no … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Culture | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Our Bullying Culture

Posted on October 14, 2018 by Athene Donald

Many of you will have already seen the OpEd I wrote in the Guardian last week on the subject of bullying and harassment in our universities. I was heartened by the response it received, in so far as it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Science Culture | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Resilience and the Nobel Prize

Posted on October 7, 2018 by Athene Donald

In case you’ve been asleep, this week has seen the number of scientific women winning Nobel prizes spike: two won this year. I don’t consider this simply as a moment of pure celebration for the cause of women in science, … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Research | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

What Does Creativity Mean to You?

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Athene Donald

When I was at school, careers’ advice – at least at my girls’ grammar school – was essentially non-existent. Perhaps boys’ schools did better; after all, for my generation of women, ‘careers’ weren’t a matter for serious concern. I certainly … Continue reading →

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