Author Archives: Athene Donald

Looking After the Ada’s of the Future

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Athene Donald

Ada Lovelace Day (on Tuesday) is not just a day for celebrating one remarkable aristocratic woman who dared to break the mould the majority of her female colleagues were content to slot into, it is a day to look forward … Continue reading →

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

Moving Beyond a Silo Mentality

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Athene Donald

Wherever I turn currently I seem to come up against the questions that assessing interdisciplinary research throws up. Nature recently had a special issue highlighting some of the challenges and rewards, but taking a very broad brush approach. Its editorial … Continue reading →

Posted in Interdisciplinary Science, Science Funding | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

The Fresher’s Balancing Act

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Athene Donald

It’s the start of another academic year. For some universities, students have been in residence for some time; for others, such as Cambridge, freshers (undergraduates and graduates) are only now arriving. That of course goes for ‘Heads of House’ too, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Can We Get Beyond Quotas?

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Athene Donald

As people talk increasingly about the need for quotas of women on Boards and senior management teams of different kinds, it is worth considering not only whether this is desirable but whether it is viable. I am prompted to ask … Continue reading →

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

Why so Few (Still)?

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Athene Donald

If you ask a kid to draw a scientist, very often they will draw a ‘mad’ scientist with sticking up hair in a white lab coat, probably holding a test tube containing some evil-looking smoking liquid: an amalgam of Einstein … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Women in Science | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments