Category Archives: Uncategorized

Mentoring: Getting Personal?

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Athene Donald

Should one worry about confidentiality in the context of a mentoring relationship? Should line managers be one’s mentor? These were amongst the questions posed during the panel discussion in which I participated (along with Lab Director Jim Smith and Anne … Continue reading →

Posted in Communicating Science, Uncategorized, Women in Science | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Changing the Departmental Mind-set

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Athene Donald

Another bumper batch of Athena Swan awards have just been announced: ever more universities and departments are participating. With the hint of financial consequences looming from RCUK funders for those STEM departments that don’t demonstrate commitment to improving the climate … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Culture, Uncategorized, Women in Science | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Let’s Get Stereotypes out of Science Education

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Athene Donald

Women are from Venus, like making cupcakes, like bright colours – particularly pink – and need to be told at frequent intervals that ‘math is meant to be hard’. That seems to be the verdict you could cull from many … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Equality, Uncategorized, Women in Science | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

Raising Expectations: Funders Get Tough(ish)

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Athene Donald

About 18 months ago, Dame Sally Davies, the Government’s Chief Medical Officer, unilaterally raised the bar for Medical Schools wanting to apply to future rounds of funding through the Biomedical Research Centre scheme, demanding (in essence) that they obtain an … Continue reading →

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

Culture, Class and Quakers

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Athene Donald

Last week Melvyn Bragg ran a special series of In Our Time discussing the meaning of culture in both the past and present.  Because of the timing of the programme I rarely listen to it, although it’s great for listening … Continue reading →

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