Author Archives: Athene Donald

Anxious Times

Posted on 21 May 2023 by Athene Donald

I can still remember anxiously waiting for my first paper to appear. It must have been in 1976, because I know I had submitted the paper under my married name, although at the time the wedding was still some weeks … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in bookshops, Communicating Science, criticism, Not just for the boys, reviews, Science Culture | Leave a comment

On Being Unnerved – Get out your Velcro

Posted on 29 April 2023 by Athene Donald

Not infrequently I find myself having to give after dinner speeches in my College: to alumni as well as to different parts of the student body. The first time I had to talk to the Freshers, I suspect I was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in after-dinner speech, criticism, experience, Impostor syndrome, Science Culture | Leave a comment

What does the Raab episode tell us about Academia?

Posted on 22 April 2023 by Athene Donald

The resignation of Dominic Raab in the latest Government bullying scandal, and the manner of it, demonstrates many of the challenges surrounding accusations of bullying in any sphere. Bullying is hard to define precisely; one person’s robust retort is another’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Dominic Raab, Science Culture, toxicity | Comments Off on What does the Raab episode tell us about Academia?

Waiting for Publication

Posted on 16 April 2023 by Athene Donald

As I get my hands on the first copies of my new book Not Just for the Boys: Why we need more women in science (publication date May 11th), and prepare for my first talk specifically about the book on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Diane Coyle, editing, Equality, Hannah Devlin, Latha Menon, Lisa Jardine-Wright, Not just for the boys, Paul Walton, podcasts, Women in science, Writing | Comments Off on Waiting for Publication

Diversity and Inclusion in STEM: What Will it Take?

Posted on 30 March 2023 by Athene Donald

Last week the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee produced its report into Diversity and Inclusion in STEM. It states in no uncertain terms that ‘Action must be taken that truly moves the dial’, recognizing that the issue of diversity … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Commons Select Committe, education, exclusione, Katherine Birbalsingh, Science Culture, Systemic Change, Women in science | Comments Off on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM: What Will it Take?

Renaissance Man?

Posted on 5 March 2023 by Athene Donald

This week the sad news of the death of physicist and erstwhile colleague Tom McLeish was announced, a soft matter theorist and committed interdisciplinarian – as well as a committed Christian. He is particularly associated with developing theories for the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in ICI, interdisciplinary, Interdisciplinary Science, polymer melts, Research, Tom McLeish | Comments Off on Renaissance Man?

Contrasting fates of Cambridge and Burnley

Posted on 21 February 2023 by Athene Donald

It is depressing to learn that the Treasury is essentially constraining any capital spending from the Department of Housing, Levelling Up and Communities. Whereas when Michael Gove was appointed Secretary of State there might have been some optimism that he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Centre for Cities, education, Equality, Further Education, Shared Prosperity Fund, skills | Comments Off on Contrasting fates of Cambridge and Burnley

Celebrating a Pioneering Engineer

Posted on 6 February 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 → Continue reading →

Posted in Constance Tipper, GI Taylor, Liberty Ship, metallurgy, Wendy-the-welder, Women in science | Comments Off on Celebrating a Pioneering Engineer

Inequity and Research Culture

Posted on 29 January 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 → Continue reading →

Posted in disability, Equality, ethnicity, marginalised researchers, research funding, Science Culture | Comments Off on Inequity and Research Culture

Where is Social Mobility Heading and for Whom?

Posted on 8 January 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 → Continue reading →

Posted in Alun Francis, education, Equality, Further Education, Katherine Birbalsingh, Levelling Up, Sure Start | Comments Off on Where is Social Mobility Heading and for Whom?

The Humane Scientist

Posted on 3 January 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 → Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Dominic Raab, hierarchy, Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Peter Medawar, Science Culture | Comments Off on The Humane Scientist

What Does Excellence Look Like?

Posted on 17 December 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 → Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Harnessing the Metric Tide, HESA, IDAP, Research, statistics, The Metric Tide | Comments Off on What Does Excellence Look Like?

Has the World Changed (Enough)?

Posted on 27 November 2022 by Athene Donald

“The reported incidents of racism and misogyny are extremely alarming” according to Gareth Cook, fire brigade’s union regional organiser for London about the recent report into the London Fire Brigade. “Women have been “systematically failed” by the criminal justice system”, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in confidence, harassment, Lindemann Trust, MIT, Women in science | Comments Off on Has the World Changed (Enough)?

Refereeing and Bullies

Posted on 10 November 2022 by Athene Donald

We’ve heard a lot about bullying at the heart of government in recent days. One defence of the behaviour of the former Chief Whip is that it used to be worse, much worse. That is of course a line one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in bullies, de Gennes, hierarchies, power imbalance, Science Culture | Comments Off on Refereeing and Bullies

Research Leadership: Are we Getting it Right?

Posted on 3 November 2022 by Athene Donald

We are stuck in an academic world where the model of how science research is done appears not to have shifted much from that deemed appropriate fifty years ago. Back then (more or less when I set out, give or … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, HEPI, Matthew Flinders, mentoring, Research, Science Culture, teams | Comments Off on Research Leadership: Are we Getting it Right?