Author Archives: Athene Donald

The Lure of Procrastination

Posted on 11 November 2018 by Athene Donald

Why do you procrastinate? Since most people are guilty of this failing at least some of the time, few readers are likely to say ‘what me, I never do!’ I believe the reasons are many and various but I must … Continue reading →

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To Be or Not to Be a Role Model

Posted on 4 November 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 academic housekeeping, Donna Strickland, Equality, inspiration, Women in science | Comments Off on To Be or Not to Be a Role Model

Will I not be ‘Important’?

Posted on 21 October 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 conferences, display, Science Culture, travel | Comments Off on Will I not be ‘Important’?

Our Bullying Culture

Posted on 14 October 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 Athena Swan, Equality, intimidation, power, Science Culture | Comments Off on Our Bullying Culture

Resilience and the Nobel Prize

Posted on 7 October 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 Barbara McClintock, Cold Spring Harbour, Equality, Evelyn Fox Keller, maize, Research, transposition | Comments Off on Resilience and the Nobel Prize

What Does Creativity Mean to You?

Posted on 28 September 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 Career advice, education, Lord Aberdare, Science Culture, William Blake | Comments Off on What Does Creativity Mean to You?

The Buzz of the New

Posted on 22 September 2018 by Athene Donald

The start of the academic year brings its own opportunity for new year’s resolutions. All the usual: drink less coffee, snack less between meals, waste less time reading peripherally-relevant websites and answer all emails within 24 hours. Just like calendar … Continue reading →

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Being Educated but not Inspired

Posted on 9 September 2018 by Athene Donald

I’ve been away for a few wonderful days exploring the streets (and art) of Paris, a city in which I always regret I have never lived – as opposed to visited many times. One of my unfulfilled dreams was to … Continue reading →

Posted in education, inspiration, Paris, Tara Westover | Comments Off on Being Educated but not Inspired

Thinking about Everyone’s Health

Posted on 31 August 2018 by Athene Donald

My last post dealt with an almost trivial – although symptomatic – issue of everyday sexism. This one deals with something of rather larger magnitude, but one that is much lower beneath the radar than it warrants: health, and health … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, gender, Londa Schiebinger, MRC, Research, research design, wellcome | Comments Off on Thinking about Everyone’s Health

Come Fly with Me!

Posted on 26 August 2018 by Athene Donald

This week the Guardian ran a story which reeked of the Everyday Sexism Laura Bates has charted so excellently. The story referred to the airline TUI which had printed out badges to give to children boarding its flights. On one … Continue reading →

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