Author Archives: Athene Donald

What Works: A Review

My review of What Works Gender Equality by Design by Iris Bohnet can be found at Nature. This is a book that  is intended to be a guide to institutional action. I was somewhat underwhelmed, as my review makes plain. … Continue reading

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Manifesto for Change

‘Science needs women’ proclaims the L’Oreal/UNESCO For Women in Science awards tagline. For the last 18 years the pairing has been awarding five laureates to women from different geographical regions around the world each year to celebrate (and publicise) their success. … Continue reading

Posted in Charlotte Proudman, discrimination, Equality, L'Oreal For Women in Science, sexism, Women in science | Comments Off on Manifesto for Change

Who Do You Care For?

The challenges associated with parental responsibilities are obvious and much-discussed. For many scientists they can seem overwhelming, limiting and sometimes ultimately career-destroying. The recent booklet published by the Royal Society (Parent Carer Scientist) that I wrote about before, attempts to … Continue reading

Posted in caring, elder care, Equality, health, parents, Science Culture | Comments Off on Who Do You Care For?

How Not to Chair a Committee

Whether as a student or a professor (or indeed at any level in between) I would suspect there isn’t a reader of this blog who hasn’t had to sit through a meeting of some type or other where the Chair … Continue reading

Posted in committee meetings, incompetence, Science Culture, sexism | Comments Off on How Not to Chair a Committee

Dare to Dream: Parent Carer Scientist

This post first appeared here on the Huffington Post on 9th March 2016. ‘Science Needs Women’ says L’Oreal’s tagline succinctly for its For Women in Science Campaign. Science needs women to ensure the best science is done by the most … Continue reading

Posted in careers, Equality, parents, Royal Society, Women in science | Comments Off on Dare to Dream: Parent Carer Scientist

A Tale of Politics, Policy and Nerves

Walking in to the Babbage Lecture Theatre in the centre of Cambridge last week took me straight back to what I suspect was the first lecture I ever attended (or should that be endured?) in Cambridge as an undergraduate. I’m … Continue reading

Posted in Carlos Moedas, Downing Street Declaration, EU, Impostor syndrome, Jo Johnson, Science Culture | Comments Off on A Tale of Politics, Policy and Nerves

National Academies and the Gender Mix Around the World

National academies of science serve a variety of purposes including recognizing the country’s eminent scientists and providing an impartial (usually) voice to government and other policy makers. If this voice is to be truly representative it needs to be inclusive. … Continue reading

Posted in Equality, Interacademies Partnership, national academies, Rosalind Franklin, Royal Society, Women in science | Comments Off on National Academies and the Gender Mix Around the World

Drinking Habits of the Academic

Do we, poor misguided academics drink too much? I am sure many of us could do with drinking less but I was surprised to see the Guardian’s Academics Anonymous complaining that Russell group universities ply everyone with too much alcohol. … Continue reading

Posted in alcohol, Phd student training, Science Culture, seminars | Comments Off on Drinking Habits of the Academic

On Being Biased

The subject of unconscious bias training has risen swiftly up the agenda at many organisations with the recognition that we are, almost without exception, guilty of it. (If you think you’re exempt, try the Project Implicit tests.) Be it that … Continue reading

Posted in Equality, patronising, promotion, Stereotypes, Women in science | Comments Off on On Being Biased

The Environmental Sisterhood

The admissions process to Cambridge can raise strong opinions. I’ve written about dispelling the myths behind the process and more recently about widening participation issues. But now I’m provoked to write about my own experience of applying to the university, … Continue reading

Posted in Cambridge admissions, education, environmentalism, ornithology, Rachel Carson | Comments Off on The Environmental Sisterhood