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Author Archives: Athene Donald
Looking After the Ada’s of the Future
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 #Just1Action4WIS, Ada Lovelace, Equality, ERC, microinequities, stereotyping, Women in science
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Moving Beyond a Silo Mentality
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 committee meetings, ERC, Interdisciplinary Science, refereeing, Research Councils, Science Funding
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The Fresher’s Balancing Act
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, experience, sleep, undergraduate, university
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Can We Get Beyond Quotas?
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 committee membership, Equality, head hunters, nominations, Women in science
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Why so Few (Still)?
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 Change then Numbers, Elizabeth Blackburn, Equality, L'Oreal For Women in Science, nobel prize, UNESCO, Women in science
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Compartmentalising our Passions
As scientists, many in the world believe we are reductionist, breaking everything down into component parts. For some humanities’ scholars this can be equated to the fact that we can’t possibly be creative or, in Thomas Carlyle’s words (in 1833), … Continue reading
Posted in British Science Association, Communicating Science, CP Snow, Michael Berkeley, Music, Private Passions, Science Culture
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Multitasking in the Public Eye
I spent much of the last week in Belgium. A long-scheduled trip, I spent a couple of nights in Brussels and one in Leuven. With Cambridge-Brussels being easy and streamlined (usually at least) via Eurostar, this should have been a … Continue reading
Posted in BBC, British Science Association, Communicating Science, Justin Webb, LERU
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Now I am Five*
This week I was stalking people. Professionally of course. As a Trustee of the Science Museum a group of us were invited to do some ‘Gallery Observations’ of visitors to get a sense of how they interact with the exhibits. … Continue reading
Posted in anniversary, audience, Blogging, Communicating Science, Science Museum, Writing
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Choosing an Oxbridge College
As one cohort of students are celebrating (or coming to terms with) which university they’ll be heading off to this autumn, another cohort are considering their Year 12 results. For this latter group, decisions loom about UCAS forms. Which universities … Continue reading
Posted in A levels, academia, admissions, Cambridge, Churchill College, education
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When Did You Decide to…..?
People seem to think that life travels in straight, orderly lines, with everything mapped out from birth. I have never felt that my life was like that and it is always startling when I find other people assume that I … Continue reading
Posted in careers, decisions, experience, interviews, Science Culture
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