Author Archives: Athene Donald

Getting the Most out of Panel Discussions

Posted on 3 October 2014 by Athene Donald

When I set out as a young researcher, conferences had a pretty monolithic structure. There were longer talks and there were shorter talks, but that was it. I don’t even think the first conferences I attended had poster sessions. Talks … Continue reading →

Posted in audience participation, chairing, conferences, Science Culture, time-keeping | Comments Off on Getting the Most out of Panel Discussions

Is the Royal Society Treating Women Fairly?

Posted on 25 September 2014 by Athene Donald

This year’s announcement regarding successful applicants for Royal Society University Research Fellowships (URFs) has been hailed with deep suspicion by many. Out of 43 awards only 2 went to women and there is no getting around the fact that this … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, interviews, Science Funding, Unconscious bias, University Research Fellows, Women in science | Comments Off on Is the Royal Society Treating Women Fairly?

What’s Wrong with Conferences?

Posted on 21 September 2014 by Athene Donald

September is customarily a busy month for conferences, often with too many interesting ones that clash. What makes for a good meeting? Exciting talks, which you haven’t heard before (so not just lazy wheeling out of the usual suspects by … Continue reading →

Posted in clocks, Communicating Science, keynote speakers, poster sessions, Science Culture | Comments Off on What’s Wrong with Conferences?

Who Isn’t an Impostor?

Posted on 15 September 2014 by Athene Donald

Last week I attended the last day of the British Science Association‘s Festival in Birmingham. There was a real buzz about the place and it had clearly been an extremely successful few days. I enjoyed hearing Ineke de Moortel – … Continue reading →

Posted in British Science Association, Communicating Science, Impostor syndrome, Paul Nurse, Robin Ince, Science Culture, Steve Cross | Comments Off on Who Isn’t an Impostor?

Fresh Start, Fresh Anxieties

Posted on 10 September 2014 by Athene Donald

This is the time of year when anxious students-to-be – and their parents – are contemplating their future. Having established that they have got into University X once A level results are known, they have to work out what the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge University, Churchill College, Freshers, Science Culture | Comments Off on Fresh Start, Fresh Anxieties

Men are Parents Too

Posted on 4 September 2014 by Athene Donald

Another shocking headline) graced the pages of the Daily Telegraph this week, albeit apparently only temporarily before removal. ‘Mother of 3 poised to lead the BBC’ it shrieked, a sentence curiously reminiscent of the way Dorothy Hodgkin’s Nobel Prize was … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, headlines, Laura Bates, Rona Fairhead, tabpp | Comments Off on Men are Parents Too

Whose Responsbility? It’s too Easy to Say ‘Not Mine’

Posted on 27 August 2014 by Athene Donald

Despite the news being full of stories about how minorities are disadvantaged in larger or smaller ways, it is far from obvious that rapid progress is being made. The articles I read are full of appropriate shock at everything from … Continue reading →

Posted in diversity, Equality, faculty, leadership, support, Women in science | Comments Off on Whose Responsbility? It’s too Easy to Say ‘Not Mine’

Why Athletics Resembles Academia

Posted on 22 August 2014 by Athene Donald

Today it’s four years exactly since my first blogpost appeared. Four years of having fun writing about different sorts of things: academic life, committee work and membership, the issues facing women and the joys and frustrations of working at disciplinary … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, advice, careers, luck | Comments Off on Why Athletics Resembles Academia

On the Email Mountain

Posted on 16 August 2014 by Athene Donald

August is a quiet month on the email front. Few committee meetings are occurring to clog up the inbox with their multiple attachments of papers. Plus many people are away from their own computers during the school holidays and they … Continue reading →

Posted in August, inbox, language, Science Culture | Comments Off on On the Email Mountain

Transparency versus Diversity

Posted on 11 August 2014 by Athene Donald

Within the EU, Commissioner Neelie Kroes is leading the push to have a Commission with a female contingent that is at least beginning to be representative of the population. Her call for #TenOrMore women commissioners doesn’t sound unreasonable: it would … Continue reading →

Posted in committee membership, diversity, Equality, nomination, Science Culture, Women in science | Comments Off on Transparency versus Diversity