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August 2026 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Author Archives: Athene Donald
Retrospective Impact
Recently I participated in a so-called ‘speed dating’ event for schoolgirls, organised under the auspices of Inspiring the Future: Inspiring Women campaign which this event was launching. Spearheaded by Miriam Gonzalez (aka Nick Clegg’s wife, who is an international lawyer … Continue reading
Posted in Career advice, Communicating Science, education, girls, media
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Levelling the European Playing Field
One of the good things about (certain) committees is that one learns so much. That may not be everyone’s experience but over the years I personally have found many committees – though most certainly not all – very educational. I … Continue reading
Posted in CV, ERC, maternity leave, research grants, Women in science
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Jettisoning One’s Past
When you have been inhabiting any space for a substantial length of time it tends to be somewhat dispiriting and challenging to move out and move on. Quite unconnected with any of the other moves I’ve written about recently (here … Continue reading
Posted in academia, offices, paperwork, Science Culture
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Cold-calling in the Job Market
A week ago there was a minute cause for celebration with the news that the number of women on FTSE100 Boards of Directors had reached the stunning level of 19%. At least that figure is heading in the right direction … Continue reading
Posted in careers, confidence, Equality, gender pay gap, head hunters
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Turning the Mirror on Oneself
What do you see when you look in the mirror? This is the question underlying the What I See Project, conceived by Edwina Dunn. Her concern is that we live in a society where, for many women, when we look … Continue reading
Posted in Edwina Dunn, Equality, Frances Ashcroft, mirror, Selwyn College, What I See project, Women in science
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Moving On (Part II)
As readers will know, improving the situation for women in science is dear to my heart. One of the roles in which I’ve been able to make some sort of a contribution has been through chairing the Athena Forum. This … Continue reading
Posted in Athena Forum, Athena Swan, Equality, pregnancy, Women in science
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Moving On to Pastures New
Every student, undergraduate or postgraduate, at the University of Cambridge has to be a member of one of the university’s 31 colleges. To outsiders the college system may seem a little mysterious: how do they differ from Halls of Residence … Continue reading
Posted in academia, Churchill College, Collegiate Cambridge, Girton College, Master, Robinson College
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Mammon and the Inferiority of Women
I’ve been reading another of those random books I’ve acquired in lieu of payment for a book review, something I wrote about previously. This time I want to turn my attention to a book called ‘The Spectacle of Intimacy: a … Continue reading
Posted in domestic hearth, Equality, History of Science, Sarah Stickney Ellis, Victorian, women's inferiority
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Is Helping Women such a Bad Thing to Do?
I am not infrequently asked to give talks at other universities about gender issues, including the work we are doing in Cambridge. (Strangely, I find myself doing quite as many of these sorts of talks as physics ones.) I would … Continue reading
Posted in Equality, Harvard Business School, intervention, positive action, Science Culture, Women in science
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Don’t Say Too Much (or Too Little)
This week NESTA‘s Executive Director of Research Stian Westlake wrote a piece for the Guardian science policy blogs about those who offer scientific advice. If you want to find out why wonks should avoid being either a ‘berk’ or a … Continue reading
Posted in advice, Communicating Science, framing, PhD thesis, Science Culture
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