Author Archives: Athene Donald

I Am Not A Bimbo

Posted on 13 August 2012 by Athene Donald

 Not so long ago I read a distressed ‘rant’  about being catcalled in London, from a woman who seemed persistently to be subjected to it – and worse. Alice voiced her anger and her misery in detail and provoked a … Continue reading →

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Staffing Matters

Posted on 9 August 2012 by Athene Donald

How good are Universities as places of employment? The THE ran a couple of stories last week, headed ‘higher education staffing’, looking at the age distribution of academic staff, and the gender pay gap. I don’t think either of these … Continue reading →

Posted in age distribution, Equality, gender pay gap, retirement, Times Higher Education | Comments Off on Staffing Matters

Uncertainty is Not Terminal….

Posted on 3 August 2012 by Athene Donald

…it applies to life and it applies to tackling science. It was the phrase picked out by one tweeter from the speech I gave at the University of Exeter a couple of weeks ago when receiving, with some nervousness, an … Continue reading →

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Work-Life Balance for Whom?

Posted on 30 July 2012 by Athene Donald

Can women ‘have it all’ (i.e. have a family as well as a career) is a question frequently asked, and one Sally Feldman referred to in her article in last week’s Times Higher Education. Although the sub-title for her article … Continue reading →

Posted in chidcare, paternity leave, Women in science | Comments Off on Work-Life Balance for Whom?

By Degrees

Posted on 26 July 2012 by Athene Donald

I’m reminded of the words of the Joni Mitchell song stating “I’ve looked at life from both sides now” as I consider my feelings regarding degree ceremonies. I think I have by now looked at graduation from just about every … Continue reading →

Posted in ceremony, education, graduands, graduation, Latin, Universities | Comments Off on By Degrees

More Than Just Gender

Posted on 22 July 2012 by Athene Donald

Last week I attended an evening at the Royal Society, badged as a discussion between Vince Cable and the RS President Paul Nurse on ‘UK Research: building bridges, building prosperity’. In fact it wasn’t really a discussion at all, so … Continue reading →

Posted in conference speakers, Equality, ethnicity, Royal Society, socio-economic status, tokenism, Women in science | Comments Off on More Than Just Gender

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Posted on 13 July 2012 by Athene Donald

When I was a child a common response, from boys only I suspect, to ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ was ‘An engine driver’.  Even if a few girls shared the dream, I doubt they would … Continue reading →

Posted in careers, Communicating Science, locomotive, National Railway Museum, steam | Comments Off on What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

In Defence of Academics

Posted on 8 July 2012 by Athene Donald

I’ve been away on holiday for the past week, cowering beneath the clouds, storms and floods this Great British summer has been throwing at us and catching up with some reading. Consequently, I have had more time than usual to … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, education, long hours culture, Science Culture, Simon Jenkins | Comments Off on In Defence of Academics

Writing the Wrong Stuff

Posted on 29 June 2012 by Athene Donald

Previously on my blog I have discussed both the challenges of writing for different audiences and the difficulties for students to get on top of thesis writing with little prior experience to help.  I have written from the point of … Continue reading →

Posted in below the line, CIF, Comment is Free, Communicating Science, journalism | Comments Off on Writing the Wrong Stuff