Author Archives: Athene Donald

David Willetts and the Round Table

Posted on 31 October 2011 by Athene Donald

Last week, fellow OT blogger Jenny Rohn and I were among the attendees at the roundtable discussion headed up by Paul Nurse (President of the Royal Society) and David Willetts (Minister of State for Universities and Science), held at the … Continue reading →

Posted in careers, industry, internships, postdocs, research careers, Science Culture, Science Funding, Teaching | Comments Off on David Willetts and the Round Table

The Trouble with Women

Posted on 28 October 2011 by Athene Donald

A couple of weeks ago I took part in a debate organised by the local chapter of the Triple Helix Society given the provocative title of ‘The Trouble with Women’, designed to debate why women are still found in such … Continue reading →

Posted in classroom, education, Equality, expectations, Maths, physics, teachers, Women in science | Comments Off on The Trouble with Women

The Royal Society and Diversity

Posted on 24 October 2011 by Athene Donald

It is very easy to pillory long-established organisations for being insufficiently diverse. As a member of Cambridge University and a Fellow of the Royal Society, I see it all the time. It is assumed these venerable institutions are ‘bad’. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, felllowship, FRS, minorities, Royal Society, statistics, University Research Fellowships, Women in science | Comments Off on The Royal Society and Diversity

Leadership from the Top

Posted on 20 October 2011 by Athene Donald

What will it take for true equality to occur, not just in academic science but in employment anywhere? One key aspect is that people at the top not just ‘talk the talk’ but ‘walk the walk’. So, when talking about … Continue reading →

Posted in ASSET, Athena Swan, career breaks, Equality, REF, Science Culture, Women in science | Comments Off on Leadership from the Top

Tea and Tradition

Posted on 16 October 2011 by Athene Donald

And the votes are in. The University of Cambridge Senate has just voted for its new Chancellor. Senate rarely votes about anything, and the last time a Chancellor’s nomination was put to such a vote was in 1847 when Prince … Continue reading →

Posted in Chancellor, David Sainsbury, education, election, Senate House, University of Cambridge | Comments Off on Tea and Tradition

Is this an Insoluble Problem?

Posted on 12 October 2011 by Athene Donald

Previous posts by fellow OT blogger Jenny Rohn (here and here) and me (here) about fellowship funding have sparked a lot of debate and interest. With the report that Science is Vital has just produced for David Willetts described in … Continue reading →

Posted in careers, David Willetts, fairness, fellowships, postdocs, Science Culture, Science Funding, Science Is Vital | Comments Off on Is this an Insoluble Problem?

To Whom I Give My Vote of Thanks

Posted on 7 October 2011 by Athene Donald

Today is Ada Lovelace Day, a day when we are asked to celebrate the women who have inspired us in our scientific lives.  I have to admit that ‘famous’ women such as Marie Curie or Rosalind Franklin have no part … Continue reading →

Posted in Ada Lovelace, Camden School for Girls, education, inspiration, physics, teachers, Women in science | Comments Off on To Whom I Give My Vote of Thanks

Balmy Beginnings, But What Comes Next?

Posted on 4 October 2011 by Athene Donald

Cambridge – like much of the country – was bathed in sunshine, hot sunshine this weekend. It was that weekend when our roads are cluttered up by cars full of suitcases, assorted bulging bags and guitar cases, and with bikes … Continue reading →

Posted in education, Freshers, HE White Paper, University Council, University of Cambridge | Comments Off on Balmy Beginnings, But What Comes Next?

Logic, What Logic?

Posted on 30 September 2011 by Athene Donald

This week I attended the Elizabeth Johnson lecture at the Institute of Physics, given by Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of UCAS.  Her topic was Gender Maps in Higher Education, and it explored the differences between male and female progression … Continue reading →

Posted in education, Equality, gender pay gap, graduate premium, IOP, Mary Curnock Cook, Women in science | Comments Off on Logic, What Logic?

Nodes and Links

Posted on 25 September 2011 by Athene Donald

This week I was invited to talk at the annual conference organised by Postdocs at the Institute of Cancer Research; the Conference’s theme was Networking and I was asked to talk about how networking has influenced your career and any … Continue reading →

Posted in advice, mentoring, networking, Science Culture | Comments Off on Nodes and Links