Author Archives: Athene Donald

Interview Skills, Careers Advice and Social Mobility

Recently the Sutton Trust published an analysis of the relative successes different schools had in getting students into different universities: Oxbridge, the broader cohort of ‘top’ universities referred to as the Sutton 30, and universities overall.  One of the schools … Continue reading

Posted in education, Equality, IAG, interviews, Oxbridge, role plays | Comments Off on Interview Skills, Careers Advice and Social Mobility

Myers-Briggs Tests and the Scientist

In business, much more than in academia, personality tests are used at different stages of progression.  Additionally they can be used to identify what sort of career one is suited to. One common version is the Myers-Briggs test, which identifies … Continue reading

Posted in feeling, inspirational, personality types, Science Culture, speaking up, Women in science | Comments Off on Myers-Briggs Tests and the Scientist

Mary Somerville

Somerville College in Oxford is much better known than the woman it was named after, Mary Somerville, an eminent scientist who had died 7 years before the founding of the college in 1879. Mary Somerville (1780-1872) was a polymath, an … Continue reading

Posted in 19th century science, History of Science, science writing, William Whewell, Women in science | Comments Off on Mary Somerville

Victims and Support Systems

In my recent post on dealing with (or failing to do so) inappropriate remarks, the importance of mentoring was raised by Jenny Koenig. She said This is where mentoring is really important: to have someone else to listen and to … Continue reading

Posted in advice, harassment, mentors, Science Culture, support, Women in science | Comments Off on Victims and Support Systems

For Women in Science (FWIS Fellowships)

Prizes for Women? Again? What more can I possibly have to say, having written twice (here and here) in different veins on this subject already.  Tomorrow I chair the jury to judge this year’s L’Oreal/UNESCO For Women in Science UK … Continue reading

Posted in career progression, Communicating Science, Equality, L'Oreal For Women in Science, role models, Royal Society, Women in science | Comments Off on For Women in Science (FWIS Fellowships)

What Will the Future Look Like?

What follows is a book review I have written for the Times Higher Education Supplement (THE) published today. Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 By Michio Kaku Allen … Continue reading

Posted in book review, Communicating Science, futuristic science, Michio Kaku, Research | Comments Off on What Will the Future Look Like?

Scientific Breadth: The Good and the Bad

This week I am giving three different major talks; no, not just ‘different’, utterly and totally different. This is definitely a week of diversity in my powerpoint presentations, though none of them is actually about diversity. Linking in to a … Continue reading

Posted in career progression, interdisciplinarity, Interdisciplinary Science, promotion, Research, Science Culture | Comments Off on Scientific Breadth: The Good and the Bad

ASSET 2010 – A Metaphorical Call to Arms for HEI’s

There is a danger that the message that there is an uneven playing field for women in science (and indeed in many other fields) has been repeated so often that it is no longer heard. However, it is still true. … Continue reading

Posted in appraisal, ASSET, Equality, promotion, Science Culture, success, Women in science | Comments Off on ASSET 2010 – A Metaphorical Call to Arms for HEI’s

Putting Together and Taking Apart

A couple of my recent posts have looked at the needs of postdocs, their training (or lack thereof), aspirations and the need for them to take control of their lives. So it seems appropriate to spare a thought – or … Continue reading

Posted in conference, graduate student, Interdisciplinary Science, nanotechnology, Research, Science Culture, training | Comments Off on Putting Together and Taking Apart