Dare to fly higher

Unlocking the secrets of diversity and inclusion in STEM

Over the years I have commited large amounts of time to afford greater access and belonging to the STEM professions. This section proivdes some insights to some of my volunteering experiences and activities, reports I have been instrumental in bringing about (collected here largely so they are not lost), and a few opinion pieces to supplement my LinkedIn articles and others on the Katalytik website.

a red square containing a black and white photo of a man in a white lab coat pouring a liquid from a large glass vessel.
Reports
Professional societies

The beginning of the ‘000s saw a growth in the activity of professional science societies and institutions exploring their membership and the challenges facing women in STEM careers. Notably the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Che...

black and white image of woman writing at desk and title in red 'where does chemistry take you?'
perspectives
Where does chemistry take you?

Where does chemistry take you I read with a thrill that Chemistry is now at 50% across all levels of education. Although at A level it’s been around parity there for some while. I was writing an article for a […]...

black and white imaeg of woman writing at desk and title words in red saying sat nav to success the language of strengths
perspectives
Sat Nav to Success

The language of CliftonStrengths There are many tools, used in the public and private sector, to help people work more effectively with their colleagues. Selecting through the Belbin, Myers Briggs, Strengths and others, it doesn’t matter which we c...

four women in black and white phoot wearing safety boots. pictured in a dark grey circle with title I am volunteering
Activities
PPE

PPE: fit and function, not fashion Are you fascinated why, in 2017, some still argue that asking for PPE that fits women is about making a fashion statement Women, and men, have long suffered the indignity and inconvenience with typical […]...

perspectives  ·  Reports
Team skills for students

– up-skilling students for the real world There’s much discussion about giving students great team learning experiences. But what if your students just get to work in a team and then there’s no time or space to actively reflect and consider [&...

black and white image of woman wriitng at desk with title in red effective teams
perspectives
Effective Teams

Indeed there is always a place for doughnuts. Have you ever wondered how to release the thoughts of the thinkers sitting across the table from you in a planning session Has it even ever crossed your mind that you might have […]...

red square with title in white 'maximising returns to stem' and an image in black and white of the report cover
Career  ·  Reports
Maximising returns

Why did I commission Maximising Returns The truth is that while working at NERC I was a member of the Sponsors Forum for the Teaching Company Scheme, now part of the knowledge transfer partnerships programme run by Innovate UK. Sitting […]...

black and white image of woman writing at desk and title routine rita in red
perspectives  ·  Productivity
Are you a person of habit? Or the maverick in the classroom?

  Are you a person who finds comfort in systems and routine Travelling to work the same way at the same time Or are you the maverick that upsets the cart, choosing a different desk each week for your evening […]...

Dark grey square with image of woman in white shirt doing a slefie in front of a class of school children
Activities
Science to Christchurch

It started around 2004. Dropping a few hours at work so I could balance the work – parent thing. There were lots of others, mostly mothers, offering to read at Mudeford Infants. I did some maths, but saw gaps in […]...

black square with small circle containing image of woman in dark top holidng hands out in front
Activities
Women in Leadership Host

Delighted to be hosting the panel discussions at this important event following the launch of the 100 most influential Women in Engineering list on 22 October in London. I have to say I just love panel sessions. The power of […]...

a red sqaure with white text "women and stem commit to a strategic approach" and a report cover of SET Fair
Reports
SET Fair

The SET fair Report figurehead was Baroness Susan Greenfield and was written at the time of the Roberts Report into the STEM pipeline. In contrast to the well-funded Roberts review, the Greenfield Report was not heavily resourced and we agreed [&hell...

red square with white text 'jobs for the boys?' gendered employment in engineering with a black and white image of the report cover.
Reports
Jobs for the boys?

Data published in 2010 suggested that twice as many male engineering graduates transitioned to technical jobs as their female counterparts. In a collaboration with UCL Engineering and funded by the HE STEM project, I set out to explore why this [&hel...