International Women’s Day 2024 – Highlighting Our Inspirational Women in STEM

Sarah Griffin, Second Year Institute for Agri-Food Research and Innovation (IAFRI) PhD Student in the Ecology Group

I feel that being a woman hasn’t negatively impacted my development or progress. My family were very supportive of me throughout my career and always encouraged me. I went to an all-girls school where I helped to step up the STEM club to do STEM based activities during lunchtime and after school. Then at university I was involved heavily with Biology Society and extracurricular activities.

I found that along the way there was a lot of times where I was rejected for roles I applied for, such as jobs, placement years, PhD projects, etc. but I think the best way to look at the rejections is that it’s not a rejection it’s a redirection to something better. I feel that got me through to where I am today and kept me motivated to keep moving forward.

I’m based in York at Fera Science Ltd. rather than at the main Newcastle University Campus and currently, I am a core member of the Early Career Network at Fera Science Ltd. where we host monthly meetings for Early Career Scientists at the company in order to develop themselves through workshops, training and mentoring. There was a gap at the company so as a small group we created this network to form a community of early career scientists to share ideas and support one another. We are nearly at 100 members now!

Amandeep Kaur, Senior Research Technician

As a research technician, I work on a variety of different projects with the focal point of my scientific research being the quantification of greenhouse gases, may this be from wastewater treatment sites from all across the UK or even Newcastle University’s very own Nafferton Farm’s dairy heard!

Being a woman has 100% impacted my career both positively and negatively. From the onset, research roles can be perceived as very male-dominated and this has at times made me feel overlooked and made me question this career path. However, this being said my passion for science and the supportive work environment has allowed me to overcome this and thrive as a research technician.

One way we try to inspire inclusion in our research team is by hiring Newcastle University students as part-time interns. This allows for female and minority students to gain experience while studying and may make them wish to pursue a career in scientific research.

Advice I would offer to others would be not to underestimate your skills! Embarking a career in research may feel daunting and you may feel like you need certain types of skills but the reality is there are many different ways the skills you already have can be applied.

Phoebe Lewis, Postgraduate Researcher

My research is focussed on extracting novel pigments from seaweed and problematic marine flora, which are then to be used in commercial applications such as textile dyes. It sits at the intersection of multiple industries including science, art and design bringing together cross-disciplinary narratives and perspectives. The sustainability of this project isn’t limited to the product produced (seaweed pigments), it navigates the complexities of the entire supply chain and encompasses a deep rooted emphasis on community inclusion.

Throughout my research I have taken extra steps in supporting a sustainable growth of the seaweed industry focussing in particular on allocating correct and fair importance to the inclusivity and transparency of the seaweed industry amongst local communities. This is why as part of my research, I will be visiting the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association in Vancouver Island and learning from their early engagement of original and existing communities with this growing industry and how their approach is encouraging sustainable long-term strongholds of support across all stakeholders.

Alongside my academic work, I also volunteer with N.E.S.T which is a student-led project aiming to educate, empower and integrate the forced migration community in the North East of England. As well as this, I am encouraging the improvement of science communication amongst researchers, by creating workshops on different non-standard methods of storytelling to expose academic research to a wider audience.

I have been fortunate enough to have grown up surrounded by a family of strong, non-adhering women alongside supportive and encouraging men. That upbringing allowed me to feel confident in thinking freely and creatively, especially after making the decision to enter a male dominated industry for my undergraduate degree. Despite being a part of the minority in this field, my work went on to win multiple international awards and I have since been exposed to a huge number of impressively formidable women in multiple industries. This growing collection of people I have the pleasure of spending time with, sharing our wins and losses, has really consolidated the power of a robust support network.

This is why it is so important for me that my work involves community integration within academic research and the seaweed industry, to showcase the possibilities to people who might otherwise think they are not worthy of the opportunity. Despite the uphill battle for genuine equality, being a woman, surrounded by incredible women, continues to empower me to follow my own path and enjoy what I’m doing.

I would encourage other women to pursue what you enjoy and seek out support from people who inspire you – having a strong mentor in your corner will go a long way. As an industrial designer now in the field of marine science, I think it’s important to not worry too much about following standard pathways into a career. Being curious and engaging with people from all types of disciplines helped with navigating my own very non-linear journey to where I am now.

Juliane Fiates, Postdoctoral Research Associate

In my capacity, I focus on the study of materials through computational simulation, contributing to the screening process for the development of more efficient batteries.

Being a woman in this field, much like various STEM disciplines, poses challenges due to its predominantly male-dominated nature. The scarcity of successful women in the area has occasionally led to feelings of isolation and a sense of not truly belonging. It appears that women may face greater hurdles in achieving success in this field, causing occasional self-doubt about my potential as a successful principal investigator in the future. This underscores the critical need for increased female representation in influential positions, acting as a catalyst for positive change and providing inspiring role models.

Currently, I actively volunteer with a group called Women in Engineering (WiE) in Brazil, my home country. Given the even lower representation of women in STEM in underdeveloped countries like Brazil, I engage in delivering talks to women and girls aspiring to pursue a career in research. I share my personal experiences and provide guidance on how to embark on this journey.

My advice is to persist even when you feel isolated. The transformation of the STEM landscape necessitates greater female representation. As researchers, our goal is to change the world, and being an integral part of this transformative process is something you will take immense pride in.

Dr Suzannah Harnor, Senior Research Associate based in the Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation and NU Centre for Cancer Medicinal Chemistry Labs

My current role involves working as part of the multi-disciplinary, anti-cancer drug discovery programme. I play a role in the design and synthesis of small-molecule antitumour agents and am active in the co-supervision of medicinal chemistry team members.

The lab I work in is critically dependent on the funding we receive from Cancer Research UK and I firmly believe in doing my part to help raise money for the Charity, and by way of small thanks I organise fundraising events throughout the year.

I am passionate about STEM outreach and engagement and help to organise and take part in many such events. I am a mentor for the nationally recognised In2Research programme, which is designed to enhance access to postgraduate research degrees and career opportunities for people from low socioeconomic backgrounds and under-represented groups.

I’ve been very fortunate in the sense that I have had workplaces that are supportive of inclusion, equality and have very rarely been made to feel inadequate as a result of being a woman. The people you interact with can be so important. Try to find good mentors and collaborators and spend your energy on interactions that feel good. Don’t be afraid to seek advice or talk about yourself and your career to a trusted person. Cultivating a relationship with a mentor can help to develop your confidence, keep focus and allow you to push for the best career outcomes. A mentor will be your ultimate cheerleader!

Be bold, be curious, be passionate, stand out from the crowd. Obtain a broad range of skills and don’t be afraid to try new things, maybe even things that are a bit left-field, but ultimately will increase your visibility. Work hard, challenge yourself, have confidence in your ability, love what you do, and remember to recognise, appreciate and celebrate your achievements!

Robin Kaur, MPhil Student in Marine Science, Course Representative, and Peer Mentor

I currently support students from all faculties with my role as Diversity Officer for the Postgraduate Research Community. I am also a Mentor for Ethnically Minoritised Students. My research involves testing toxic chemicals on microalgae and applying my findings to Arctic environments. I aim to help develop an Adverse Outcome Pathway which can aid environmental scientists in ecotoxicology.

During my Undergraduate Studies, I was the Welfare Officer and President for the Marine Science Society. This was to support people within the field and allow people who had limited access at the time to learn about the oceans, animals, and the environment.

I feel support from the other women around me and feel inspired by those who strive to become a better version of themselves. It is also highly encouraging to be surrounded by those who are genuinely interested in my research and provide help when I need it. I am free to ask questions and be my whole self.

However, I have found throughout my career that sometimes I am not taken seriously when interviewed by people in much high positions. One of the responses I received from them when explaining my career development was ‘that’s cute’. It is also frustrating to be an Indian woman and being hired to fit diversity quotas. I am hoping to inspire others in a positive manner to change this type of culture.

I always strive to be 100% myself and would encourage others to do the same. Be the person who speaks up, be the woman that you want to look up to, and most importantly work on having confidence within yourself.

Accept the lows as much as the highs and be patient. There are many women in the world who do not have the opportunity to be educated or access any form of education. Therefore, it is our responsibility as women in the STEM field to continue inspiring others and work towards change.

Kezia Sasitharan, Research Associate in Energy

In my current role, I develop next generation materials with unique properties that can transform the way we convert and store solar energy. Being at the forefront of developing future energy storage solutions is really exciting. I find it encouraging that my work helps make meaningful contributions towards driving the change necessary to mitigate the ongoing climate crisis.

I recently co-organised the Global Women’s Breakfast 2024 event at Newcastle University. I am a member of the University Research Associate’s committee as part of which I represent the interests of RAs in the school management meetings. I am passionate about making science accessible to everyone and I have been part of various outreach events including the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, London, 2022.

As a woman in science, I have always felt fully supported and encouraged to be the best version of myself. A lot of times I do find myself in intimidating situations, simply because there aren’t many who look like me at the top of my field. However, I have been fortunate to always find mentors who continue to champion me, help me navigate my path through difficult situations and point me towards the right opportunities for my career development. I am very grateful for the time and effort that they are investing in supporting me as I think this will be a real driving force towards retaining more women in science all the way to the top of the leadership ladder.

I feel women should not be afraid to take risks and try new things. When you have an exciting idea, just go for it. Always remember what you bring to the table. Do not allow self-doubts to diminish the value of your ideas.

Professor Lynn Frewer, Professor of Food and Society in the Centre for Rural Economy

My education is in experimental psychology and ergonomics, including in relation to psychopharmacology. I think because of working with researchers from different disciplines, such as engineering or biology, I am very interested in collaborating with people with very different research perspectives.  At the moment I am working with artists, ecologists, mathematicians and computer scientists. I take very seriously the idea that interdisciplinary research can deliver insights which are greater than the sum of the parts. I have also worked in LMIC and BRIC counties and learned that exchanging ideas within different cultural contexts is important when looking at research problems.

My research may involve running stakeholder events to exchange information about different issues. I am very conscious of the need to include everyone in these events, but still find some groups of people “self-exclude”, potentially because of access issues like time, money, caring responsibilities, or accessibility requirements. I am trying to design workshops to ensure everyone has the opportunity to have their voices heard, including people who may have less confidence in being active in public contexts

I believe that there has been a systematic bias against women in all aspects of academia, although now this is at least being addressed. It’s important to discuss the issues and barriers though. When I was appointed to my first chair, at the University of Wageningen, (in 2002) there were only three other female professors in the university. I think the situation has improved since then however, there are still issues to be addressed in terms of career progression.

Sometimes I think women tend to be socialised by society into not promoting themselves and this is becoming more important, so some training, perhaps in writing narrative CVs or videos to promote research achievements on social media, would be helpful. Confidence is not necessarily innate and can be developed.

International Women’s Day 2023 – The Scientists That Made Us

The 8th of March is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the achievements of women in all fields throughout history. To celebrate and empower women’s work, we’ve put together a list of female scientists who have helped to pave the way for the modern science we have today and study at SNES.

Maria Sibylla Merian 1647-1717

Maria Sibylla Merian – Wikipedia

Merian was a German entomologist and artist who from a young age formed an interest in insects and nature. Her interests were particularly sparked by the life cycle of insects such as caterpillars and their metamorphosis into butterflies, having her own collection of them to observe and study. She is known for her illustrations of plants and insects through various stages of life and the relationship between them; these illustrations can be found in her many books. She is also well known for her five year long expedition to Suriname to study the metamorphosis of insects which she documented in her book: ‘The Metamorphosis of Insects in Suriname’. Her scientific yet beautiful illustrations make her an inspiration to both artists and scientists everywhere.

Marie Maynard Daly 1921-2003

Marie Maynard Daly | Science History Institute

Daly was a biochemist and the first African American woman to obtain a P.H.D. in Chemistry in the United States and conducted important research on cholesterol, sugars and proteins and helped to discover the link between cholesterol and clogged arteries. This research has helped for us to understand heart disease and the ways to treat it and save millions of lives. She also developed programs to help increase the enrolments of minority students in medical schools and created a scholarship fund for African American science students at Queen’s College in 1988.

Sylvia Earle 1935-Present

Sylvia Earle – Wikipedia

Earle is an American marine biologist and oceanographer who is known for her research on algae and her many documentaries, lectures and books raising awareness for the dangers of overfishing and pollution; she also set the world record for the longest untethered dive, walking the sea floor at a depth of 381 meters in 1979. However, she is not only known for her research and conservation efforts as with her husband Graham Hawkes she helped to found two companies to build and design vehicles that could be used in the deep ocean by scientists: Deep Ocean Engineering and Deep Ocean Technology. Not only this, but she also founded Mission Blue, an organisation founded to protect and explore the ocean.

Wangari Maathai 1940-2011

Wangari Maathai – Wikipedia

Maathai was a Kenyan politician and environmental activist who founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, an organisation which planted over 30 million trees by the early 2000s and winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace. As a result of her activism with the Green Belt Movement, other African countries were inspired to start similar initiatives such as Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Ethiopia. She also advocated for Women’s issues, human rights and AIDS prevention and her organisation helped around 900,000 women.

Tu YouYou 1930-Present

Tu is a Chinese chemist who is known for discovering artemisinin, one of the world’s most effective anti-malarial drug in 1972 and is the shared winner of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2015. Her knowledge of ancient Chinese medicine from her studies in 1958-1962 contributed to the discovery of artemisinin and later dihydroartemisnin which successfully reduced the levels of parasites in the blood of malaria patients. If it were not for her discoveries and developments, the number of deaths caused by malaria would be massively higher.

Alice Ball 1892-1916

Alice Ball – Wikipedia

Ball was an African American chemist who developed the most effective cure for leprosy until the 1940s, the Ball Method; at age 23 she revolutionised the remedy of chaulmoogra oil by making it injectable and able to be absorbed into the blood. Due to her research, people with leprosy were free from exile in the island of Molokai and were able to be treated; she is accredited as one of the most influential women in Hawaiian history.

NU Parents Network

For those of you involved or members of the NU Parents Network, the Network has recently communicated with members to advise of a few updates as follows: 
 

  • Paula Fitzgerald Chair of the NU Parents Network has recently left the university. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Paula for all of her hard work over the last 2 years! 
  • NU Parents Steering Group members Selina McCarthy, Fiona Pearson, Linda Jose and Malasree Home are currently working with Eleanor Farrington (EDI Advisor) to ensure a smooth progression for the NU Parents Network from now until the new academic year. 
  • As a new chapter starts for the NU Parents Network, plans are forming to consult members views on the networks remit, Terms of Reference, governance and membership development. 
  • In conjunction with the For Families Project that has ended, we also plan to consult members views on what the key priorities should be for the NU Parents Network over the course of the next academic year. 

The NU Parents Steering Group will be getting in touch with network members in due course to check-in and find out what the priorities and key issues are for members going forward into the new academic year. 

In the meantime, if anyone is interested in joining the NU Parents Network, or would like to get more involved, please search for us on MS Teams (NU Parents Network) or email nuparents@newcastle.ac.uk with any general queries. 

We look forward to connecting with you all soon

International Women’s Day success!

We hosted an online talk and Q&A on Monday 7 March, as part of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD).  The event featured four inspirational female speakers, who are helping to break the gender bias in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), within the university, city and beyond.  They were Chi Onwurah, Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central, Professor Stephanie Glendinning, SAgE Pro-Vice Chancellor and Professor of Civil Engineering, Sadia Nujhat, Founder and Trustee for the charity Promoting Women in Science and Professor Sally Shortall, Duke of Northumberland Chair of Rural Economy.  

The event, which was chaired by Dr Sharron Kuznesof, our Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, was attended by 67 participants and was also live streamed on YouTube.  If you weren’t able to join us on the day, it’s still available to watch on the Newcastle University account and has currently had a fantastic 258 views.

We also had Nifty Fox Creative live scribe the event, which was a really nice and unique addition to our IWD celebrations.  Take a look at the drawings on the Nifty Fox Creative website.

As part of our IWD celebrations, we also ran a series of online profiles of female SAgE colleagues, talking about their experiences of working in STEM roles, what attracted them to their roles and how they’re helping to break the bias in their areas.  These are definitely worth reading, so pop across to the University’s website.

We also received some fantastic engagement and support on the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Twitter account, where we promoted the live event and online profiles (over 9,000 impressions and nearly 300 engagements!). 

EDI Guide – new sections published

Our EDI guide was inspired by a student’s suggestion, and aims to highlight and curate useful information resources relating to EDI themes, such as those listed in the University’s EDI priorities, and provide easy access to them in one place. We hope it will promote awareness and discussion, broaden horizons, and challenge us all. It highlights information resources of all types, within and beyond the Library; including books, social media, films, archives, and much more.

We’re pleased to say we have now published resources and reading lists for all the guide themes, with age equality, disability equality and social mobility being the most recent sections.
Our guide will always be a work in progress, and we would welcome your suggestions for resources we should include. You can contribute by suggesting a resource, asking us to buy a book, or giving feedback: whether it’s a reading list rating or a short review.

We’ll be highlighting key resources throughout the year to tie in with campaigns such as Black History Month and Pride, and we’ll also be developing a toolkit to help support curriculum diversity initiatives later this year.

Newcastle University IUPAC’s Global Women’s breakfast 2022

We are really pleased that Newcastle University IUPAC’s Global Women’s breakfast 2022 was a success. It  is an event that happens on a single day in February of each year in conjunction with the U.N Day of Women and Girls in Science. The aim is to celebrate the accomplishments of Women in Science and to inspire younger generations to pursue careers in science. The theme for 2022 was “Empowering Diversity in Science”. Women and men from all types of science organisations working in all areas of science come together to share breakfast either virtually or in person. 

There were more than 70 attendees: staff, postdocs, post-graduate students and undergraduates.

We had very inspirational talks from Carolyne Dessent (University of York, Professor of Physical Chemistry and HoD), Ndiarka Mbodji (Kowry Energy GmbH, CEO) and Nicola Curtin (Newcastle University, Professor of Experimental Therapeutics). This was followed by a panel discussion with Rafiq Taj Aldeen (Newcastle University, Synthetic Chemistry PDRA), Lucy Whalley (Northumbria University, Computational Chemistry, V-C’s Fellow), Lawrence Bruce (Newcastle University, Energy Materials PhD student), Kelechi Uleanya (University of York, Spectroscopy PhD student), Calum Day (Newcastle University, Aerosols PhD student). Diverse issues and struggles from the panellists throughout their careers were raised up followed by questions/comments from the audience.

Also, all the posters submitted for the Diverse faces in Chemistry Poster competition 2022 were displayed. Lots of effort made by our undergraduate and postgraduate students which was worth a prize for each of them and will also contribute to decorate the Bedson walls. A particular horray to the first prize winner; our stage 1 undergraduate student Annie Bigg for her poster on Yvonne Connolly. She is a computational Scientist and the first person to apply computational methods to pharmaceuticals.

After that there was a satellite event: Decolonising the Curriculum in Chemistry. Started with a presentation by Kelechi Uleanya (School of Chemistry, York) and ended with Q&A and an informal open discussion.

Last but not least, the food was delicious and gave us plenty of energy to go through the week. Thanks a lot to ours sponsors (The Royal Society of Chemistry, SNES Equality Diversity and Inclusion committee and Chemistry funds), to the organisers for their hard work and commitment and to all of you for coming.

Updates to Family Friendly Policies

We’d like to highlight some updates to the University Family Friendly Policies which are important to note. For an overview read the NU Connections article.

A summary of the enhancements and new provisions are as follows: 

  • De-coupled our maternity/adoption policy into two separate policies and, following a consultation with adoptive parents, rewritten the  Adoption Policy to make it more flexible and fit for purpose. 
  • Introduced a 2-week bereavement leave provision within our   Maternity/Pregnancy policy and   Paternity/Partner policy for colleagues who sadly suffer a miscarriage within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy.
  • Introduced a Family Time policy with provision for foster carers (up to eight days’ paid leave in a 12-month period), colleagues and partners undergoing fertility treatment/assisted conception (paid time off for up to 10 appointments in a 12-month period) and time off for grandparents (one week unpaid leave every time there is a new addition to the family).
  • We have also taken the opportunity to update our Maternity Toolkit and Adoption Toolkit with checklists, FAQs and timelines so as to better support both colleagues going through these processes and their line managers.

International Womens Day 2022

International Women’s Day takes places on the 8 March and is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. This year we’re proud to support the IWD 2022 campaign theme: #BreakTheBias. 
  As the Faculty celebrates 150 years we take a look at the impact of colleagues and alumni who break the gender bias in Science, Agriculture and Engineering. 

SAgE will be hosting an event during the week commencing 7th March where will invite women who are helping to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, working across national borders and academic disciplines addressing some of the most pressing development challenges facing the world today, to talk about their ideas, projects and the skills we need for the future. 

If anyone would like to be involved in the organisation of our 2022 event, or has any suggestions for speakers please contact Katy Sawyer

December and January Health and Wellbeing Updates

Colleague Health and Wellbeing news and events occurring throughout December and early January.

NUSU Decolonising NCL Panel Discussion Video

Last year NUSU launched the Decolonise NCL campaign and whilst it created the seeds for change, we still have a long way to go. So, what really is decolonising the curriculum? Can it really apply to all areas of university life? And how the heck do we make it happen? To burst the myths, join your Welfare & Equality Officer, Education Officer, representatives from the university, and a guest speaker.

Watch the recording of this event via the link below.