Athena Swan Charter
Athena SWAN is a programme by the Equality Challenge Unit to advance women's careers and promote equality in Science, engineering and medicine. Queen Mary currently holds a bronze award for its achievement. Find further information on this page.
Next meeting
26 April 10 -11.30 Mile End G.O Jones 602
19 June 2-3.30 Whitechapel Garrod building room 1.30 (1st floor)
Athena SWAN Self Assessment Team Members
Prof Evelyn Welch - VP Research and International Affairs - Chair of Athena SWAN e.welch@qmul.ac.uk
Prof Brian Colvin Vice-Chair Athena SWAN 07776 208 558 b.t.colvin@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Lourdes Agapito Senior Lecturer in Computer Sciences 020 7882 7898 lourdes@dcs.qmul.ac.uk
Tanya Boorman PhD Student /WISE representative T.Boorman@qmul.ac.uk
Bertille Calinaud (HR) Diversity Specialist 020 7882 5585 b.calinaud@qmul.ac.uk
Guy Halliwell (HR) Head of Employee Relations 020 7882 3673 g.halliwell@qmul.ac.uk
Prof Joy Hinson (SMD) Dean for Postgraduates and Postdoctoral studies 020 7882 2090 j.p.hinson@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Al James Lecturer in Geography 020 7882 2746 a.james@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Ian Forristal Development Adviser for Research Staff 020 7882 2812 i.forristal@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Fiona Stephen Head of Management and Leadership Development 020 7882 2810 f.stephen@qmul.ac.uk
Prof Caroline Wardle Visiting Professor School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science 020 7882 7064 cwardle@eecs.qmul.ac.uk
Technical support : Anne Donaldson 020 7882 5103 a.donaldson@qmul.ac.uk
Kane Wallace 020 7882
Athena SWAN Institutes and School Champions
School of Geography:
Dr Kate Heppell - Lecturer in Geography
School of Mathematical Sciences:
Dr Robert Johnson - Lecturer in Pure Mathematics
School of Physics and Astronomy:
Dr Jeanne Wilson – Senior Lecturer Physics
Postgraduate student and WISE representative:
Tanya Boorman – PhD student SBCS
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences:
Dr Marina Resmini - Reader in Organic Chemistry
School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science:
Dr Lourdes Agapito - Reader in Computer Sciences (and SAT)
School of Engineering and Materials Science:
Dr Steffi Krause - Reader in Electroanalytical Systems
School of Medicine and Dentistry:
Prof Joy Hinson - Dean for Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Institute of Health Sciences Education (and SAT)
Mrs Debra Cossey-Mowle - Head of Join Workforce Office and SMD Assistant Chief Operating Officer, Warden's Office
Prof Tom Macdonald - Dean for Research School of Medicine and Dentistry
Dr Wendy Turner Clinical Lecturer/ Hon. Consultant - Institute of Dentistry
Prof Nick Lemoine - Director of Barts Cancer Institute
Prof Mike Philpott - Professor of Cutaneous Biology Centre Lead Blizard Institute
Prof Amrita Ahluwalia - Professor of Vascular Biology William Harvey Research Institute
Dr Enid Hennessy - Honorary Senior Lecturer Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine
Bronze renewal submission July 2010
Silver Award application forms
Please click on the link below to find out Silver Award application forms and guidance for Schools
http://www.athenaswan.org.uk/html/athena-swan/awards/guidance-and-application-forms/
Useful information
Athena SWAN website: http://www.athenaswan.org.uk/html/athena-swan/
Athena Forum (reports, case studies, etc.): http://www.athenaforum.org.uk/index.html
Equality Challenge Unit - Athena SWAN measuring success report: http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/athena-swan-measuring-success-2011
Bronze renewal award - Press relase:
September 2010
Queen Mary, University of London has retained its Athena SWAN Bronze award for promoting gender equality and excellence in recruiting and progressing women in science, engineering and technology (SET).
The College is one of only 47 higher education institutions in the UK to have received the award, which recognises the number and position of women academics, positive support for women at key career transition points, culture and gender balance in decision making and work-life balance practices across the entire institution.
"The issue of gender equality is clearly very much alive in the university," the award judges commented, with Queen Mary showing "progress, awareness and commitment" at the highest level.
Successful initiatives noted by the judges include the increasingly popular Women in Science and Engineering (WISE@QMUL) social and discussion group for students and staff and the Women@QM project, which in 2007-2008 celebrated the current and historical achievements of women working at Queen Mary.
In 2010, the College celebrated the appointment of three new female Vice-Principals: Professors Susan Dilly; Morag Shiach; and Evelyn Welch. The award panel also praised the establishment of Queen Mary's Women in Leadership group for senior female staff.
On hearing the news, College Principal Professor Simon Gaskell, said: "It is excellent that Queen Mary has successfully renewed its Athena SWAN award. We are proud to reconfirm our full support and commitment to the scheme and celebrate our long-standing contribution and achievement of women in science, engineering and technology."
Queen Mary was first awarded the Athena SWAN Bronze Award in 2007, in recognition of its attitude towards gender equality in the academic sector. In 2010, the award judging panel were "very happy" with the way initiatives supporting the career progression of women in SET had progressed since 2007. They were "particularly delighted" to see the establishment of a flexible working policy with no restrictions on the reasons for a request being made.
David Ruebain, chief executive of ECU congratulated the award winners at a ceremony this week, saying: "I am delighted that so many higher education institutions and SET departments have achieved Athena SWAN Awards this year. It is not easy to meet the criteria, so these awards are a testament to the hard work and commitment of the sector to promoting the career progression of female academics and researchers."
He continued: "The methodology of Athena SWAN has proven to be transformative and I congratulate the winners for leading the way in encouraging women into science at a time when only 5.3% of working women are working in science, engineering and technology. Not only does this work enrich the careers of individuals, it helps institutions to harness the talents of a diverse workforce."
Universities subscribing to the Athena SWAN Charter – funded jointly by the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (UKRC) and Equality Challenge Unit – are eligible for the SWAN awards, which assess UK universities in their role as science employers and mark their progress. Bronze awards are given to institutions that support female staff and students and Silver awards are given to individual departments that demonstrate substantial progress in attracting women and improving their career prospects.
"The next steps will be to continue to promote SET by outreach to schools and through external events," said Bertille Calinaud, Diversity Specialist in Queen Mary's Human Resources department. "The Department of Physics is already working towards Juno practitioner status and a submission for a Silver award in the School of Medicine and Dentistry will be prepared."
More information about Athena Swan can be found at :
http://www.athenaswan.org.uk/html/athena-swan/