INTEGER Ambassadors
The INTEGER project is building up a pool of diverse and expert ambassadors who are providing guidance to the project partners.
Dr. Sean McWhinnie, Director of Oxford Research and Policy
Dr.Sean McWhinnie worked in science policy at the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) for 12 years and prior to that held a post as a lecturer in the Chemistry Department at Brunel University for over seven years. Sean has significant knowledge of UK academic community and science policy from his time as a chemistry lecturer and subsequent work at the RSC. Whilst at the RSC Sean led a number of research projects on a range of subjects. Sean developed the RSC's work in diversity, early on through working with Dame Julia Higgins, and more recently by building partnerships with organisations such as the Athena Project, and the Institute of Physics. On leaving the RSC towards the end of 2009, Sean established Oxford Research and Policy. Oxford Research and Policy carries out work for a number of clients including the Institute of Physics, the Equality Challenge Unit, the UK Resource Centre of Women in SET, and Vitae. Oxford Research and Policy has also established a partnership with the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
“Good working practice benefits all - staff and students; however, research demonstrates that bad working practices adversely affect women more than men. There is a relationship between good practice and good science, individuals in "good practice" departments can contribute more. Departments with good working practices have fewer management problems” Dr. Sean McWhinnie
Ms. Caroline Fox, Athena Project Programme Manager
(From the left: Dr Nancy Lane, Chair of the Athena Project; Caroline Fox, Athena Project Programme Manager; Professor Dame Julia Higgins, past Chair of the Athena Project)
Caroline Fox is an independent consultant specializing in women and STEMM in higher education. Prior to this she was Director of HR at Imperial College London. Caroline was one of small group, with Professor Dame Julia Higgins FRS, and Dr. Nancy Lane, who originated the Athena Project, launched in 1999. Caroline was a member of the Athena Committee through to December 2007 when the project closed, and managed the Athena development program from 2001 to 2007. Caroline has worked with the Royal Society of Chemistry on a number of reports, including their Planning for Success: good practice in university science departments. Caroline developed the Athena Survey of Science Engineering and Technology (ASSET), running surveys in 2003/04 and 2006. She developed the Athena SWAN Charter launched in 2005. Currently, Caroline is a project manager of ASSET 2010 (a joint Imperial College London and Royal Society project funded by the English Higher Education Funding Council). Caroline is now a member of the Athena SWAN Steering Committee, and advises the Athena Forum which is supported by the Royal Society and other leading STEMM professional and learned societies, and the Institute of Physics' Juno Assessment Panel.
AthenaSWAN Award Scheme: http://www.athenaswan.org.uk
Sean McWhinnie and Caroline Fox have worked together since 2003. Their first joint project was a Royal Society of Chemistry/Athena Project initiative to identify, validate, encourage and disseminate good practice in the recruitment, retention and career progression of academic chemists. As part of this project they developed the good practice checklist for use by departments. This led to the development of the Athena Action Framework. Between them Sean McWhinnie and Caroline Fox have over 20 years of experience in working with STEMM departments on good practice including the Chemistry Department at the University of York.
Dr. Carl Jacobsson, Director of the Department of Research Policy Analysis, Swedish Research Council
The Department of Research Policy Analysis carries out analyses of research financing, research personnel and research output, e.g. bibliometric analyses, and moreover research evaluations, analyses of research policy and of gender equality questions. Dr. Jacobsson was a member of the EU Expert Group on Gender and Excellence (2008) and of the EU Expert Group on Women in Science Decision Making (2007). He was Ombudsman at the Swedish Association of University Teachers 1998-2001, and Special Adviser at the Swedish Ministry of Science and Education, 1995-1997. His background is in mathematics; he was Associate Professor at Stockholm University 1983-1995.
Prof. Teresa Rees CBE AcSS, Professor in the School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University and Director, Leadership Development, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education
Professor Rees is particularly interested in gender mainstreaming and analysing how policies and practices can, inadvertently, reproduce patterns of inequality. She has worked with a range of bodies and governments in Europe and elsewhere to apply a gender mainstreaming approach to promoting equality in the development of governance, science, education, training and labour market policies, regional economic development and the 'knowledge economy'. Professor Rees is a long term expert advisor to the Research Directorate-General of the European Commission and was rapporteur for a series of international groups commissioned by the EC to inform policies on women in science, engineering and technology. She was Pro Vice Chancellor at Cardiff University from 2004-10 and is an academician of the Academy of Social Sciences. She was awarded a CBE for services to equal opportunities and higher education in 2002.
Professor Paul Walton, Department of Chemistry, University of York
Professor Walton is Professor of Chemistry at the University of York, where he was Head of the Department of Chemistry from 2004 until 2010. The department at the University of York is one of the largest in the UK with excellent reputations for both teaching and research. It is the only academic department in the UK to hold an Athena SWAN Gold Award, a status it has held since 2007.
A strong advocate of teaching, Professor Walton is the author of two popular undergraduate textbooks and papers on chemical education. He also holds a national Teaching Award (Royal Society of Chemistry Higher Education Teaching Award, 2000) and was recipient of the University's National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) nomination in 2001. Amongst his other recognitions he was Editor in Chief of Dalton Transactions from 2004 until 2008 and is currently Chair of Heads of Chemistry, UK.