"My journey with Athena: looking back over 20 years’ work on women in science"

It’s 20 years since the Athena Project was launched and it is 20 years ago that Sean McWhinnie, then working at the Royal Society of Chemistry, began addressing the question of why women were so badly represented at the higher levels of academic chemistry.  Sean will look back over the last 20 years and reflect on some of his research on women in academic and industrial chemistry.  Sean will also compare the representation of women in chemistry 20 years ago with their representation today and consider some of the challenges ahead.

Sean McWhinnie

Sean set up Oxford Research and Policy at the end of 2009, since when the consultancy has worked with many clients including the Institute of Physics, the Royal Astronomical Society, the London Mathematical Society, Vitae, the Equality Challenge Unit, the Science and Technology Funding Council, and over 40 universities.

Before establishing Oxford Research and Policy, Sean worked in science policy at the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) for 12 years and prior to that he was a lecturer in the Chemistry Department at Brunel University for over 7 years.

At the RSC Sean developed the RSC’s work in diversity and built partnerships with STEM stakeholders in particular the Athena Project, UK Resource Centre for Women in SET, and the Institute of Physics.  Sean also commissioned or carried out research on the career intentions and experiences of PhD students in chemistry and molecular biosciences, and of research staff in chemistry and physics. Research was also carried out on participation of different ethnic groups in chemistry and physics.