51³Ô¹ÏÍø

From tackling cancer to summiting Everest: 51³Ô¹ÏÍø celebrates inspiring women

by Joanna Wilson

Wonder Women

51³Ô¹ÏÍø will mark International Women’s Day with a free public event celebrating the achievements of women across research, innovation and the arts.

will showcase 51³Ô¹ÏÍø women who are pushing boundaries and challenging what it means to be a woman in the modern world - from pioneering ground-breaking advances in brain surgery to reaching the top of the highest mountain on earth

Held during , the event will involve the public through a programme of talks, creative workshops and performances, highlighting the amazing work done by women at the College.

What’s on?

  • Take part in a workshop exploring what personal intelligent assistants like Alexa might sound like in a feminist future with the and reimagine technologies that often reinforce stereotypes about women.
  • See live editing of Wikipedia pages to make the internet a more inclusive place for women with a Diversithon led by Dr Jess Wade from the Department of Physics. Also, hear Jess in conversation with Charlotte Webb from the , talking about whether the internet is biased and how this affects our lives.
  • Hear Dr Melanie Windridge, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø alumnus and visiting researcher, talk about how she has built a career around her two passions of science and adventure, and her experiences climbing Mount Everest.
  • Meet the entrepreneurs hoping to shake up our world, from remoldable bioplastic fracture casts to eco-friendly fertilisers. See five new female-founded startups battle it out in the final stage of the College’s . At the final, held during the Lates event, the finalists will pitch in front of a live audience for a chance to win a share of a £30,000 prize fund, sponsored by BP.
  • My life in science and art: Scientists who are also artists will take to the stage to tell their stories and explain what they do. This includes a doctor and concert pianist, a poet and ecowarrior, and an environmental scientist and artist.
  • Explore groundbreaking research taking place at the College, from robotic brain surgery inspired by nature, the psychology of technology attachment and wearable technology.
  • Step into a world that uses the language of mathematics, logic and science to explore what it means to be a black-British woman in the modern world, with a talk from Keisha Thompson, writer, poet, music producer and activist.

About Women@51³Ô¹ÏÍø Week

Women@51³Ô¹ÏÍø week is a chance to celebrate female staff and students at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, past and present, to reflect on what more we can do to promote gender equality, and to raise awareness of the support available at the College for women.

This year’s events include lectures, workshops and networking sessions, covering topics ranging from what academia could learn from the military to how to make science more accessible. For more information, see the full list of events.

Article text (excluding photos or graphics) © 51³Ô¹ÏÍø.

Photos and graphics subject to third party copyright used with permission or © 51³Ô¹ÏÍø.

Reporter

Joanna Wilson

Communications Division