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Suffrage Science

Maths and Computing 2018: 11 Modern Day Role Models Pass On Heirloom Awards

Updated: Sep 16, 2020



Since 2009, the second Tuesday in October has marked Ada Lovelace Day, an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. It aims to increase the profile of women in STEM and create new role models for both girls and women studying or working in STEM.


To mark this date, on the eve of Ada Lovelace Day, the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), hosted the Maths and Computing Suffrage Science awards at the British Library, London. Eleven modern day role models passed on their heirloom jewellery awards in a researcher to researcher relay.


This year was the first handover of the maths and computing awards which were created in 2016, following the success of the Life Sciences and Engineering and Physical Sciences awards established in 2011 and 2013 respectively.


The evening was one of celebration and reflection, highlighting the successes and progress that has been made since 2016, but emphasising the importance of broadening diversity and inclusion across the gender barriers to other diverse characteristics and underrepresented groups in society.


This year’s awards were hosted at the British Library, an apt setting with the recent development of the Turing Institute and inspiring displays of Ada Lovelace correspondence to Babbage and suffrage documents in the Treasures Gallery.


The awards, hosted by former BBC journalist, Susan Watts, included a panel discussion made up of 2016 Suffrage Science award holders, Professor Carron Shankland and Professor Dame Celia Hoyles and 2018 Suffrage Science award holder Professor Ursula Martin.


The starting point of the discussion was the pipeline issues within mathematics and computer science, but expanded across the value of networks, role models and representation. There was extensive discussion about the importance of sharing the responsibility of encouraging and championing diversity in all its forms, with informed contributions from the audience.


The Maths & Computing branch of the Suffrage Science awards was launched at Bletchley Park on Tuesday 11 October 2016, a date recognised globally as Ada Lovelace Day. It celebrates the achievements of inspiring women in maths & computing. The Suffrage Science scheme was initiated by Professor Dame Amanda Fisher, Director of the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences in 2011 and has 114 female award holders across three branches: life sciences, engineering and physical sciences and maths and computing.


Special thanks to the British Library for hosting the event, L’Oreal for their support, Central Saint Martins whose students designed the jewellery in 2016, VV Rouleaux who provided the Suffrage coloured ribbons and scheme advisors Professors Emma McCoy and Marta Kwiatkowska.

Full lists of 2018 recipients and 2016 holders are below:


The 2018 award winners are:

Dr Ruth Keogh, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Dr Tereza Neocleous, University of Glasgow

Dr Nina Snaith, University of Bristol

Dr Daniela De Angelis, MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge

Dr Eugenie Hunsicker, Loughborough University

Professor Sally Fincher, University of Kent

Professor Julie McCann, Imperial College London

Professor Jane Hillston, University of Edinburgh

Professor Ursula Martin, University of Oxford

Dr Hannah Dee, Aberystwyth University

Dr Vicky Neale, University of Oxford


The 2016 award holders were:

Professor Christl Donnelly, Imperial College London

Professor Jane Hutton, University of Warwick

Professor Frances Kirwan, University of Oxford

Professor Sylvia Richardson, MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge

Professor Gwyneth Stallard, Open University

Professor Ann Blandford, University College London

Professor Muffy Calder, University of Glasgow

Professor Leslie Goldberg, University of Oxford

Professor Dame Wendy Hall, University of Southampton

Professor Carron Shankland, University of Stirling

Professor Dame Celia Hoyles, University College London


This article was originally published here.

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