A report from 2012 reveals that only 12% of third year female PhD students want a career in academia. So why do over a third of women change their mind over just three years?
Although we can’t completely answer that question, 175 Faces of Chemistry brings together women who are succeeding in academia to share their experiences.
There are a number of initiatives that support women in education and research of which the
Athena SWAN Charter is one committed to advancing women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine. As one of only six female established academics at the University of Cambridge,
Jane Clarke heads up the Athena SWAN initiative within the Chemistry department.
When Jane’s children were young, she became flexible around the hours she worked in the lab by arranging childcare for early mornings. She tells us that there is no reason why women can’t achieve highly but they may need to go about things in a different way. One way she’s done it is by cutting down the size of her research group to focus on quality work.
At her university, Jane has set up a leadership program for young academics to develop their skills in management by which she hopes to encourage the future generation of academics to challenge the way we measure success.
Mentors can also play a huge role in women’s confidence.
Rachel O'Reilly struggled to find a permanent position after a succession of fellowships. She feels that unlike the majority of her male colleagues, her instinct was to avoid opportunities which lead to job uncertainty. Fortunately, Rachel had mentors who encouraged her to embrace risky opportunities and since, she has worked up to become professor at age 34.
Rachel advises others to take all opportunities that present themselves even if you don’t feel ready. “I think finding and developing a supportive network is really important.”
Jane Clarke’s image by Nathan Pitt & Caroline Hancox, © University of Cambridge.
Rachel O’Reilly’s image © Stephen Lake/ Royal Society of Chemistry
