All of the Lancaster Environment Centre staff

Athena SWAN

We are committed to tackling all barriers and challenges to equal and fair participation in higher education and research.

We strive to recruit and retain the most qualified students and staff, foster inclusive and caring working practices (e.g. with a view on work-life balance, child or parental care), and enable individuals to reach their full potential by providing plentiful opportunities for personal and professional development.

Athena SWAN was established by the Equality Challenge Unit in 2005 to advance the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine. In 2015 the Athena SWAN charter was expanded to include other disciplines, professional and support roles and transgender staff and students. Athena Swan aims to encourage universities and colleges to do this through:

representation
progression of students into academia
journey through career milestones
a working environment for all staff

Lancaster University has held a Bronze Award since 2008, which was renewed in 2012. In 2023, the Lancaster Environment Centre was awarded an Athena SWAN Silver award as a department, in recognition of its commitment to Athena SWAN's charter principles.

We aim to support all our staff to fulfil their potential in a variety of ways including peer support and mentoring. We organize workshops supporting early-career staff (or research students) who aim to become fellows or lecturers, as well as for staff members who aspire to progress to the next stage of their academic careers and ultimately to senior roles.

We aim to be a diverse and inclusive working environment, so we encourage applications from people in all diversity groups.

Download our Athena Swan action plan

Our Silver Athena Swan action plan outlines the measures we have taken as a department to champion equality for women in the workplace.

LEC Athena Swan Action Plan

Celebrating Women

International Women's Day

For International Women’s Day 2022, Dr Ally Gormally-Sutton wrote a blog post Women fighting climate and ecological breakdown in which she talked with some of Lancaster Environment Centre’s inspirational women about their roles in creating a more sustainable future. The answers given were fascinating, insightful, and inspiring, so we share them in full: International Women's Day 2022 Q&A responses. We also published news story Environmental women make their mark in 2019 celebrating the achievements of women in the department.

Composite image of five women of different ethnicities smiling to the camera

Women in Science Day

At Lancaster Environment Centre we're privileged to work with some of world's best women in science, from many nationalities, backgrounds and ethnicities. We celebrate this each year on International Women in Science / Women in STEM (science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Day on 11th February. Have a look at the Twitter thread from 2022 (keep scrolling or clicking "show replies" to see all 38 tweets) and images from 2021 (open both images to see all of the faces).

A composite image showing the faces of lots of women of different ethnicities

Athena SWAN News

Composite image of five women of differing ethnicities smiling to the camera

Blog: Women fighting climate and ecological breakdown

On International Women’s Day 2022, Dr Ally Gormally-Sutton celebrates some of the amazing, inspirational women from the Lancaster Environment Centre who are helping to create a more sustainable future.

Yani Najman smiles to the camera in front of a snowy mountain range

How old are the Himalaya?

In her mission to uncover the secrets of the world’s highest mountains, Professor Yani Najman has trekked to some of the remotest places on the planet, challenged gender stereotypes and even been arrested.

The amazing world of plants

Lancaster University's new Professor of Crop Physiology leads the Photosynthesis Team, focussed on how to feed more people with less by improving the efficiency of how plants turn the sun’s energy into food.

Professor Barbara Maher looking at young growing trees in an urban space

Challenging the status quo

Lancaster University’s first female science professor gains international recognition for ‘proven leadership’ in her field, crowning a career challenging the status quo as an often-lone woman in a male-dominated world.

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