Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social
📤 575
📥 292
📝 56
Supporter of women in STEMM academic leadership.
As women leaders in
#STEMM
academics, we hope to be role models for early career researchers. But what if the role that we’re modelling is not a realistic aspiration? Read our latest post in the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/on-not-...
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On not perpetuating academic survivorship bias — epistimi
As senior women in STEMM academics, we are proud to be role models for our junior colleagues. But we should take care to avoid the potential pitfalls of the survivorship bias that pervades acade...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/on-not-perpetuating-academic-survivorship-bias
11 days ago
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As senior women leaders in STEMM, we enjoy many privileges. One of these is the opportunity to travel as part of our work or for leisure. In this post in the Epistimi blog series, we describe how we can put our travel dollars to work for the good of women. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/women-s...
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Women supporting women around the world — epistimi
As senior women leaders in STEMM we know we are stronger together — we all benefit when we support one another. But this is also true when we support women outside of STEMM, including women whose path...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/women-supporting-women-around-the-world
25 days ago
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Navigating dual careers is a challenge for many senior women in STEMM academics, which Patricia Maurice and I discuss in the latest post in our
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog series. This post focuses on the first step of job searches and negotiation. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/a-begin...
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A ‘beginner’s guide’ for dual-career academic STEMM couples: Job search and negotiations — epistimi
The first step for most dual-career academic STEMM couples is to find and negotiate two faculty positions. Here, we focus on this step at institutions in the US and Europe.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/a-beginners-guide-for-dual-career-academic-stemm-couples-job-search-and-negotiations
about 1 month ago
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The 2025 book “Labwork to Leadership” by
@jenheemstra.bsky.social
is an invaluable resource for aspiring academic leaders. Patricia Maurice and I reviewed this book for the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog series. Read our review at:
www.epistimi.org/blog/when-do...
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When do we learn about leadership? — epistimi
Prof. Jen Heemstra’s 2025 book “Labwork to Leadership” is one we wish that we had been able to read when starting out as assistant professors. Even senior women leaders in STEMM will be able to ...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/when-do-we-learn-about-leadership
about 2 months ago
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Kara Swisher’s 2024 “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story” provides an insider’s view of the tech industry based on the author’s many years of interviewing tech leaders. Read the review by Patricia Maurice in the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog post:
www.epistimi.org/blog/a-woman...
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A woman’s eye view of the very bad boys of tech — epistimi
Tech Journalist Kara Swisher’s 2024 Burn Book: A Tech Love Story is an irreverent, humorous, and at times downright frightening memoir that helps drive home the many reasons why we need more women at ...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/a-womans-eye-view-of-the-very-bad-boys-of-tech
2 months ago
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Patricia Maurice and I address the seeming paradox of women's decreasing representation in STEMM academics with increasing rank in our
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog post:
www.epistimi.org/blog/who-ben...
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Who benefits from the lack of advancement of women in STEMM academics? — epistimi
Cicero famously asked “who benefits?” to expose interests motivating crimes. We can pose the same question regarding the motivations that underlie the lack of women’s advancement in STEMM academ...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/who-benefits-from-the-lack-of-advancement-of-women-in-stemm-academics
3 months ago
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Many universities are struggling to keep up with rapid advances in Generative AI. This Epistimi blog post by Eva Akesson (edited by me and Patricia Maurice) describes the work behind the Lund University policy and provides a link to the current document. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/develop...
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Development of generative AI policy at Lund University — epistimi
Eva Åkesson, Professor of Chemical Physics at Lund University (Sweden) and former Rector of Uppsala University, kindly shares some of her observations from working on university policy for generative ...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/development-of-generative-ai-policy-at-lund-university
3 months ago
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Generative AI (GenAI) is advancing with nearly unbelievable speed and has made inroads into every sector, including research and education. See our
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog post for some key aspects that women leaders in STEMM should be aware of at:
www.epistimi.org/blog/what-ev...
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What every senior woman academic leader should know about artificial intelligence — epistimi
In this post on artificial intelligence (AI), we focus on the ‘Top 10’ things every senior woman leader in academia should know about AI, especially generative AI (GenAI). We hope that this will...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/what-every-senior-woman-academic-leader-should-know-about-artificial-intelligence
4 months ago
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Women in STEMM academics take on a disproportionate amount of service tasks. Although essential for the functioning of academic institutions, these tasks are often severely undervalued. Read more in our latest Epistimi blog post at:
www.epistimi.org/blog/service...
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Service activities in academia need to be properly valued and supported — epistimi
In US and UK universities, the job responsibilities of most professors are often grouped into three categories — teaching, research, and service. In European universities, service is often less ...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/service-activities-in-academia-need-to-be-properly-valued-and-supported
4 months ago
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Our first
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog post in 2026 is a guest post by Prof. Heike Mayer and Joel Schaad from the University of Bern. They describe the Better Science Initiative and its 10 measures to promote a sustainable research culture in academia. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/better-...
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Better Science Initiative: Sustainable research culture for all — epistimi
The Better Science Initiative aims to rethink the notion of academic excellence and promotes best practices for a healthy research culture in which all researchers can thrive.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/better-science-initiative-sustainable-research-culture-for-all
5 months ago
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Here’s an uplifting post from
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog co-editor and writer Patricia Maurice. A young girl who had learned about earthquakes and tsunamis in school was able to warn her parents before the 2004 tsunami. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/a-tsuna...
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A tsunami, a girl, and the power of STEMM education — epistimi
During the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami disaster, one young girl was able to save at least 100 lives by recognizing the impending cataclysm based on what she had learned in a recent geography class. Her st...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/a-tsunami-a-girl-and-the-power-of-stemm-education
6 months ago
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Guest author Karen Kelsky
@professorisin.bsky.social
offers valuable advice for today’s stressful academic job market in her post in the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog series. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/career-...
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Career Advice in U.S. Academia’s Moment of Crisis — epistimi
Dr. Karen Kelsky, author of “The Professor Is In”, reflects on the second edition of her career advice book for PhDs and the state of academic career advising more generally. Her comments are es...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/career-advice-in-us-academias-moment-of-crisis
6 months ago
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Women leaders of European universities can support each other through the EWORA network. The EWORA conference in Lisbon was held in June 2025. Read about it in our latest
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog post. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/women-l...
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Women leading European universities discuss values-based leadership — epistimi
Values-based leadership offers a path for engaging both academic colleagues and external stakeholders in the university mission. By Janet G. Hering with Patricia A. Maurice ...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/women-leading-european-universities-discuss-values-based-leadership
6 months ago
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Did you know that Patricia Maurice, co-editor and co-author of the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog, has written a book about her experiences in science? Read about it in her post:
www.epistimi.org/blog/our-goa...
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Our goal as women should not be to do science as well as any man, but to do it better — epistimi
Blog (co)editor Patricia Maurice introduces her new book, “Do Science Like a Girl: how women in science are changing the world.”
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/our-goal-as-women-should-not-be-to-do-science-as-well-as-any-man-but-to-do-it-better
7 months ago
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Thanks to Prof. Paul Walton for his allyship for women in
#STEMM
academics and his guest post in our
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog series. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/equity-...
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Equity for women in STEMM academics as a strategic priority — epistimi
Prof. Paul Walton describes his commitment to building diverse research teams and faculties, using evidence and literature as the basis for action.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/equity-for-women-in-stemm-academics-as-a-strategic-priority
7 months ago
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Why don’t we talk about power and power dynamics in STEMM academics? Read our most recent post in the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog series.
www.epistimi.org/blog/an-intr...
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An introduction to power for women in STEMM academic leadership — epistimi
Understanding power and its dynamics in STEMM academics can help women leaders to avoid being subjected to abuses of power and to exercise our own power ethically, responsibly, and for the benefit of ...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/an-introduction-to-power-for-women-in-stemm-academic-leadership
8 months ago
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Patricia Maurice and I are delighted to have reached the milestone of publishing our 50th post on the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog! We provide an overview of our many profiles, book reviews, and topical postsPlease repost widely!
www.epistimi.org/blog/what-we...
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What we’ve learned from two years of celebrating senior women leaders in STEMM — epistimi
In honor of the 50 th post in this blog series, we take a moment to review what we’ve learned thus far and to ponder the evolving role of senior women leaders in STEMM.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/what-weve-learned-from-two-years-of-celebrating-senior-women-leaders-in-stemm
8 months ago
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Our latest post in the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog series provides insights into the excitement of scientific fieldwork and how to deal responsibly with potential hazards.
www.epistimi.org/blog/leading...
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Leading through the joys and hazards of scientific field work — epistimi
There are few aspects of scientific research and teaching more exciting than getting out into ‘the field’. Good leaders need to ensure safe and appropriate behavior whenever faculty, students and staf...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/leading-through-the-joys-and-hazards-of-scientific-field-work
9 months ago
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Michael Pullin describes the role of US community colleges in opening doors to STEM education for first-generation, low income, and underrepresented students. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/us-comm...
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U.S. community colleges provide entry to STEMM education for first-generation, low income, and underrepresented students — epistimi
Michael Pullin, Dean for Academic Initiatives at Queensborough Community College in New York, highlights the importance of community colleges for STEMM education in the U.S. He reminds us of the impor...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/us-community-colleges-provide-entry-to-stemm-education-for-first-generation-low-income-and-underrepresented-students
9 months ago
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Read Ilene Sheffer’s inspiring story of helping Rwandan students at Southwestern Michigan University. In her post on the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog, her message is “When you feel you can right a wrong — don’t hesitate. To save one life is to save mankind!"
www.epistimi.org/blog/ilene-s...
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Ilene Sheffer and the power of women in academia to do good in the world — epistimi
In “Watching Over Rwandans,” author Ilene Sheffer describes her efforts to help save students from Rwanda during the 1994 genocide and relates the personal stories of seven Rwandan international stude...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/ilene-sheffer-and-the-power-of-women-in-academia-to-do-good-in-the-world
10 months ago
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This is an appalling travesty and a clear violation of academic freedom.
add a skeleton here at some point
11 months ago
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We like to think of
#STEMM
as a meritocracy, but it can be poisoned by favoritism. Read the post by Patricia Maurice and me on the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog:
www.epistimi.org/blog/the-dan...
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The dangers of favoritism in STEMM academics — epistimi
Favoritism can occur in any workplace. It can be especially pernicious in STEMM academics, where it undermines meritocratic ideals. As senior women leaders, we should promote fair and equi...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/the-dangers-of-favoritism-in-stemm-academics
11 months ago
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A very important topic at a meeting of the European Women Rectors Association
#EWORA
11 months ago
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It is inspiring to learn about the accomplishments of women in STEMM throughout history. Patricia Maurice and I briefly tell the story of the 18th century Italian physics professor Laura Bassi in our post on the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog:
www.epistimi.org/blog/laura-b...
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Laura Bassi: 18th century Scientist and Academician Extraordinaire — epistimi
On a recent trip to Milan, we stumbled upon a street named for 18 th century female scientist Laura Bassi, reminding us that women have been accomplishing extraordinary things in STEMM for hundreds o...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/laura-bassi-18th-century-scientist-and-academician-extraordinaire
12 months ago
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Read the post by
@paolalaurino.bsky.social
on the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog about
@rozforum.bsky.social
, which offers great tools for professional development and diversity. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/welcome...
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Welcome to ROZ: the “Rosalind Franklin Forum for Female Scientists, Open to All” — epistimi
Here, we introduce our readers to ROZ, an interactive career advisory platform that offers a global network of mentors and other tools to help advance scientists’ careers and promote diversity.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/welcome-to-roz-the-rosalind-franklin-forum-for-female-scientists-open-to-all
12 months ago
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Read aboutthe rewards of teaching and advising in our recent post on the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog:
www.epistimi.org/blog/our-stu...
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Our students are our greatest gifts and our proudest legacies — epistimi
At a time when universities (at least in the USA) are under fire, let’s take a moment to remind ourselves how fortunate we are to be educators.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/our-students-are-our-greatest-gifts-and-our-proudest-legacies
about 1 year ago
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Thanks to Angeliki Rigos (Diane), founder of
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
, for her guest post on leadership training. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/underst...
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Understanding leadership development leads to better programs for women — epistimi
Understanding the dynamics by which leadership emerges, including the relationships within groups, can help us design and choose the leadership training program that best serves our needs.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/understanding-leadership-development-leads-to-better-programs-for-women
about 1 year ago
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Science
#STEM
needs to engage talent broadly to find solutions for all members of society. Read our blog on
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
www.epistimi.org/blog/engagem...
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Engagement and the ability to work effectively in a diverse world — epistimi
More than ever, STEMM practitioners are needed to identify and solve problems and to provide the innovation that drives economic growth. Engagement is crucial to ensuring that colleagues can ‘fl...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/engagement-and-the-ability-to-work-effectively-in-a-diverse-world
about 1 year ago
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Read leadership insights from social scientist Charmain Levy on the latest post on the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/what-be...
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“What being a leader means is to inspire and empower others around you”: Reflections of a social scientist — epistimi
Prof. Charmain Levy, an eminent scholar of international development studies, feminist studies and social sciences from the Université du Québec en Outaouais, shares her thoughts on successful strateg...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/what-being-a-leader-means-is-to-inspire-and-empower-others-around-you-reflections-of-a-social-scientist
about 1 year ago
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Are you looking for new ways to do science? See today's post by me and Patricia Maurice on the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog. Inspired by Eugenia Cheng's book "X+Y". See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/anonymo...
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Anonymous billionaire pledges to support congressive STEMM — epistimi
A departure from ‘science as usual’ would focus on society and community, emphasize interdependence and connection, and promote broader thinking. A new foundation will bring ‘congressive’ STEMM into t...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/anonymous-billionaire-pledges-to-support-congressive-stemm
about 1 year ago
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Tracy Kijewski-Correa delivers a powerful message about how engineers can contribute to global development in her profile on the
@epistimi-stemm.bsky.social
blog. (Re-posting welcome.) See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/the-sol...
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“The solution was always inside us”: Life lessons from an engineer’s career in global development — epistimi
Prof. Tracy Kijewski-Correa shares her experiences and insight on the important role that academic engineers can play in addressing poverty and the needs of at-risk populations across the globe.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/the-solution-was-always-inside-us-life-lessons-from-an-engineers-career-in-global-development
about 1 year ago
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Despite all the chaos in the world, we still have to plan for and attend to our personal transitions. Patricia Maurice and I discuss a big one, retirement, in our new post on the Epistimi blog.
www.epistimi.org/blog/learnin...
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Learning from our retirement experiences: timing and preparation — epistimi
Like any other transition in life, retirement requires good navigation. Here, we offer some of our own experiences and advice to help you prepare for a smooth and effective retirement.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/learning-from-our-retirement-experiences-timing-and-preparation
over 1 year ago
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Panel at the International Cooperation Forum 2025 with Solomzi Mokohliso, Elizabeth Tilley and Gnanli Landrou at ETH Zurich.
over 1 year ago
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Ready for Ebola in the USA? It’s much more likely without USAID-funded control programs.
#FireElonMusk
knowledge.insead.edu/responsibili...
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The Humanitarian New Normal: A World Without a Safety Net
The withdrawal of funding for humanitarian work will affect everyone – in countries rich or poor – as the “global immune system” built by global aid falls apart.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/responsibility/humanitarian-new-normal-world-without-safety-net
over 1 year ago
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A guest post by Robeta Hawkins and Leslie Klein on our Episitimi blog. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/a-guide...
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A Guide to Surviving and Transforming Academia for the Benefit of All — epistimi
Authors Roberta Hawkins and Leslie Kern discuss how they came to write their 2024 book Higher Expectations: How to Survive Academia, Make it Better for Others, and Transform the University an d how ...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/a-guide-to-surviving-and-transforming-academia-for-the-benefit-of-allnbsp
over 1 year ago
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Are academic institutions focusing on so-called excellence at the expense of ethics? Patricia Maurice and I encourage our peers to talk seriously about ethics in our new post on the
Epistimi.org
blog. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/why-ste...
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Why STEMM leaders need to talk seriously about ethics — epistimi
Are we, as academics, sufficiently willing to engage with our colleagues on issues of ethics and behavior? As women leaders in STEMM, how does this affect us and what are our responsibilities? &...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/why-stemm-leaders-need-to-talk-seriously-about-ethics
over 1 year ago
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Great work by Elena Gimmi in doctoral research conducted at
@eawag.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
over 1 year ago
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Bishop calls on Trump to ‘have mercy’ on migrants and LGBTQ people. This is an example of the courage we need now.
over 1 year ago
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If you're a mom in STEMM academics (or might be one in the future), you can be inspired by Patricia Maurice. She shares her experiences in her post on the Epistimi blog. (Re-posting welcome). See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/how-bec...
over 1 year ago
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Please circulate widely.
add a skeleton here at some point
over 1 year ago
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As co-chair of SDSN Switzerland, I wrote a short piece on the importance of transforming food systems in achieving the SDGs. You can read it at:
farmingfirst.org/2025/01/food...
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Food Systems and Shaping a Sustainable World - Farming First
Industrialised countries such as Switzerland need to transform their food systems to mitigate their impacts, locally and globally.
https://farmingfirst.org/2025/01/food-systems-and-shaping-a-sustainable-world/
over 1 year ago
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My co-author Patricia Maurice and I start off 2025 with a declaration of rights for women and girls. Re-posts welcome. See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/a-trip-...
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A Trip to Paris and the Rights of Women in STEMM — epistimi
During a meeting in Paris last fall, we were inspired to draft A Declaration of the Rights of Women and Girls in STEMM in hopes of building a modern system that uplifts everyone.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/a-trip-to-paris-and-the-rights-of-women-in-stemm
over 1 year ago
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Only three days till the December 13 deadline to sign up for the 2025 High Potential University Leaders Identity & Skills Training (H.I.T.) Program. Don't miss this opportunity!
www.hitprogram.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:af61...
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https://www.hitprogram.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:af61e1a1-6ac5-40d3-9cce-fd02bddc45be/HITProgram2025.pdf
over 1 year ago
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The Gender Equality Forum 2024 is live RIGHT NOW (and tomorrow). Stream it at:
eige.europa.eu/newsroom/eve...
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Stream the event
https://eige.europa.eu/newsroom/events/gender-equality-forum-2024/stream
over 1 year ago
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Ulrike Beisiegel provides insight from her stellar academic career, culminating in her presidency at the The University of Göttingen. A great role model!
www.epistimi.org/blog/a-unive...
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A university president must act responsibly and consequentially — epistimi
Prof. Ulrike Beisiegel recounts how her academic career, including her many advisory roles, prepared her to be the first female President of the University of Göttingen in Germany.  ...
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/a-university-president-must-act-responsibly-and-consequentially
over 1 year ago
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#PublishEquality
- On Dec. 10 it will be 101 years since the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced to the U.S. Congress. The ERA has been ratified and needs to be published by President Joe Biden. US citizen can contact him to push for this.
@demsabroad.bsky.social
voteequality.us/activate/wri...
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Write4Rights - Vote Equality!
On and around the January 27th anniversary of the final ratification required for the 28th Amendment (Equal Rights) equality advocates will #write4rights...
https://voteequality.us/activate/write4rights/
over 1 year ago
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Important information from the Pew Research Center on trust in science in the USA.
www.pewresearch.org/science/2024...
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Public Trust in Scientists and Views on Their Role in Policymaking
Americans’ trust in scientists is slightly higher than it was last year, but remains lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2024/11/14/public-trust-in-scientists-and-views-on-their-role-in-policymaking/
over 1 year ago
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Thanks Nicky for making this available on this platform.
add a skeleton here at some point
over 1 year ago
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Patricia Maurice writes on the Epistimi blog about lessons for women in STEMM from "The Conscience of the Art World" (aka the Guerilla Girls). See:
www.epistimi.org/blog/what-we...
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What we can learn from “The Guerrilla Girls: The Art of Behaving Badly” — epistimi
It’s not just STEMM fields that present major challenges for women in academia and systemic roadblocks to success. We need to learn from and support our sisters in the arts and humanities.
https://www.epistimi.org/blog/what-we-can-learn-from-the-guerrilla-girls-the-art-of-behaving-badly
over 1 year ago
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@ewapastorczak.bsky.social
I‘d like to join the Women in Chemistry group. Thanks.
over 1 year ago
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