Renowned space scientist and The Sky At Night TV presenter Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE will talk about the challenges facing women in science at an open lecture at Loughborough University this month.

In her lecture ‘Women in Science: The Challenge’ Dr Aderin-Pocock will discuss some of the pioneering women in space science and her own adventures and triumphs, and will talk about how we can achieve change in female representation across science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Dr Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist and a pioneering figure in communicating science. She holds a degree in Physics and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, and now splits her time between making novel, bespoke instrumentation in both the industrial and academic environments, and communicating her passion for science. 

Dr Aderin-Pocock’s visit marks the University’s first ever Claudia Parsons Memorial Lecture – a series of lectures launched as part of the Athena SWAN initiative, a national programme that recognises success in developing employment practices to further support the careers of women in STEM subjects.

Claudia Parsons was a student at Loughborough College from 1919-22, and was one of the first women to receive a diploma in Automobile Engineering. She became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by car and wrote about her experience in a number of influential travel books.

Professor Steve Rothberg, chair of Loughborough’s Athena SWAN self-assessment team, said:

“We are delighted an inspirational role-model such as Maggie has agreed to open our Claudia Parsons Memorial Lecture series. At Loughborough we are committed to championing women in the STEM workforce and closing the gender gap and we are sure Maggie’s lecture will enthuse colleagues and highlight the important role women play in this sector.”

The open lecture takes place on Wednesday 29 January at 6pm in the University’s Edward Herbert Building. Booking is essential. Register your attendance at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/claudia-parsons

As part of her visit, Dr Aderin-Pocock will also lead a masterclass on public speaking and communicating research effectively, hosted by the School of Business and Economics and supported by the Midlands Energy Graduate School. For further information on the masterclass, which takes place on Thursday 30 January, please contact Elizabeth Hooper on E.Hooper@lboro.ac.uk