2015 Women in Science Festival launches with a bang
Published On Wed 25 Feb 2015 by Grant Hill
Dundee will once again celebrate the achievements of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) when the 2015 Women in Science Festival takes place from 7th-28th March.
A total of 45 family events, exhibitions, film screenings, fun days, talks and other events will take place across the city in March, and the Festival is supported by many of the internationally acclaimed female scientists and researchers working at institutions in Dundee.
Led by the University of Dundee this is the UK’s only Festival that celebrates women in science and this year will present a range of film screenings, exhibitions, talks and family fun days.
Everyone is welcome to join the Festival partners on Thursday 26th February at 12:30pm at the front of the Caird Hall. They will be joined by author and science communicator Emily Dodd, who will be running several family events at the Marryat Hall throughout the festival, including ‘Love you to the Moon and Back’, one of the Mother’s Day science shows scheduled to take place. They will be launching a bottle rocket in the City Square.
The Festival will be opened on Saturday, 7th March with a Saturday Evening Lecture at the University of Dundee by Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the first female President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In particular this event will highlight the many opportunities there are for women to pursue a career in science and related subjects.
Dundee’s Women In Science Festival is aimed at encouraging more young women to get involved with science and then stay with it as a rewarding career choice and incorporates International Women’s Day, as well as running alongside Dundee Women’s Festival.
Patron of the Festival is Professor Sue Black, Deputy Principal for Public Engagement at the University and a world authority on forensic anthropology and human identification.
She said, “This year is a landmark one for women in science with the Royal Society of Edinburgh appointing Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell as its first female President and we are honoured that she has agreed to kick start the festival this year.
“Throughout the Festival we will celebrate the truly inspirational women who simply go about their daily tasks doing extraordinary things. We will also never forget the inspirational women of Dundee’s past and we have so many to share including Margaret Fairlie, Rebecca Strong and Mary Lily Walker. Their achievements of so long ago, still resonate strongly within our community today.”
Dr Jon Urch, Chair of the Festival organising committee, said, “There is so much to do and see that we will be spoilt for choice. There are events that showcase the cutting-edge of research by ground-breaking Scottish scientists and these run alongside fun, drop-in sessions for families and evening talks designed to intrigue, interest and entertain.
“I really encourage everyone to attend pick up a copy of the programme and join us at an event. Please come along and have fun, meet new friends and start to plan for what you want to see or do next year.”
The Festival is led by the University of Dundee in partnership with the Abertay University, the James Hutton Institute, Hannah Maclure Centre, Dundee Women’s Festival and Dundee Science Centre. Its Major Partners are the Wellcome Trust, brightsolid and the University of Dundee, with additional support from the Biochemical Society.
The Festival programme is more diverse than ever and includes a Mother’s Day programme, film screenings, literary and poetry events, comedy, family fun days, talks and an event explaining the science behind cocktails.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
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University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
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