20 February 2009

Celebrating women in science, technology, engineering & maths

The achievements of female scientists and engineers on the national and international stages will be celebrated over the next month with a series of events called Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths).

This is the first year of what it is hoped will become an annual event recognising and showcasing the important contributions and achievements of female scientists and engineers within Tayside and Fife.

A whole range of events including public lectures, exhibitions, film screenings, family events and workshops are taking place involving the Universities of Dundee, St Andrews and Abertay, Sensation Science Centre and the Scottish Crop Research Institute.

Professor Anne Anderson, Vice-Principal of the College of Art, Science and Engineering commented: 'This programme of events is an excellent opportunity to showcase the achievements of women working in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths. I am delighted to be able to support Women in STEM 2009 and look forward to seeing it become an annual event here at the University'. Professor Anderson is taking part in several Women in STEM events including delivering her own public lecture - 'Is privacy dead in the digital age?'.

The month-long series of events is introduced on Monday February 23rd with a public lecture - 'Depicting the Dead' - by Dr Caroline Wilkinson, senior lecturer in forensic anthropology and expert in facial reconstruction. Dr Wilkinson has appeared on television in popular archaeology programmes such as Meet the Ancestors (BBC2), Secrets of the Dead (Channel 4) and Mummies Unwrapped (Discovery). Her lecture will demonstrate the application of facial reconstruction to the depiction of people from the past, from Ancient Egyptian Mummies and Bog Bodies to a digital animation of JS Bach. Dr Wilkinson is representing Professor Sue Black and the Centre for Anatomy & Human Identification.

Dr Wilkinson’s lecture takes place on Monday 23rd February at 6.30pm and Professor Anderson's lecture takes place on Saturday 28th February at 6pm. Both events will be held in the Dalhousie Building at the University of Dundee. All are welcome to attend and admission is free. Tickets are available from http://www.dundee.ac.uk/tickets, Tower Building Reception, 01382 385564 or events@dundee.ac.uk.

There is also an exhibition celebrating the achievements of Women in STEM running until March 14th at three venues at the University of Dundee - the Queen Mother Building, Lamb Gallery (Tower Building), and the Wellcome Building.

The full programme of events can be seen at: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/ppd/apd/.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk