Suffrage honours given to science researchers
Two Edinburgh professors have been recognised for their achievements in mathematics and computing.
Jane Hillston and Ursula Martin have each received a Suffrage Science award.
The prizes celebrate women in science and recognise individuals who encourage others to enter the field.
Informatics excellence
Professor Hillston is Head of the School of Informatics.
Professor Martin, who joined the University in July, is based in the School’s Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications.
Female scientists
They are among 11 UK scientists who received the award at a ceremony held at the British Library in London.
Only 23 per cent of people in the UK working in core science, engineering, technology and mathematics are women.
The awards help to raise awareness of the shortfall and seek to inspire future generations of female scientists.
The Suffrage Science scheme was initiated by Professor Dame Amanda Fisher, Director of the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, in 2011.
I am honoured to be recognised in this way.
Handmade awards
The awards are items of hand-crafted jewellery created by art students from Central St Martins, part of the University of the Arts London.
The students worked with scientists to design pieces inspired by research and the Suffrage movement.
The awards are passed on as heirlooms from one female scientist to the next, with each previous holder choosing to whom they want to pass their heirloom.
Professor Hillston said she was delighted to be nominated for a Suffrage Science award, and in particular to be nominated by Leslie Goldberg.
In the 1990s, they were both PhD students in the Department of Computer Science at Edinburgh with few female role models to look up to.
I hope that we can be an inspiration for PhD students.