School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences

International Womxn's Day

Highlights of some of the incredible women and gender non-conforming people in philosophy, psychology and linguistics at Edinburgh as part of International Womxn’s Day on 8 March 2020

Photos of womxn in PPLS: Jess Brough, Shannon Vallor, Katie Keltie, Jenny Culbertson, Aja Murray, Olivia Gambelin
Pictured left to right (top row): Jess Brough, Katie Keltie, Aja Murray. Pictured left to right (second row): Shannon Vallor, Jenny Culbertson, Olivia Gambelin.

The School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences is committed to equality and diversity of all staff and students. We achieved the Athena SWAN Bronze award in 2017 in recognition of our efforts to promote a School culture of equality.

Today on International Womxn's Day we are highlighting some of the incredible people in PPLS:

Jess Brough

Psycholinguistics PhD student Jess Brough researches social effects on language production and language biases and is the founder of the award-winning Fringe of Colour initiative spotlighting performers of colour at arts festivals. Jess' project has been awarded the Total Theatre Award for Significant Contribution, the Dave Edinburgh Comedy Award Panel Prize, and a Creative Edinburgh Award in 2019.

I want to create the sense that there’s a community that’s willing to support you. The desire to have people in your audience that look like you or are representative of what you’re doing is something that most feel really strongly about.

Jessica BroughFounder of Fringe of Colour and PhD Psychology student

Grassroots project addresses Edinburgh fringe’s ‘overwhelming whiteness’ | The Guardian 

The Hot 100 2019: #2 Fringe of Colour (Jess Brough) | The List

Jenny Culbertson

Dr Jenny Culbertson, Reader in Linguistics and English Language, received the 2019 Rising Star Chancellor’s Award for her groundbreaking research that has led to fundamental advances in our understanding of how the language is shaped by the way in which the human mind works.

I'm extremely honoured to receive this award, and excited to continue contributing to the excellent research culture of this international university as a transplant from the US who has happily made Edinburgh my home.

Dr Jennifer CulbertsonReader in Linguistics and English Language

2019 Chancellor's Winners Announced

Olivia Gambelin

After graduating with an MSc in Philosophy in 2019, Olivia Gambelin co-founded and launched Ethical Intelligence, a consultancy to help businesses navigate the growing ethical challenges of using artificial intelligence. Olivia and her team have already worked with the Scottish Government, global investment firm Franklin Templeton and the University of Edinburgh.

We are shaping the future of tech ethics by bringing the human back into the equation. 

Olivia GambelinCEO of Ethical Intelligence and MSc Philosophy graduate (Class of 2019)

Ethical Intelligence

Katie Keltie

Head of Postgraduate Administration Katie Keltie and her team have provided one-to-one support to over 2,500 postgraduate students, helping them to get the most out of PPLS from enquiry through to graduation. Katie also supports all staff involved in postgraduate teaching and supervision in the School.

I love working with postgraduate students because I get to meet amazing people from all over the world who are investigating a wide range of questions within their disciplines.  The most rewarding aspect of my role is supporting these incredible folk in their academic endeavours and seeing them succeed and carry on beyond study.

Katie KeltieHead of Postgraduate Administration

Postgraduate Office at the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

Aja Murray

Psychology lecturer Dr Aja Murray is a recipient of the British Academy-Wolfson Fellowship awarded to outstanding early-career researchers, which she is using to research domestic violence during pregnancy, with the aim of informing prevention and harm reduction strategies.

I am grateful for the opportunity to work on this important topic. Domestic violence during pregnancy has significant negative impacts on both mother and child. More research is needed to help better understand how to prevent it and reduce its harms.

Dr Aja MurrayLecturer in Psychology

Psychology lecturer awarded British Academy-Wolfson Fellowship

Shannon Vallor

Professor Shannon Vallor recently joined the University and is a leading expert on the impact of emerging technologies – particularly those involving automation and artificial intelligence – on human character. Her work includes advising policymakers and industry on the ethical design and use of AI, and she currently chairs Scotland's Data Delivery Group.

Powerful technology alone is not enough. To ensure that [data and artificial intelligence] transformations serve the public interest and promote the long-term flourishing of humans and our planet, we need to steer the growing power of data and artificial intelligence with moral intelligence.

Professor Shannon Vallor Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence at the Edinburgh Futures Institute

Ethics of data and AI are focus of appointment

Related links

Equality and Diversity in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences