Lancaster University’s Women in Physics group welcomes
undergraduates, postgraduates, RAs and academics
undergraduates, postgraduates, RAs and academics
"SHE IS A PHYSICIST" download poster 
The women in physics group provides a forum for the women in the department to get together to get to know one another better, discuss research and make new contacts.
The group meets regularly and holds events including lunches, discussion forums and careers briefings.
Recently we launched our innovative partnership scheme between undergraduates and postgraduates/postdocs.
The aim of the scheme is to improve relations between women at different stages of their careers, and to provide undergraduates with a first port of call for advice on physics-related matters such as careers and research options.
Lancaster physics – officially top of the country in the recent RAE – has about 30 female undergraduates and more than 20 women at postgraduate level and above. It is currently seeking Juno Champion status, under an Institute of Physics programme designed to advance women’s careers in physics higher education.
Prof Aneta Stefanovska, Physics department, said:
“Generally, there are two extreme scenarios of survival in science: to learn the game and play it as perfectly as possible in order to climb smoothly up the hierarchy; or to have a dream for which one is prepared to struggle, and to do so successfully. Perhaps the best known 'dreamer' in science was Galileo.”
“How does life in a Physics department feel, having those two extremes in mind? It is not so much a question of whether one is male or female. Rather, what really matters is that there are far fewer females than males. And being a minority in any respect is liable to make life more difficult.”
“Having an IoP Women in Physics Group gives a feeling of belonging to a nest (of course, it is not the only one). I am positive that all females, and our young female colleagues especially, will benefit by having the chance to meet, discuss, exchange experiences and get to share stories of female survival in what is still mainly a man's world.”
Prof Peter Ratoff, Head of Department, said:
“The department fully supports the Juno initiative and sees it as a priority for us to attain Juno Champion status.”
“We see our Women in Physics group as a welcome development in the department and a key component in our attempt to attain Champion status.”
What some of our group have to say...
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