Celebrating Cambridge women Part III
In the penultimate part of our series marking Women's History Month and celebrating the inspirational women across Cambridge University, we are delighted to shine a light on seven more women who are making history right now.
From renowned economists, to up-and coming sustainability superstars. From ground-breaking geoarcheologists, to outreach officers ensuring Cambridge University is accessible to everyone. Cambridge women are leading us into the future across a vast array of subjects.
Here they share the advice they've learned and the songs that uplift them when times are challenging - which we've turned into a public playlist for you to enjoy as you read and listen to anytime you need a boost...
Professor Nidhi Singal
Nidhi is the Vice President of Hughes Hall and Professor of Disability and Inclusive Education in the Faculty of Education.
She is a leading scholar in the field of inclusive education, focusing on marginalised children and young people, particularly those with disabilities. Her research in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia on ways to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning experienced in mainstream classrooms has contributed significantly to international policy on inclusive education.
An important dimension of Nidhi’s expertise is the development of culturally-sensitive methodological and theoretical approaches in educational research. Her work addresses unequal power relations in North-South research partnerships, and advocates a greater focus on the ethics of research dissemination.
She is currently President of the British Association for International and Comparative Education. She has worked extensively with international development organisations, such as the World Bank. She was elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences for her outstanding contributions to educational research.
Nidhi's advice
Meaning and purpose should be central in one's life – they could be evolving but also need to be enduring, not opportunistic. Both can be found in the daily humdrum of activities and interactions with other beings and, of course, they can also shape something truly ground-breaking/revolutionary.
I believe that it behoves us to nurture meaning and purpose for social justice and to realise these personally, culturally and politically. In this way, we have considerable power to create change.
Nidhi's song choice
My 'pick me up' track is 'Tu Jhoom'.
This is a Sufi song. The lyrics are a tribute to the human spirit and fate’s great hand: “For joys and sorrows are a part of life, but life in itself is much bigger than both”.
I have struggled to find an English translation of the lyrics which truly capture what the song means, but here and here are two versions (the song is embedded as a YouTube video).
Professor Beverley Glover, FLS
Beverley is the Director of Cambridge University Botanic Garden and Professor of Plant Systematics and Evolution in the Department of Plant Sciences.
She began her career at Cambridge as a junior research fellow at Queens’ College, Cambridge before being appointed a lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences where she was quickly promoted to senior lecturer and then reader.
In July 2013, Beverley was appointed Director of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and made Professor of Plant Systematics and Evolution.
She has been a member of the council of the European society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology, the Systematics Association, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. She is also a member of the Editorial Board for Current Biology.
Beverley's research focuses on the development of floral features which enhance pollination success, in particular the co-evolution of flowers and animal pollinators, and the evolution of developmental programmes controlling floral key traits.
Beverley's advice
Enjoy what you do. Whether it's work, hobbies or a relationship - if you aren't enjoying it, why are you doing it? Try to find ways to change the things that you do so that you do enjoy them. And be kind - making other people smile is always a good thing.
Beverley's song choice
Bruce Springsteen's 'Dancing in the Dark'. Because it's a song about being stuck with a project (something most academics can sympathise with!) and how lonely that can feel. And the line "You can't start a fire, Worryin' about your little world fallin' apart" is a good call to arms for anyone needing a boost to get on with things.
Also because the song reminds me of my lovely late husband, who was a committed Springsteen fan!
Sarah Gough
Sarah is a Scottish PhD candidate at Clare Hall reading Cancer Immunology and a final year PhD researcher at Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute.
Sarah's research investigates the interaction between senescence, early-stage liver cancer and the immune system.
She is also the founder of Clare Hall’s community allotment which operates on permaculture principles. This led to co-founding the University of Cambridge Allotment Society to bring all those involved in college allotments or interested individuals together.
Founded during the pandemic in 2020, the community allotment is a space to grow seasonal fruits and vegetables with zero food miles, while improving mental and physical wellbeing.
Since then, the initiative has donated surplus produce to local charities and secured several grants to improve its sustainability from organisations like Cambridge Zero and Green Impact; with a focus on seed saving and water conservation.
Through Cambridge Hub’s ‘Engage for Change’ program Sarah is now expanding their spent coffee campaign where allotmenteers compost used grounds from local businesses, which would otherwise end up in landfill, to showcase a circular economy.
Additionally, through her Green Officer position on the graduate student body (GSB), she is actively campaigning against a busway proposal in order to protect the green belt south of the allotment (Change petition).
After her doctorate, Sarah plans to set up a fully sustainable allotment restaurant advocating plant-based, seasonal eating, inclusivity and food justice close to her family in Glendevon, Scotland.
Sarah's advice
Sarah's song choice
'Mountains' by Scottish rock band, Biffy Clyro always empowers me. The lyrics remind me of our connection to the earth (particularly the majestic mountains) and navigating challenging times while we simultaneously build resilience and gain perspective.
Other artists I’d champion are Jenny Keldie, Paolo Nutini, Talisk, Project Smok, Gerry Cinnamon, Celestial and Nick Mulvey.
Professor Diane Coyle, CBE
Diane is Bennett Professor of Public Policy and Co-Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.
She heads research under the themes of progress and productivity and her latest book, ‘Cogs and Monsters: What Economics Is, and What It Should Be‘ is on how economics needs to change to keep pace with the twenty-first century and the digital economy.
Diane is also a Director of the Productivity Institute, a Fellow of the Office for National Statistics, an expert adviser to the National Infrastructure Commission, and Senior Independent Member of the ESRC Council.
She has served in several public service roles such as Vice Chair of the BBC Trust, and as a member of the Natural Capital Committee.
Diane was awarded a CBE for her contribution to the public understanding of economics in the 2018 New Year Honours.
Diane and her husband, Rory Cellan-Jones, recently went viral with the story of their rescue dog #SophieFromRomania.
Diane's advice
A lesson drawn from Ann Michaels’ wonderful novel Fugitive Pieces: 'Never part on angry terms from someone you love'.
Diane's song choice
Patti Smith Group, 'Gloria' or 'Because The Night'.
Hayley Hilson
Hayley is Outreach Officer at Lucy Cavendish College and a Linguistics graduate from Cambridge University.
Her role involves working with schools and students to provide information and support about applying to Cambridge. Providing opportunities to students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds is at the centre of her work.
Hayley's key goals are to reduce educational inequality, to increase diversity and representation at highly selective higher education institutions such as Cambridge, and to empower students to make the right choices for themselves.
To achieve this, she works with prospective applicants in a long-term and sustained capacity, to provide them with comprehensive, continuous support throughout their university applications and pre-university studies.
Hayley's advice
When I was considering applying to Cambridge in sixth form, my tutor told me to ‘just go for it’. Indeed, when considering starting a part-time Masters alongside my job, my parents said the same thing. While somewhat cliché when written down, hearing this from someone you trust inspires such confidence, assurance, and motivation.
Through the outreach programme I run for Lucy Cavendish College, I try to pass on this same sense of empowerment to the students I work with.
Hayley's song choice
‘Bejeweled’ by Taylor Swift! Not only is the song ridiculously catchy, but it always leaves me feeling uplifted, confident, and ready to ‘shimmer’ through the day ahead.
Dr Judith Bunbury
Judith is a Geoarcheologist, the Senior Tutor at St Edmund's College and Teaching Associate in the Department of Earth Sciences.
Her research takes her to Egypt and Sudan to bore mud in the Nile Valley, kick up dust in the deserts and descend tombs in the Valley of the Kingwork. Her work brings together geologists, archaeologists and historians to investigate the changing landscapes of the recent past. By combining geological observations with historical documents and archaeological excavation data, she is able to reconstruct the development of ancient landscapes.
Judith's current projects include exploring the landscape development of a town in Middle Egypt; Shutb, known in antiquity as Shas-hotep with Ilona Regulski of the British Museum.
And in Kharga Oasis, under the Directorship of Salima Ikram on the North Kharga Oasis Survey, she has been exploring the effect of climate change on ancient Saharan Lakes.
In the Theban area, Judith is working as Deputy Mission Director in an exploration of Holocene Climate and Landscape Change in the Theban Mountain and the effect on access and use of the desert for settlement and transport.
Judith is also a member of the MacDonald Research Institute and the MacBurney Geoarchaeology Laboratory. Her teaching includes landscape and climate change at UCL and in the Department of Archaeology at Cambridge, as well as geology and petrology in the Earth Sciences Department.
Her most recent Unesco e-book is The Egyptian Nile: Human Transformation of an Ancient River.
Judith's advice
My ‘most used’ motto is:
‘Perfect is good, done is better’ something that my old office-mate used to say every morning before starting work!
Judith's song choice
It is a bit off the beaten track but my most motivational song is 'Kara Sevdar' by Baris Manco (a Turkish singer) – I used to put this on the car radio and drive around the Turkish villages feeling like I could do anything!
Professor Tamsin Ford, CBE
Tamsin is a Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, a Fellow at Hughes Hall and an internationally renowned Child Psychiatric Epidemiologist.
Her research focuses on how to promote mental health, prevent mental ill-health and respond effectively to children and young people who are currently struggling.
The organisation, delivery, and effectiveness of services and interventions for children and young people’s mental health are also a focus of research for Tamsin.
She has a particular focus on the interface between education and health systems and her work covers the full range of psychopathology and agencies, practitioners and interventions that relate to the mental health of children and young people.
Tamsin has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers in high impact journals (BMJ, Lancet Psychiatry, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry), and has been awarded in excess of £25 million funding from funders, including NIHR, MRC, Wellcome and ESRC.
She has received numerous awards, including a CBE for services to Psychiatry in 2019.
Tamsin's advice
I have always loved this quote which was on the entry to my daughters’ primary school – no idea who Ronnie Oldham was but this chimes with me.
“Excellence is the Result of Caring more than others think is Wise, Risking more than others think is Safe, Dreaming more than others think is Practical, and Expecting more than others think is Possible.” ― Ronnie Oldham
And...There is no such thing as a dumb question - it is far more foolish not to ask
Tamsin's song choice
'Don’t Stop Me Now' by Queen.
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