Stirling academic wins at the Scottish Women’s Awards

A University of Stirling academic has received a top accolade at the Scottish Women’s Awards 2017.

Carron Shankland, Professor of Computing Science, was recognised for her Services to Science and Technology at a ceremony in Glasgow.

Professor Karen Boyle was shortlisted in the Services to Education category.

In another success for Stirling, Professor Karen Boyle, co-director of the Centre for Gender and Feminist Studies, was shortlisted in the Services to Education category.

Reflecting on her win, Professor Shankland said: “I am delighted to have been recognised at the Scottish Women's Awards in the category of Services to Science and Technology.

“I hope this will raise the profile of women in computing. I especially want to encourage more girls to take computing at school and university, and to consider a career in technology. There are lots of great careers and opportunities for them.

“We need a diverse range of people designing and building the technology of the future.”

Professor Shankland’s work focuses on understanding the behaviour of biological systems through mathematical and computational models.

In 2016, she was one of 12 women in computing and mathematics to receive a Suffrage Science Award recognising both scientific achievement and ability to inspire others.

Passionate about the promotion of careers in science for women, Professor Shankland chairs CygnetS, a best-practice network of computing departments engaged in gender equality work. She initiated the University’s Athena SWAN work, to improve diversity in higher education, and has led it for the past four years.

Achievements

Professor Boyle, whose main research area is gender, violence and representation, is the first Professor of Feminist Media Studies in the UK and is committed to working with women’s organisations to think about how academic research works in the world.

She said it was an “honour” to be nominated alongside other women working to challenge gender inequality across Scotland.

The Scottish Women’s Awards, in their first year, recognise and celebrate the achievements of outstanding women in Scotland – from entrepreneurs, professionals and civil servants to academics, emergency workers and charity workers.

Organisers Creative Oceanic received thousands of nominations from members of the public, industry professionals and other key stakeholders.

The ceremony took place on Wednesday, 30 August at Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Irfan Younis, CEO of Creative Oceanic, said: “We are delighted to see so many people getting involved in the inaugural Scottish Women’s Awards.”