Last week I took part in my second Retreat for Women In Applied Mathematics, held at the ICMS in Edinburgh. Organised by Prof Apala Majumdar (University of Strathclyde) and Prof Angela Mihai (Cardiff University), RWAM is a five-day retreat for female applied mathematicians from all career stages, with keynote lectures, contributed talks, poster session, round-table discussions, working groups and networking time.

This year I led a round-table discussion around the topic of EDI. This workshop style session focussed on exploring some of the common challenges faced by women in male dominated fields. We used some of the thoughts and feelings identified from our Newcastle PhD student experiences study (see more here) as a springboard for small group discussion, sharing our own experiences and personal strategies we’ve found helpful. We also discussed the current literature in this area which highlights the power of networks, mentors and events like RWAM!

It’s always a pleasure to be in Edinburgh and at the ICMS, but being surrounded by such impressive women for RWAM makes for a particularly inspiring week!