Last week, a group of assistant professors in the College of Science took part in an ‘Empowerment Workshop’ run by the excellent Dr Karen Kelsky from The Professor Is In, and organised by Culturally Responsive Mentoring in collaboration with the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science.

During the 2-hour workshop, Karen spoke candidly and thoughtfully about her work and experiences in academia to build into a critical discussion of how to manage power dynamics and address toxic environments and cultures in academia. Karen shared with the group new insights from her next book project, based on a expansive database of complaints documenting sexual harassment and violence in academia. Those in attendance engaged in frank discussions, reflecting on their own experiences, responsibilities, and values, to help them build confidence to identify, name, and address difficult relations they may witness at work. The workshop followed a delicious sandwich lunch, which provided a great opportunity to get to know Karen, and we we were thrilled to welcome her into our College. The feedback we received has been excellent, and we thank Karen for being generous with her time and her thoughts in the workshop.