The Daphne Jackson Trust is delighted to announce that Dr Teresa Anderson, Director of the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, University of Manchester, is the Trust’s new Chair of Board. Teresa took up the position on 1st March 2015. The existing Board of Trustees will expand further in April, when 8 additional Trustees take up their appointments. Read on to find out more.

Teresa Anderson brings with her a wealth of experience that spans R&D, management and leadership in the higher education and public engagement sectors. Teresa also chairs the Association of Science and Discovery Centres and has a deep personal commitment to encouraging a wide range of people to engage with, and realise their potential in, science and engineering roles.

In 2014 Teresa was awarded the Institute of Physics Kelvin Medal for Public Engagement with Physics, and in 2013 she received an MBE for services to Astrophysics. As Director of the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, Teresa has devised and implemented novel ways to engage new and harder to reach audiences and directs strategic projects to support engagement with Astronomy and Physics research across the UK.

Teresa will join new and existing members of the Trust’s Board of Trustees who make invaluable contributions to the Trust’s governance and support the Trust as it develops towards its vision of seeing every UK university that supports STEM research hosting and sponsoring Daphne Jackson Fellows on an ongoing basis.

‘I’m passionate about equality and diversity in science and engineering. Much of my work to date has focused on encouraging young people to choose this area for their future careers’ Teresa explains. ‘I’m looking forward immensely to working on this same issue in a different part of the career path, ensuring that we keep as many talented scientists and engineers as possible working in research in the future.’

Katie Perry, Chief Executive of the Daphne Jackson Trust said ‘This is an exciting time for the Trust. I am delighted that Teresa has been appointed as Chair and am looking forward to working with her as we develop the Trust further. It is always a great pleasure to work with new Board members and introduce them to the inspirational work that the Trust does in supporting fellows as they return to research careers. In this latest round of advertising the Board has appointed some excellent new Trustees with a great range of skills and experience’.

Notes to editors:
The Daphne Jackson Trust
The Daphne Jackson Trust is a charity governed by a Board of Trustees. The Daphne Jackson Trust is the UK’s leading organisation dedicated to realising the potential of scientists and engineers returning to research following a career break. Daphne Jackson Fellowships offer STEM professionals wishing to return to research after a break of two or more years, the opportunity to balance an individually tailored retraining programme with a challenging research project in a suitably supportive environment. The unique combination of mentoring, retraining and research the Daphne Jackson Fellowship provides, gives Fellows the confidence and skills they need to return to their career and compete for research positions. Fellowships can be held in a university or research institute anywhere in the UK.

Current Trustees are: Robert Eason, Deputy Head of School of Optoelectronics, University of Southampton; Philip Greenish, Chief Executive Royal Academy of Engineering; Wendy Harle, Director of Research, Durham University; Nigel Mason, Professor of Molecular Physics, Open University; Mary Philips, former academic and Funding Programme Manager; Janet Purnell, former civil servant; Sibel Roller, former researcher and Editor for the Journal of Applied Microbiology; Ted Smith, Professor of Tribology, University of Central Lancashire; Carole Thomas, Head of Directorate, the John Innes Centre; John Wood, Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

New Trustees joining in April 2015 are: Sue Angulatta, Director of research and Innovation Support, University of Surrey; Margaret Jack, former senior manager in higher education institutes; Hilary Lappin-Scott, Pro Vice Chancellor, Research & Innovation, Swansea University; Rebecca Lingwood, Director, Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge; Stephen Newstead, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Plymouth; Edith Sim, former Dean of Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Kingston University; Christopher Whitehead, former Head of School of Chemistry, University of Manchester; Lesley Yellowlees, Vice-Principal and Head of College of Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh.

Profiles of Daphne Jackson Trust Trustees are available at www.daphnejackson.org/about/trustees/

The Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre
The Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre works to inspire the scientists of the future by engaging them the scientific research carried out at Jodrell Bank and with the stories of the creation of the Observatory and its ground breaking science. Events and exhibitions are devised in collaboration with Jodrell Bank scientists and engineers to engage people with their fascinating work and tell the story of their careers . The Centre also offers a high quality education programme that inspires school pupils and other learners to pursue their own interest in science.