DoC members receive WISE 20 awards

The #WISE20 showcase role models from different backgrounds, industries and stories.

The Department of Computing’s Dr Jackie Bell, Senior Teaching Fellow in Equality, Diversity, Outreach and Public Engagement, and alumna Dr Marily Nika, Speech AI Product Manager at Google, have been selected to receive WISE 20 Awards.  

Dr Bell and Dr Nika were singled out for being role models who inspire the advancement of gender balance in STEM. They join 18 other women and men across the country who are championing the promotion and progression of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  

The #WISE20 showcase role models from different backgrounds, industries and stories, and are united in their passion for improving gender balance in STEM. They have been chosen to reflect the diversity of experiences, accomplishments and challenges faced by previous WISE Award winners. 

Criteria taken into consideration included demonstration of excellent leadership, participation in outreach and engagement programmes, actively working to promote the role of women in STEM and sharing a stand-out story. 

Dr Jackie Bell said:

“I’m honoured to have my name appear alongside so many inspiring women and men championing gender diversity, both within their organisations and more widely. It is more important than ever to keep gender balance on the agenda. Inherited biases, lack of access, and sociocultural norms need to change if we are to move in the right direction, and I look forward to working in partnership with WISE and other organisations to help improve gender equality and diversity across all STEM fields.” 

Over the next few months, the WISE 20 will be invited to take part in exciting opportunities that will be planned as part of their 1 of the Million campaign. Through these opportunities, they aim to share more stand-out stories of women and gender balance allies in STEM so that they may inspire others to pursue their own STEM journeys. 

Find out more about the Department of Computing’s Outreach initiatives and ways we are inspiring more girls and women to get involved in STEM.

Find out more about the Department of Computing’s work on gender balance.  

If you’re a woman in STEM, WISE would love to hear your story. Their 1 of the Million campaign celebrates the faces behind the now 1 million women working in STEM within the UK. If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to upload your photo to our campaign collage and share your story so that you can help inspire the next million women to join STEM.