Seven academics from the University of Exeter have been chosen to take part in a change programme created by the Women’s Higher Education Network (WHEN), which aims to promote equity of opportunity for Black women academics and PhD students.

Dr Safi Darden, Dr Winifred Nyinoh, Gail Reeves, Melody Jombe, Olabisi Obamaki, Colleen Douglas-Temple and Shraddha Chaudhary from the University of Exeter will participate in the 12 month programme. The scheme provides participants with mentoring, coaching, learning and networking, and aims to improve progress towards diversity and inclusion within higher education. WHEN aims to improve the representation of Black women in higher education – in the UK, they make up only 41 out of over 22,000 professors. 

The academics are sponsored by a member of their respective Faculty Executive Board who serve as advocates throughout their journey. The seven academics from the University of Exeter will participate in the second cohort of the programme, which launched on January 20, 2023. The scheme is part of the University of Exeter’s Strategy 2030 and aims to support the creation of a diverse community of leaders, and participants are from a range of programmes and departments. 

Professor Janice Kay and Imelda Rogers, co-chairs of the Wellbeing, Inclusion and Culture Committee said: “The 100 Black Women Professors NOW programme is a valuable opportunity to provide our Black women academics with the opportunity to showcase their potential and for us to identify steps towards achieving a socially just future.”