Our women are winners

22 Mar 2013

Eight colleagues did the University proud when they were honoured at the Manchester International Women’s Day Awards, with five winning their category and three making the shortlist.

Professor Kathryn Else, Dr Sheena Cruickshank and Dr Joanne Pennock, of the Faculty of Life Sciences, won the women and science category; Director of the Whitworth Art Gallery and the City Gallery Maria Balshaw won the women and art category; and Emerita Professor Katharine Perera won the valuing older women category.

Dr Gill Green from the Institute of Population Health, Alison Odell who is Director of SPORT and Manchester Enterprise Centre student Christina Rehana-Taylor were all shortlisted.

Kathryn Else, Sheena Cruickshank and Joanne Pennock were nominated for their mobile ‘Worm Wagon’ workshop which encourages school children to find out more about worms and the effect they have on world health.

Maria Balshaw, one of the Cultural Leadership Programme's Fifty Women to Watch in 2010, has transformed the Whitworth Art Gallery in recent years by both increasing visitor numbers and making better connections with the local community.

Despite retiring from the University in 2004, Professor Katharine Perera has continued to make her mark on University life by championing equality projects and was also recently presented with the University's Medal of Honour.