Women in Science
Role models, mentors and sponsors
Video clip: Julia recalls that in physics there were very few female role models when she started her career.
Have you had good role models would you say?
No, because there aren't any essentially. I mean there are very few senior women in physics. I think I'm the second physicist to be elected by the Royal Society and except, I mean there are lots of excepts there, I mean there are physicists in engineering, and astronomers and things, so it's not quite like that. But it's single figures. I think there are about ten in physical science, women who have got to that sort of level and so there weren't role models, at least not female role models. I've met now, I mean it was lovely having, a friend came on sabbatical, somebody who is now a very good friend, a woman, she said you know, “Let's go shopping,” “My God what? No, a colleague wants to go shopping.” [Laughs]. It was absolutely lovely. It was very, very nice, so no.