ATHENA SWAN
Our commitment to gender equality
The Adam Smith Business School received the Silver award from Athena Swan in November 2024.
Athena Swan has many benefits to the School and its community. It shows our commitment to gender equality, diversity and inclusion. It is helping us improve our culture, our environment for research and scholarship, student diversity, recruitment, retention and promotion of female colleagues. Reviewing and establishing good working practices around induction, staff development, training and flexible working are all part of an Athena Swan submission.
It is a key part of the School’s strategy to embed equality and inclusion. Working towards Athena Swan Silver has highlighted how diverse teams make better decisions and we aim to have gender balance throughout the School’s leadership and organisation.
The Athena Swan Charter evolved from work between the Athena Project and the Scientific Women’s Academic Network (SWAN), to advance the representation of women in science, technology, engineering, medicine and maths (STEMM). In 2015 the charter was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL), in professional and support roles, and for trans staff and students. The charter now recognises work taken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.
Athena Swan is awarded by the Advance HE, Equality Challenge Unit and the award is for four years. The submission was prepared and submitted by the School’s Athena Swan Self Assessment Team (SAT).
Athena Swan application
Information for staff
Self Assessment Team (SAT)
Our professional services and academic staff leading Athena Swan for the School
Anthony Devine
Director of Learning & Teaching, Senior Lecturer
Anthony is Director of Learning & Teaching and Senior Lecturer in Accounting at the Adam Smith Business School. Leading the Learning & Teaching team, Anthony is responsible for the operational and strategic elements of the Learning & Teaching portfolio. He has significant experience in learning and teaching through his work with external accreditation bodies such as AACSB where he currently serves as global lead for Assurance of Learning. Anthony’s research encompasses a range of topics which include learning and teaching, blockchain and technology transformation.
Belgin Okay-Somerville
Senior Lecturer
Belgin is a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour. Belgin's research focuses on labour market transitions and career development. More specifically, Belgin questions the efficacy of personal agency for overcoming structural barriers in the labour market for disadvantaged workers. Belgin has been a member of the Athena Swan team since 2018.
Dὸmhnall Rintoul
Head of Professional Services
Dòmhnall joined the School in 2023. He has a strong interest in in creating a positive working environment which supports gender equality and diversity. He chairs the School's Colleague Experience Working Group. His career to date has included economic consultancy, strategic planning, and urban regeneration roles, across private, public and charitable sectors. A common thread has been an interest in others’ wellbeing and development.
Heather Stenhouse
Operations & Planning Manager
Heather has responsibility for the School's Operations & Planning Team with a focus on Operational Excellence and Health, Safety and Wellbeing. She has worked in the Higher Education sector for over three decades. Prior to joining the Business School, she held the position of Learning & Teaching Operations Manager in the School of Education. Before this she held a number of leadership roles in the University of Strathclyde, latterly in Strathclyde Business School. She played a key role in several strategic activities, including Strategic Lead for the School's socially progressive programmes 'Breaking Barriers' and 'Forming Futures'. Heather has joined the team to share her knowledge and experience of policies and strategic activities.
Jan Shearer
Professional Services Lead
Jan is passionate about gender equality within the workplace and related polices, including staff wellbeing. With extensive experience in professional services, Jan is committed to enhancing workplace equality and has served as the professional services lead for Athena Swan since 2018. Jan also participates in various committees dedicated to improving workplace culture.
Josephine Adekola
Self Assessment Team (SAT) Chair / Senior Lecturer
Josephine Adekola is a Senior Lecturer in Management at the Adam Smith Business School. Her research interests are in the areas of risk communication, addressing inequalities and public engagement. Josephine joined the Athena Swan team in Ocotber 2024.
Ka Wing So
PhD Student
Ka Wing So, Kay, is a PhD researcher at the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith Business School, exploring the antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions in men and women. With extensive experience in international business and technology startups, Kay examines how institutional factors, cultural norms, and gender dynamics shape entrepreneurial pathways. As a member of the Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team (SAT), she is dedicated to fostering gender inclusivity in entrepreneurship, ensuring equitable opportunities within both academia and business environments.
Kirsteen Daly
Accreditations & Reputation Manager
Kirsteen is a Higher Education professional with expertise in Accreditations, Rankings, Communication, and Reputation. She champions Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, focusing on menopause support and training for women in the workplace. Kirsteen is dedicated to enhancing policies for equal opportunities and career development.
Nuzhat Sharmeen
PhD Student
Nuzhat is a second year PhD (Economics) student in the ASBS. Her PhD research is on experiments in changing gender attitudes towards women’s work in developing countries. She is particularly interested in understanding how to change social attitudes towards married women working. As part of the Athen Swan team, Nuzhat wants to learn how to institutionalize sustainable change.
Parichehr Riahi Pour
Lecturer
Parichehr Riahi Pour is a Lecturer in Marketing at the Adam Smith Business School. Her research interests are in the areas of branding and consumer behaviour. Parichehr joined the Athena Swan team in January 2025.
Pawel Gaska
Data Analyst
As a data analyst, Pawel collaborates with academic professionals from the School and many institutions including The Scottish Government. Pawel is actively involved in work carried out by the School’s Athena Swan Self Assessment Team, making data analysis easier, more informative, and available to those that need it most, but also making the outputs more transparent wherever possible.
Stephen Fiddes
Student Development & Wellbeing Adviser
Stephen has been a Student Development & Wellbeing Adviser in the ASBS Student Exeprience team since 2019, having worked as a Student Adviser in other roles in Higher Education since 2012. He was also a Staff Engagement Lead for Wellbeing from 2021-2024, is one of four Disability Coordinators in the School, and is a trainee Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. In all his roles, Stephen's focus is on promoting steps that can be taken to improve people's wellbeing and helping remove barriers to allow students and staff to flourish.