Diversity and Inclusion Champions
The role of champions is to advocate for and promote acceptance, awareness and inclusion amongst our community inclusive of both staff and students. Our champions can be contacted to discuss any issues/concerns you may have.
Hidden Disabilities: Dr Maria Afonso Originally from Portugal, Maria qualified as a vet in 2012 and moved to the UK shortly after to pursue her doctoral studies (and never left, despite the weather).
In 2021, she was appointed as a lecturer in veterinary anatomy at Glasgow and teaches across the BVMS and BSc in Veterinary Biosciences programmes. Maria has lived experience of chronic health conditions and, as an hidden disabilities champion, aims to help in fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all.
Neurodiversity: Dr. Euan Bennet: Euan is Lecturer in Research and Numerical Skills. Since discovering last year that he is autistic, he has learned a huge amount about the neurodiversity paradigm, the social model of disability, and how both can be used to challenge institutional & societal ableism.
Race: Prof Heather Ferguson is a Professor of Medical Entomology and Disease Ecology. Through her research on malaria, she collaborates widely with researchers from Africa and other malaria endemic regions in the Global South. Through working side-by-side with these colleagues and others from under-represented backgrounds in the UK, she has a growing awareness of the numerous systematic barriers and sources of discrimination that are contributing to race and intersectional inequities in academia. Heather recognises the many privileges she has benefitted from as a white researcher from a high-income country working in Global Health. In the role of Race Champion, she aims to be an effective ally by advocating for colleagues and students from under-represented backgrounds and supporting anti-racist initiatives.
Race Equality: Dr Karen MacEachern is a Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Science and Education with expertise in wildlife conservation. As part of her role she has taken students to Sub-Saharan Africa for over 10 years and originally from the United States, she is very aware of racial tension globally. Karen is the chair of the College of Medicine Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences Race Equality Subcommittee. Within the School of Biodiveristy One Health and Veterinary Medicine she promotes awareness of racial inequities and mitigation strategies to tackle these as her role as Race Champion.
Widening Participation: Dr Karen MacEachern has been the Widening Participation Lead for over 20 years. She runs the University’s Reach Programme for the BVMS course which supports students from lower socio-economic areas in the West of Scotland. The Programme also includes students that are care experienced, estranged from family support, are a carer, are seeking asylum in the UK, have refugee status and/or attend a school in the Western Isles. The support of these students includes pre-university assistance with requirements to gain entry into the BVMS course and provides support for the students throughout the five years within the BVMS Course.