Sarah Jane Aiston
I have a long-standing commitment to the study of the position, status and experience of women in higher education, both as staff and students, and from a historical and contemporary perspective.
Recently, my research has focused on: the underrepresentation of women as academic leaders, particularly in Hong Kong; the positioning of women with PhDs in Mainland China as a 'third sex'; the experience of women students at the University of Cambridge; and the gendered research productivity gap.
I am particularly keen to challenge commonly-held assumptions, which I refer to as dangerous discourses. Such discourses include: the feminisation thesis - the idea that women are somehow 'taking over' higher education; and pipeline theory - the idea that the more women become suitably qualified, the more women we will see move through organizational hierarchies.
I am looking forward to making a contribution to equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives at the University of Teesside, including Athena Swan. As a born and bred North-Easterner, I am incredibly excited and proud to be joining the University of Teesside - a University of the region and for the region. For me personally, this means a return to working near my home, amidst my family and friends.
