Derek Wann

I am currently Head of Department in Chemistry at York and have 20+ years' experience working in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). I joined the Rainbow Alliance and became co-Chair in 2018 as I believe it is important that employers have visible groups that can advocate for the LGBTQ+ community within the staff and student population.

Away from my teaching and research in the University I have been heavily involved in EDI work, focussing on gender in academia through Chemistry’s Gold Athena Swan (AS) awards, chairing AS panels for AdvanceHE, contributing to the University’s Athena Swan silver award, and as a member of advisory boards of research-council-funded projects. On the LGBTQ+ side of my EDI work, in 2018 I co-hosted an LGBT+ STEMinar event in York - an opportunity for those that identify as LGBTQ+ and our allies to come together to talk about our science research, and I am a member of the steering group of the LGBT+ Physical Sciences Network.