Leicester Professor wins East Midlands Womens Award

Professor Turi King (pictured) has been awarded the East Midlands Women’s Awards for Outstanding Woman in Stem at a prestigious ceremony on 20 October 2017.

The East Midlands Women’s Awards is a prestigious gala ceremony to recognise and celebrate the regional contribution of women across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, and Northamptonshire; raising awareness, giving recognition and acknowledging the hard work and valuable contribution of women from all cultures, communities, and sectors.

Professor King is a Reader in Genetics and Archaeology and Professor of Public Engagement at the University of Leicester and led the DNA analysis in the identification of King Richard III.

She has been involved in public engagement since the start of her PhD, and realised that the huge public interest in the Richard III project provided an opportunity to explain the science and interdisciplinary working to much wider audiences.

Professor King, said: “It was a real honour to be nominated and win the award for Outstanding Woman in STEM. It’s the first year these awards have been held and the idea for them came from Sandra Pollock who wanted to celebrate and raise the profile of women working in the East Midlands.  It was a really wonderful event and great to hear about all the really talented women we have in the region."