From child prodigy to STEM champion, University of Leicester honours Anne-Marie Imafidon

A former child prodigy who now inspires the next generation of women to get into science, technology, engineering and maths has been honoured by the University of Leicester.

Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE received an Honorary Doctorate of Science during a graduation ceremony, held at De Montfort Hall, in Leicester, today (Wednesday 17 July).

In 2000, aged 10, Anne-Marie passed her GCSEs in mathematics and ICT. One year later she became the youngest girl to ever gain an A-level in computing. She was just 20 when she received her Masters in mathematics and computer science from the University of Oxford. Since then, she has barely paused for breath, holding positions at Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard, Deutsche Bank – and television’s Countdown show, where she served as Rachel Riley’s maternity cover in 2021.

This wealth of experience and pioneering spirit led her to co-found the Stemettes, an award-winning social initiative dedicated to inspiring and promoting the next generation of young women and non-binary people in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Anne-Marie said: “May this esteemed honour signal the beginning of working together with the University on our shared mission and values. It was great to celebrate with the Computer Science graduates.”

Since its inception in 2013, Stemettes has run panel events, hackathons, a mentoring programme, and an app which functions as an online platform for girls interested in STEM and entrepreneurship. It also runs the first tech incubator for teenage girls which provides seed funding, mentorship and support to talented women aged 22 and under. Through the work of Stemettes, more than 65,000 young people across Europe have been exposed to Anne-Marie’s vision for a more diverse and balanced science and tech community.

In 2017 Anne-Marie was awarded an MBE for her work. Her book She’s in CTRL, a guidebook for women to take back tech, was published in 2022. That same year, she succeeded University of Leicester Chancellor, Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, as President of the British Science Association.

Anne-Marie is also a member of the Research England Council Board of UKRI, a trustee of the Institute for the Future of Work, Chair of the UD Music Foundation and an Honorary Fellow of Keble College, Oxford.

President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, said: “I am delighted to see Anne-Marie’s impact formally recognised by the University of Leicester.

“From a quite astonishing beginning to academic life, Anne-Marie has fulfilled what can only be described as very early potential, with a range of senior positions in professional and public life.

“But, far from being content with her lot, she has made sure her experiences will inspire and open doors for the next superstars in STEM subjects. We need more people like Anne-Marie in this world, she is a true Citizen of Change.”