A former Forth Valley College graduate – who is now known as the ‘Protein Queen’ in the fight against superbugs – has returned from an expedition to Antarctica which has boosted the global impact of women in STEM sectors.
Dr Kirsty Robb (36) from Stirling – pictured hear flying the FVC flag on the frozen continent - was one of only three Scottish based women on a ship that set sail in January 2019 for one of the world’s most inhospitable areas, as part of Homeward Bound - a groundbreaking leadership, strategic and science initiative and outreach for women, set against the backdrop of Antarctica.
Kirsty - who received a donation from the Forth Valley Foundation (the College's arm's length foundation) to help fund her trip - is expected to visit the college soon, so look out for a more in-depth feature on her adventure in the coming weeks.
The initiative aimed to heighten the influence and impact of women with a science background in order to influence policy and decision making as it shapes our planet. Launched in 2016, Homeward Bound is targeting 1,000 women from around the world, all with critical science and STEM backgrounds, to undertake a year-long state-of-the-art programme to develop their leadership and strategic capabilities, using science to build conviction around the importance of their voices. The inaugural voyage took place in December 2016 and the second embarked in January 2018.
Along with her fellow Scottish based expedition mates – Helen Wade and Lorna Slater – Kirsty left Scotland for Argentina on 26 December and embarked from there to Antarctica on 31 December, arriving on the frozen continent on 2 January 2019. The expedition lasted around two weeks before returning to Argentina to continue their development project and then returning to Scotland at the beginning of February.
