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Published by our Books team and edited by University of Strathclyde Reader Dr Jane Essex, the new title includes chapters written by some of the most prominent advocates of inclusivity in chemistry. The publication is the result of a global effort, with contributions coming from as far afield as the United States and Australia.

Reflecting on the importance of having such a text, Dr Essex said: 鈥淚 hope people pick up the fact that it is eminently possible to have a truly diverse chemistry community, that we are often limited by the bounds of our imagination of what is possible, and that people can do what we believe they can do 鈥� that is the key takeaway.鈥�

I think all the people who have written chapters have really pushed back at the idea that some people can't do chemistry. That鈥檚 what I think the real message is: that chemistry can be for everybody. The question is: are we prepared to make those often very small adjustments to make it for everybody?

Dr Jane Essex

Dr Jean O'Donoghue, Dr Kirsty Ross, Dr Jane Essex, Dr Katherine Haxton and Dr Audrey Cameron were all among the speakers at the book launch

To celebrate the launch of the book, Dr Essex organised a special event in Glasgow featuring speeches and presentations from numerous chapter authors. Around 20 people attended in person while guests logged on from around the world to hear from the speakers about different aspects of accessibility and approaches to improve inclusivity.

Presenters included Dr Essex, Dr Audrey Cameron, Dr Katherine Haxton, and Drs Kirsty Ross and Jean O鈥橠onoghue. there were also video messages from Professor Alfred T D鈥橝gostino, a retired chemistry professor from the USA, and Dr Dino Spagnoli, of the University of Western Australia.

Stephen Hendry, part of our Inclusion and Diversity team, rounded off proceedings with a talk about our wider, practical commitment to support chemical scientists with diverse characteristics.

The event both celebrated the completion of a significant piece of work that can offer practical solutions and advice, while also serving an honest reflection on some of the challenges still facing those with diverse characteristics.

Dr Jean O'Donoghue (centre) and Dr Kirsty Ross (right) give a presentation to the group about their chapter of the book

Dr O鈥橠onoghue, who is Head of Student Experience in the University of Edinburgh鈥檚 chemistry department, is well aware of our work to make chemistry more accessible having seen it first-hand as a member of our Inclusion and Diversity Committee.

She believes the book can be 鈥榲ery inspiring鈥� for everyone in the chemical sciences, ranging from students and educators right through to allies and support staff, noting: 鈥淚 really feel like it's important for us as a community to make sure that chemistry is something that everyone can access and tap into and do it in such a way that chemistry as a discipline can benefit from as many people as possible.鈥�

She added: 鈥淲hat this book does is it shares the experiences of people who have forged that path to make change. Now, you can read those stories and go, 鈥榠f they can do it there, then we can do it here鈥� and it really lowers those barriers to the change that you'd like to see.鈥�

For Dr Haxton (pictured above), a Senior Lecturer in chemistry at Keele University and the chair of our Chemistry Education Research Interest Group, the book represents a welcome change of approach to something more rooted in practicality.

鈥淚 don't necessarily think we need more theory on this topic. Any workshop I've ever been in about any kind of inclusion or any new thing in education, people always ask for case studies and want examples,鈥� she explained.

鈥淧eople want to be able to do something in the least possible steps, so if you've got a book that's just got a whole lot of case studies in it about how to cater better for so many diverse groups of students, that should be really, really useful.鈥�

Of the event, she added: 鈥淭he bit I've most enjoyed is hearing from the authors of the chapters. The book is fantastic, and reading the accounts is one thing, but when the person is standing there talking to you, it really comes alive. They highlight what perhaps was most important to them in the chapters, and that's been really, really interesting.鈥�

is available to buy from our books website now.

For Dr Essex, the book has been a labour of love and one that has a deep personal connection on account of a close family member鈥檚 complex additional support needs. Reflecting on decades of exposure to inclusion and diversity work, she said she hopes the book serves as her 鈥榣egacy鈥�.

鈥淲hat I have learned over my years is that lots of people mean well, but they don't know how to show their good intention to turn it into practical action,鈥� she noted. 鈥淚 often talk about the signal of the intention to include. You're instantly saying, 鈥業 know that people in this room don't all see it like I see it or experience it like I experience it. I recognise that I'm doing my best to meet that diversity in a constructive manner鈥� and I think what we do matters a lot.

鈥淚 think it's right and proper because science has a particular value as a subject 鈥� it has status, it has employment opportunities that are distinctive to it 鈥� and I think with great power comes great responsibility, and I think it's quite right that we engage with the question of who doesn't find it so easy to be with us yet and how we could make sure that they could make that choice if they wish to.鈥�

She added: 鈥淚 hope by showing people some of the things 鈥� and perhaps showing them these needn't be massive and expensive changes 鈥� we can close that gap a bit between aspiration and delivery.鈥�