IOE Honorary Doctorate awarded to social entrepreneur and computer scientist
4 September 2024
IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society has awarded Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE an Honorary Doctorate of Science (DSc) for her work to break down barriers and champion female potential in STEM.
The award was conferred at a graduation ceremony for IOE graduands on 4 September 2024.
Dr Imafidon is the CEO and founder of Stemettes, an award-winning social initiative that is dedicated to encouraging and promoting the next generation of young women and non-binary young people in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) sectors.
Since its creation in 2013, Stemettes has inspired thousands of young women through events, hackathons, and mentoring programmes, fostering a more diverse and balanced science and tech community.
She also co-founded the Outbox Incubator, the world's first tech incubator for teenage girls, which has supported 115 young entrepreneurs to date. Dr Imafidon is also the charity director of Stemette Futures.
At IOE, she has collaborated with the STEM Participation and Social Justice research group to increase inclusion and equity in STEM. A collaboration between Stemettes and IOE researchers has also created resources, such as the Equity Compass, to enable STEM educators to improve their practice.
Through Stemettes, Dr Imafidon has also engaged directly with parents, guardians and teachers to champion fair access.
She was the youngest girl to pass A-level computing. In 2017, she was awarded an MBE for her work promoting STEM to young women.
Dr Imafidon is also an advisory and board member across the finance, higher education, government and public sectors, such as the British Library, Research England, and the Royal College of Art. Her profile in the media includes co-hosting Channel 4’s Countdown in 2021 and 2022.
Her citation was read by Professor Louise Archer, Karl Mannheim Chair of Sociology of Education at IOE. She paid tribute to Dr Imafidon’s educational excellence, and her work to promote social justice in education.
Professor Archer said, “I am delighted that Anne-Marie's hugely valuable contributions to supporting diversity in STEM are being recognised by this Honorary Doctorate. Dr Imafidon is an inspirational trailblazer and, as UCL researchers, we are proud to have partnered with her and Stemettes to help improve equity in STEM.”
Links
- Stemmettes
- UCL Honorary Degrees and Honorary Fellowships
- STEM Participation and Social Justice Research
- Department of Education, Practice and Society
Image
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon by Sam Shoots Life.