This November, the SWAN committee in the School of Biological Sciences celebrated International Men’s Day with a series of exciting events.

A selection of our technicians showcased their profiles in a talent exhibition, highlighting the incredible work they do in the School. Their posters were on display throughout the week, and can be seen in the video above.

A Men’s Health Workshop was held on Monday, followed by a Coffee Morning on Tuesday, where the ‘Great Technical Peel Off’ provided entertainment. This event saw our technicians face off to finally prove which is better for peeling potatoes - a knife or peeler! After much deliberation, the peeler emerged victorious with Dr Amy Garbett being named best peeler!

An inspiring panel discussion on Male Mentors and Role Models in Academia chaired by Jacinta Guirguis and Dr Lorraine Scott then saw our panelists, Professor Aaron Maule, Dr Simon Cameron, Dr Chege Wangui, Emmet Campbell and Kyle Lowry share their experiences and insights on the value of having mentors in academia.

The week was finished off with the Pretzel Halving Contest, where competitors had to split a Bavarian pretzel in half as precisely as possible!  50 staff and students took part, with Dr. Nick Birse being crowned champion, pipping Dr. Ryan Maguire by just 6 mg! That's about the weight of a single crumb! 

It was a brilliant week of events, thanks to all who organised and took part!

More pictures from the school's celebrations can be found here.