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A leading scientist in ethical seafood at Heriot-Watt University has been named Academic Champion of the Year by Women in Scottish Aquaculture (WiSA).
Dr Ingrid Kelling, Associate Professor at the Lyell Centre, one of the University’s Global Research Institutes (GRIs), was announced as this year’s champion on International Women’s Day (8 March).
WiSA is a collaborative network and mentoring programme formed by the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) to improve opportunities for women working in aquaculture. Over 300 nominations were received for the awards this year with Ingrid receiving hers in recognition for her commitment to advancing social science research in aquaculture.
Ingrid has also driven a number of equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives with the WiSA network. In 2022, she helped shine a light on gender issues as part of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) annual conference and by co-authoring a report on diversity in Scottish aquaculture, which is due to be published later this year.
On receiving the award Ingrid said: "I am truly delighted to be honoured with this award. I am a great believer in industry-research partnerships and the benefits they bring, such as making sure research is relevant to industry and society, strengthening the relationship between collaborators, and increasing impact.
“These are important values for SAIC, WiSA and the Global Centre for Social Sustainability in Seafood Supply, and working together towards the same goal has been not only compelling but also fun and rewarding.”
Heather Jones, CEO of SAIC, said: “These awards provide a great opportunity to celebrate the important role that women play across the aquaculture sector and all recipients are well deserving of the recognition. WiSA was established as a network where women can support one another in a typically male-dominated sector and, four years later, our focus remains on raising awareness of the societal and commercial benefits that come from a diverse workforce, fairly offering opportunities for all.”