Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) has become a contentious topic on both sides of the pond. As higher education institutions grapple with the changing EDI landscape, Dr Tanesha Allen shares her personal experiences as an American zoologist who has navigated the British EDI sphere as both a student and staff member.

Dr Tanesha Allen is the Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion (ED&I) Consultant for Race Equality at the University of Cambridge. She has previously worked as a Strategic Outreach Officer for the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology, an Athena Swan Coordinator for the University of Oxford’s MPLS Division, and an EDI Data Analyst for the University of Kent.

A zoologist by training, she completed her undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, her MPhil in Zoology at the University of Cambridge, and her DPhil in Zoology at the University of Oxford. Tanesha became heavily involved in science communication, public engagement, and EDI during her DPhil which led to her being Highly Commended for the Vice-Chancellor’s Public Engagement with Research Award in 2019 and to her appointment as a panel member for the Royal Society Partnership Grants scheme in 2021. Alongside her EDI work, Tanesha has made occasional media appearances on the BBC, Channel 5, and NPR in her personal capacity as a zoologist. In November 2024, she was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society.

Email raceandresistance@torch.ox.ac.uk with any questions.