Dr Clara Barker isn’t your typical scientist. Although she’s now come to embrace standing out from the academic crowd, her professional journey has been challenging. As a woman who is transgender, she didn’t trust the STEM community to accept her as she is and it took her years to start sharing her experiences with her peers. Now a material scientist, Clara explains how positive role models are the key to creating a truly diverse workspace and emphasises that universities need to create safe spaces in order to attract the boldest, brightest and best young minds. Dr Clara Barker manages the Centre for Applied Superconductivity in the Materials Department of Oxford University. Clara is the vice-chair of the LGBT+ Advisory Group at Oxford University and runs a network of youth groups for LGBTQI+ young people in her free time. Clara regularly gives talks and training on LGBTQI+ inclusion in schools and various groups. A vocal campaigner for LGBTQI+ rights, Clara was awarded a Points of Light Award by the Prime Minister for her volunteer work in 2017. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
