Ruchira Somaweera

Mapping my academic genealogy, I realised I have a long line of (highly accomplished) ancestors – all white men. Our line goes till Georges Cuvier, the 'Founding father of Palaeontology'. I am absolutely honoured to work with many remarkable female and “non-white” scientists in my generation, the generation above me, my postgraduate students and grand students. But history tells us that things were quite different few generations back.

Cheers to gender and racial diversity in science nowadays!