Tonya Blowers is the OWSD Programme Coordinator, and is responsible for the overall management of the fellowships, awards and networking programmes as well as working with the OWSD executive board to develop strategic plans, fundraise and provide reports for OWSD members, donors and partners. Tonya has a PhD in Women and Gender from the University of Warwick, UK (one of only 30 students to receive a full scholarship from the university). She has a Masters in World Literatures in English from Marlboro College in the USA and a BSocSc in Sociology and Social Administration from Warwick. She has over twenty years experience as a teacher and writer, including as Lecturer in English Literature at Oxford Brookes University and at Royal Holloway College, UK, before running her own creative writing business in London. In Trieste since 2009, Tonya has developed science communication courses for PhD students in neuroscience, biology, physics and mathematics. Before joining OWSD in 2013, Tonya was staff writer at TWAS, editing the newsletter and website and contributing many articles on science in developing countries.