ASE is delighted to welcome Professor Louise Archer as its new President from 1^st August 2024 for a period of two years. Louise has been a long-term supporter of ASE and is currently the Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education at University College London (UCL). Her research focuses on educational identities and inequalities, particularly in relation to social class, gender and race/ethnicity. She is particularly known for her 13-year longitudinal ASPIRES study. You can read a more detailed biography of Louise below.

Louise Archer on her appointment

"I am delighted and honoured to be the next President. The valuable role that ASE plays in providing science teachers with support, community and a voice at the national level has never been more important. I'm really looking forward to contributing and working with ASE and hope to meet as many members as possible at the national conference in January."

Our thanks to Michael J Reiss 

We extend our grateful thanks to our outgoing President Michael J Reiss who has held the presidency since 2022. Michael comments on the end of his tenure,

“As someone who has been a member of ASE for over forty years, I have been enormously proud to be your President. I am absolutely delighted that Louise Archer is succeeding me. I have known Louise for many years; she combines world-leading expertise in sociology with a deep commitment to social justice in science education. Her work on science capital and equity are helping to transform how we understand issues of inequality in the science classroom.”

Professor Louise Archer Biography

Louise is the Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education at University College London (UCL). Her research focuses on educational identities and inequalities, particularly in relation to social class, gender and race/ethnicity.

She has authored over 100 academic books and journal articles and has directed numerous research projects, including the research-council funded 13 year, longitudinal ASPIRES study. Her research on inequalities in STEM participation spans primary, secondary, higher education and informal learning settings.

Louise is particularly passionate about participatory research-practice partnership working with educators and young people and the national and international impact of her research on STEM education policy and practice has been recognized by prizes from the British Educational Research Association (2019), the UK Economic and Social Research Council (2020) and, most recently, through the 2022 Royal Society Athena Prize for work supporting diversity in STEM. She also co-founded the Athena SWAN Charter, which is now the main gender equality scheme across UK higher education.