Nasa's head of science, Dr Nicola Fox, who grew up in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, has praised the "fantastic" increase in the number of women studying science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects. She made the comments after returning to her old university, Surrey, where she was struck by how many more women were graduating in physics and engineering compared with when she studied there herself, highlighting continued but gradual progress towards gender equality in scientific fields.

Fox, 57, graduated in 1991 with a masters in telematics and satellite engineering, having been one of only four women on a course of more than 200 students. She credited her all-girls school in Letchworth with shielding her from gender stereotypes about science being unsuitable for girls, and urged young women to ignore anyone who says "girls don't do that". However, figures from Stem Women cited in the article suggest workforce parity between men and women in Stem remains decades away despite gains in enrolment and graduation rates. Fox also spoke of her father sparking her love of space by showing her the moon landing as a baby, and her mother's determination in encouraging her never to give up.