It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Ruth Francis this morning.
Ruth was a well-known Stempra member and valued contributor to our community. She had more than two decades of experience in science communication, having worked for King’s College London, CRUK, Nature, Springer, F1000 and, more recently, as a freelance communications consultant. She was Chair of Stempra in the early 2010s, supported the committee following Rob Dawson’s death four years ago, and most recently served as Co-Chair from March 2024 until her diagnosis last year.
Shane Canning, shared these words:
“I was lucky enough to have had Ruth as my first manager when I started in communications back in 2013. She helped me understand how we could tell the stories of science in the most interesting and creative ways without distorting the science. And all the time doing it with a laugh along the way and continuously championing her team. This was the same experience of the many people who worked with her through the years and the same approach and energy she brought to her work with Stempra.”
We know this news will be a shock to many of you. We are collecting messages of condolence and memories to share with Ruth’s family – please send these to info@stempra.org.uk. There will be a moment of reflection at tomorrow’s AGM, and we’ll share updates soon on how we plan to honour Ruth’s memory in the long term.