Athena Dinar

Deputy Head of Communications

Athena Dinar

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Athena Dinar

Biography

Athena is Deputy Head of Communications. She develops and delivers engagement strategies for the BAS Science Programme: Polar Science for Planet Earth. She is responsible for campaign planning, media relations (manages the BAS Press Office), media visits, exhibition projects and public engagement in research in the Communications Team at British Antarctic Survey.

Athena takes a lead role in managing all aspects of communications activity. This includes managing media enquiries, writing press releases, setting up interviews, arranging filming and offering media training to staff. She has escorted several media crews to Antarctica and Arctic over her 20 years at BAS including BBC TV News, Reuters, BBC Horizon and Radio 4 The Today Programme. She also works on large scale events, taking the lead on event management and media management.

Athena is the UK lead on the communications strategy and delivery for the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, a five-year programme of scientific investigation on Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica (www.thwaitesglacier.org)

The Communications Team works collectively on high profile projects. Our work has been recognised by our industry peers. Including:

Awards and nominations for Public Relations

Nomination for best STEM campaign – RRS Sir David Attenborough (2020)

Maritime Foundation Award – best website (www.bas.ac.uk)(2018)

CIPR Cream Award – Silver for Best In-house PR Department
PRWeek Award Finalist for Best Public Sector Dept of the Year
CorpComms Winner for Best Public Sector Award for ‘Discover Antarctica’ public engagement campaign & event (Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, Edinburgh 2006)
CorpComms Winner for Best use of Broadcast (for ITV News Antarctic visit – the Big Melt)
CIPR Excellence Awards Finalist in Broadcast Category (for ITV News Antarctic visit – the Big Melt)

Awards and nominations for Education

BAFTA Winner for Offline Educational Resource Antarctic Waves

Scottish Association of Geography Teachers award for DiscoveringAntarctica online educational resource
The Geographical Association award for DiscoveringAntarctica online educational resource
Childrens BAFTA nomination for Secondary Education
International Webby Award nomination for Education