Brought to you by the Athena Swan committee in UCL Chemistry– promoting diversity in science.

Deciding whether to do a PhD can be a hard decision, as well as choosing the course and how to go about applying for one. However, it can be even more difficult if you are unaware of what it’s like or what else the experience can offer if you do end up studying towards one- it’s just like walking into the unknown…

During reading week, 14 students had the opportunity to hear about what it takes to apply for a PhD, the support mechanisms available to them if they decide to undertake one at UCL and what makes research in chemistry at UCL so unique and attractive. The 5 minute video below, premiered at the event, gives a little taster into the reality of researching in UCL chemistry and the added benefits of doing a PhD.

Please note: Student ALERT!- This video was made by UCL chemistry students starring UCL chemistry students (subtitles included for the hard of hearing).

So why the sudden need to hold this event? In the chemistry department, the Athena Swan committee has been monitoring the experiences of students and staff during their time here in UCL. In the last survey, we had a total of 33 respondents all of whom were PhD students. We found that 80% of students felt their previous/ current experiences impacted on deciding whether they would continue a career in academia, with over half of the respondents only having an undergraduate or master’s degree, as opposed to other routes such as industrial placements or teaching positions. We therefore felt it was important to create a dialogue between us (the Athena Swan committee) and final year undergraduate students to help impact the next step towards an academic career.

The reading week event introduced students to the research focus of UCL lecturers in the fields of organic, inorganic, computational and physical chemistry. PhD students from each section shared how they landed where they are now and described their current experiences. Students were given time to ask questions and the feedback from the event has proven successful, inspiring us to deliver more of such events.

We are always willing and wanting to know the experiences of current students and postdocs to develop a diverse and inclusive environment for everyone. Please help us by filling in our 5 minute survey and be a part of the change you want to see:

Survey!

 

Next week sees the start of the Cheltenham Science Festival of which Dr Andrea Sella is on the Advisory Board.

This year members of the Department are involved in five events:

– Chemistry and Architecture – From the Pantheon in Rome, via the ceilings of Cordoba, to the dymaxion domes of Buckminster Fuller, architects have always looked to the patterns of geometry for inspiration. For chemists, the geometries of platonic solids and of connected nets inspire the synthesis of cathedrals at a different scale: the molecular. Zeolite chemist Dewi Lewis and sand dune architect Magnus Larsson talk to Andrea Sella about how they are learning from and working with each other.

– Endangered Elements – From iPods to wind turbines, much of modern day technology contains components made from rare earth elements, many of which are becoming increasingly difficult to source. Chemist Andrea Sella, mineral economist Malin Stein and geologist Frances Wall ask whether we should be mining these precious resources to extinction to keep up with the latest technology, or whether the laws of supply and demand will push the prices up so high that we will be forced to find alternatives.

– The Science of Cannabis – Once associated with flower power, Woodstock and the hippie movement, the psychoactive plant cannabis is now being increasingly recognised for its medicinal qualities. Chemicals from cannabis can alleviate a wide range of conditions such as glaucoma, pain and multiple sclerosis. Come and join Mark Miodownik, Andrea Sella, Clive Page and David Potter to explore cannabis – from its history to what makes it work and how modern medicine puts it to good use.

– The Library of Secrets – In the Library of Secrets, a dusty old book tells the tale of scientific pioneers making discoveries in the Dark Ages. Jim Al-Khalili and Andrea Sella reproduce some of the earliest and most mysterious of these chemical experiments, bringing them BANG up to date! Let them take you on a journey back in time, and crack open the shadowy story of a man who took chemistry to the next level. This event will contain a showing of the short film ‘The Library of Secrets’ starring Sir Ben Kingsley.

– The Overambitious Demo Challenge – The competition is on again in the annual Cheltenham Science Festival Demo Challenge. Steve Mould hands over the role of host to Andrea Sella and braves the competition floor, joining Matt Parker, Nic Harrigan and Zoe Laughlin as they all attempt to show the most spectacular, impressive and show-stopping science demo.

And of course there is plenty more thought-provoking events and discussion during the week.

 

Every year our Department echoes with the sound of children, aged 11-13, who come to spend a day in the lab carrying out a series of investigative challenges as part of the Salters Festival of Chemistry. Organized and sponsored by the Salters Company, these are exciting days that attract teams of four children (plus their teacher) from about 30 schools each time. Dr Graeme Hogarth is the local organizer.

Qualitative analysis tests for metal ions. Flame tests. Plenty of fun for everyone, including the teachers, who have special sessions in the afternoon about Spectroscopy in a Suitcase, given by Dr Dewi Lewis, and The Chemistry of the Atmosphere by Dr Dave Rowley. And rounded off with a demonstration lecture, this year Dr Andrea Sella‘s “When is a Gas not a Gas”.

 

Dr Dave Rowley and his grad students, Valerio Ferracci and Mike Ward, are spending a week talking about climate change and atmospheric chemistry in French schools on behalf of the British Council. Watch a short clip taken from the local TV channel Canal Coqueliquot.

In preparation for the Wellcome Elements event on April 8th, here is a short video showing how mercury amalgamates gold. Here a drop of mercury grabs hold of some gold foil and pulls it round itself. Although stunningly beautiful, it has to be remembered that mercury is still widely used in small-scale mining of gold round the world, and the run-off from this is a very serious environmental health problem in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia.