Age: 29

A-levels: Chemistry, Maths, French

Degree course: BSc Chemistry with European Studies (French), University of Newcastle upon Tyne

PhD: Nanomaterials, University of Southampton

Fascinated by tiny things and big bangs.
Tim loves all things mini. He specialises in nanotechnology; the creation of materials, devices and systems through controlling matter on a miniature scale.

My job is…

as a lecturer and schools/industrial liaison officer at the University of Huddersfield in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences. My role is pretty varied; I give chemistry lectures, work in recruitment, organise hemistry events for the public and create links between industry and the university. In general, I communicate and promote science to the general public, scientific industries and students. I am also continuing with research (I started as a student) in nanostructured materials, the creation of materials, devices and systems through controlling matter on a miniature scale.

Home is…..
Huddersfield is a rare gem of a town. I left ten years ago and it’s finally great to get back. The picturesque views and diverse mix of residents make it an interesting place to live, although not renowned for its nightlife, a night on the tiles will not disappoint……..for a number of reasons!

Story so far
Some days I don’t have a clue how I ended up in the wonderful world of chemistry, especially when experiments go wrong! But most of the time I remember that it’s about how chemistry is a part of everything we do. For me finding out about chemistry was like wearing some molecular seeing spectacles, its’ like you can see how things around you work and what they are made up of. But it’s not just this; working in chemistry has many opportunities; like conducting experiments on aeroplanes parts and solar cells, travel to America and Europe and all the media attention?! It’s been exciting, interesting and has significantly changed my perception of the world.

Working day life
In general, I attend meetings with industry, which involve promoting the courses, facilities and expertise, and trying to generating money for the department. Some days, I could also be out on a school visit, talking to students about anything from the War in Iraq to Will Smith….all with a chemical slant of course. In and amongst this, I lecture and hold practical classes in chemistry to the students in the university which is the highlight of my job. My students are a mixed ability group with a range of ages, but it all adds to the challenge. My research has taken a bit of a back seat at the moment, but I am still writing research papers about my nanostructured materials. With all this going on I get a lot of freedom to prioritise my work and choose when to take my holidays.

Pet project
Not wanting to sound too much like a do-gooder, I would like to get more involved in the environmental side of science. I’m really interested in solar cells and how they work, also the fact that renewable energy is fast becoming a necessity. What I’d really like to do is work on further combining solar power with nanotechnology and produce super efficient solar cells - solving the world energy supply!

Freetime
I like to try to do as much as possible. If I’m not traveling or planning a trip to an unusual European town, then I’m trying to pick up a foreign language and playing guitar. I also run half marathons and I have recently taken up water skiing.

I also try to promote science to students whenever I get a chance - I love chatting science.....but not in the pub 

Burning ambitions
At the moment nothing too serious, but I would love to spend a few months driving around Europe and/or America with the top down, wind in my hair and the sun on my face… well you get the picture. Basically I’d like to have the time to see what’s around me.

The best thing is…

·         Getting an experiment to work after spending weeks without anything working.

·         Travel - exploring a foreign country, getting lost and meeting the locals!

·         Listening to bands play live.

·         Freedom at work.

Regrets?
Yeah….but I’d never learn anything if I didn’t get it wrong the first, or even second time.