Genchem event 2017

Event history and rationale

Launched in 2017, initially under the title of Girls into Chemistry (GintoChem). The Centre for Chemical Sciences at the University of Plymouth are delighted to be hosting our forth STEM event directed at GCSE level students identifying as female with an interest in chemistry related careers.

We invite students from Year 9 who have an interest in studying chemistry, environmental and physical sciences at GCSE and beyond to attend. Applications should be made via your teacher, using the register your interest link below. Since places are limited, we can generally accept a maximum of 15 students per institution and request a minimum of one teacher to attend with each group of 15.

This year we have re-branded the event as GenChem in acknowledgement of the diversity of students that may be wishing to attend and invite expressions of interest for our 2022 event which we are hoping to run on the 9 June 2022.

The format includes talks with two inspiring women working in chemistry related roles. These have included staff from within the University other academic institutions, industry and the RSC 175 Faces of Chemistry

The event was initiated principally by Dr Alison Turner and Dr Hayley Manners, both members of the school’s chemistry staff and equality, diversity and inclusivity committee and members of the RSC. This is to showcase our chemistry courses and to address a shortfall in female students taking up chemistry against the national benchmark and an overall gender gap in STEM subjects. The School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and its technical team kindly provided the staff time and laboratory resources. The Royal Society of Chemistry’s local division and Analytical division supported the event and a big thank you to them and in particular.

chemistry
GenChem
GenChem

Meet the team

Dr Hayley Manners

Hayley teaches Chemistry at the University to all stages from Foundation Chemistry to final year BSc Chemistry. Hayley graduated from the very same course she is now teaching on in 2009 and completed a PhD in Earth Sciences in 2014. After completing a post as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, Hayley returned to Plymouth to take up her current lectureship role. Hayley’s research interests mainly lie in climate change and past environment reconstruction.

Dr Alison Turner

Alison teaches here at the University, mostly chemistry with a splash of environmental geoscience and study skills and firmly advocates employability and enterprise. Before coming to Plymouth University in 2015, she was a consultant Environmental Geochemist to the mining industry in Western Australia. She began her career as an as an analytical chemist working for pharmaceutical companies having graduated with a chemistry degree in 2002. She competed her PhD at Plymouth University in 2011 and is a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Dr Gillian Glegg

Gillian graduated from Edinburgh University in Scotland with a BSc (Hons) degree in environmental chemistry and little idea about what to do. She was then offered a PhD in Plymouth, studying marine chemistry with the old Plymouth Polytechnic and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and she jumped at this opportunity. Following this work and a couple of short-term contracts, Gill went to London to work for Greenpeace UK as a science adviser, using her chemistry background to provide information for their campaigns on water and air pollution. About 25 years ago she returned to Plymouth as a lecturer in marine sciences where she has remained.

Dr Charlotte Cree

Charlotte is an environmental research chemist and teaches materials chemistry to engineers here at the University. Her research involves developing new analytical techniques to study nitrogen gases in seawater, work which has taken her to Antarctica to do fieldwork. Charlotte completed her PhD in Environmental Chemistry at Plymouth University in 2014 and worked briefly as a science teacher in schools before returning to research.
 

Dr Kate Schofield

Kate is a Research Fellow in biogeochemistry and teaches across chemistry and environmental science courses at the University of Plymouth. Kate studied for her undergraduate degree in environmental science from the University of Reading, graduating in 2011. She then went straight into studying for her PhD in Biogeochemistry here, at the University of Plymouth, linking closely with the University of Exeter and the Eden Project, which she completed in 2015. Kate has also worked as an environmental chemist in industry helping to reduce the environmental impact of a range of products. Currently, Kate leads research on the ReCon Soil project and is researching the biological and chemical characteristics of soils, searching for ways to sustainably improve the health of our natural soils, as well as working to sustainably create soils using waste materials.

Meet the team

LABplus

LABplus is a unique open access laboratory and resource centre designed for students studying science and engineering courses.

The lab provides a flexible workspace, computing facilities, specialist software, access to microscopes, microscope cameras and bespoke resources.

Find out more about the resource
LABplus open access laboratory and resource centre
The Portland Square building is home to the environmental science team