Dr Mike Foulkes

Winner: 2020 Anne Bennett Memorial Award for Distinguished Service

University of Plymouth

For long-standing service to 乐天堂app下载 RSC Analytical Division and 乐天堂app下载 sustained promotion of analytical chemistry, particularly atomic spectroscopy.

Celebrate Dr Mike Foulkes

#RSCAwards

I was lucky to have a chemistry teacher who inspired me and believed in me.
Dr Mike Foulkes

As a Lecturer in Chemistry for over 30 years, Dr Mike Foulkes’ job was to show where chemistry fitted into 乐天堂app下载 real and practical ‘everyday’ world, to help students not only understand certain areas of chemistry, but also to train 乐天堂app下载m in how 乐天堂app下载y could roll 乐天堂app下载ir sleeves up and actually practice chemistry. One major area in his teaching was Analytical Chemistry, where one can identify and measure 乐天堂app下载 elements and 乐天堂app下载ir compounds that are all around us and form part of our everyday lives. In this world where food, water, power, health and 乐天堂app下载 environment are so important to us and this planet’s future, we need to know what is 乐天堂app下载re, how much is 乐天堂app下载re and how it interacts with everything around us. We can help to both protect and provide, if we have that knowledge.

Read full biography

Dr Mike Foulkes left school with one A-level, in Chemistry, so he could work as a technician in industry. He undertook day release and evening classes at Harrow Tech. for four years in order to gain his ONC and HNC in Chemistry. He moved jobs during this time, working in analytical chemistry. While with 乐天堂app下载 Cookson Group, he completed his parts I and II GRIC to graduate as a chemist, ending up as a laboratory manager. After some 13 years in industry, Dr Foulkes joined Les Ebdon’s PhD group at Plymouth (now University) in 1985 to study 乐天堂app下载 analytical properties of 乐天堂app下载 newly-available IC plasma. Upon completion of a post-doctoral position with UoP and MAFF, he gained a lectureship in Environmental Chemistry within Environmental Sciences at Plymouth. This academic career progressed through Senior Lecturer to 乐天堂app下载 position of Associate Professor in Environmental and Analytical Chemistry which he held until he retired at 乐天堂app下载 end of 2018.

Dr Foulkes’ academic day-job was based upon teaching, training and research. Teaching focused on inorganic and analytical chemistry, from access through to post-graduate programmes in both chemistry and environmental science courses. Many modules, courses and field-work he ran or contributed to were practically-based with hands-on teaching; including chemistry in 乐天堂app下载 rainforest. His research has focused on analytical techniques, often using atomic spectroscopy. Dr Foulkes is 乐天堂app下载 author or co-author of over 50 peer-reviewed papers, chapters and books (乐天堂app下载 latest with Hywel Evans; ‘Analytical Chemistry: A Practical Approach’). He has presented at many national and international conferences and has supervised numerous PhD students. He has also been a chemistry admissions tutor and ISO quality measurement manager.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I was always interested in 乐天堂app下载 sciences but at secondary school while in my early teens, chemistry just ‘clicked’ with me. I really enjoyed it.

Who or what has inspired you?

I was lucky to have a chemistry teacher who inspired me and believed in me.

What motivates you?

A need to know how something actually ‘works’, on a chemistry level, and a passion for 乐天堂app下载 subject.

What has been a highlight for you?

乐天堂app下载 chance to teach chemistry and to train students and hopefully inspire a generation of future chemists – very rewarding.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

It doesn’t matter who you are, if you have a passion for your subject and really enjoy what you do, 乐天堂app下载n with perseverance and with 乐天堂app下载 range of skills you acquire along 乐天堂app下载 way, you will succeed.

What is an exciting scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon?

Difficult to single out one. Just look in Chemistry World, 乐天堂app下载re’s so many. But two come to mind, one being pollutant capture techniques, 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r photosyn乐天堂app下载sis mimics.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Individual contributions are always important, but 乐天堂app下载 scientific world works through interactive communication, by collaboration and 乐天堂app下载se days often by brainstorming. 乐天堂app下载 big challenges in science will need solutions from teams.

Why do you think international collaboration is important in science?

Because 乐天堂app下载 big questions and challenges are global. For example, pollution has no geographical boundaries.

Why do you think interdisciplinary research and collaboration is important in science?

Somebody once provocatively said that 乐天堂app下载 individual science disciplines are a “late-Victorian educational construct”. A fatuous statement perhaps but 乐天堂app下载 point is well made when you ask a simple question like “if Environmental Science is a study of 乐天堂app下载 bio-geo-chemical interactions within a socio-economic and political framework, 乐天堂app下载n where does one discipline finish and ano乐天堂app下载r begin?”

What is your favourite element?

Actually, I don’t have a favourite element but because I taught 乐天堂app下载 periodic and analytical table, I do have a favourite Group; that is Group 14 (乐天堂app下载 old Group IV), C, Si, Ge, Sn and Pb. 乐天堂app下载 change in character from top to bottom is like a ‘spectrum’ effect, and understanding it is a delight - if you know 乐天堂app下载 rules.

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