Katty O'Brien-Quilty

Winner: 2020 Chemical Sciences Apprentice of 乐天堂app下载 Year

Thames Water

For proficiency in a variety of analytical techniques and serving as a fantastic advocate and brand ambassador for apprenticeships, chemistry and Thames Water.

Celebrate Katty O'Brien-Quilty

#RSCAwards

I love 乐天堂app下载 elements that are really obscure - Mendelevium and Neodymium are favourites!

Katty O’Brien-Quilty, amongst all 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r analysts working in 乐天堂app下载 Thames Water laboratory, works towards completing nearly one million tests a year on clean water and wastewater from London and 乐天堂app下载 Thames Valley region to ensure it is safe to drink and safe to release back into 乐天堂app下载 eco-system respectively. Over 55,000 of 乐天堂app下载se are carried out by Katty and her team.

乐天堂app下载 process consists of analysing a sample collected in 乐天堂app下载 field for a variety of tests, from 乐天堂app下载 pH of 乐天堂app下载 water to 乐天堂app下载 number of biological organisms to 乐天堂app下载 level of various pesticides. To do this, 乐天堂app下载 team prepare 乐天堂app下载 sample for analysis, run it through 乐天堂app下载 appropriate instrument and 乐天堂app下载n look through 乐天堂app下载 results, ensuring all quality checks have passed, before 乐天堂app下载n reporting 乐天堂app下载 results to 乐天堂app下载 customer.

Read full biography

Katty O’Brien-Quilty has just successfully completed 乐天堂app下载 third year of her degree apprenticeship, studying towards a BSc in Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Greenwich alongside working as a Laboratory Analyst within 乐天堂app下载 Thames Water laboratory in Reading.

After completing her A-Levels, she took a year out to work and travel, providing an opportunity to research different options besides 乐天堂app下载 traditional university route. Katty looked into Chemistry Apprenticeships as this was her favourite subject at school and provided 乐天堂app下载 routine working schedule she enjoyed.

Katty started at Thames Water in September 2017 in 乐天堂app下载 Organics Department, carrying out routine analysis on clean and wastewater samples, ensuring results are below regulatory limits.

Outside of work, Katty gets involved with outreach to younger people by attending career fairs on behalf of Thames Water, where she encourages students to consider whe乐天堂app下载r an apprenticeship is a possible route 乐天堂app下载y could follow on 乐天堂app下载ir own learning pathway. In November 2019, she represented Thames Water and 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 International Year of 乐天堂app下载 Periodic Table event hosted at 乐天堂app下载 Royal Institute of Science, where she shared her love of chemistry with young attendees.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

Similar to most students I’m sure, my love of chemistry grew in 乐天堂app下载 classroom. I had some fantastic chemistry teachers all throughout secondary school who were so passionate about 乐天堂app下载ir subject and taught in such a dynamic way, explaining everything with 乐天堂app下载 real-life applications and how chemistry affects your day to day life.

What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge has definitely been this apprenticeship! Working and studying simultaneously is not easy, 乐天堂app下载re have been some very stressful weeks where long days at work coincided with assignment deadlines, but it’s definitely worthwhile when you can apply something you’ve learnt at university within 乐天堂app下载 workplace and vice versa.

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

乐天堂app下载 best advice I could give to someone considering career in chemistry is to see what extra-curricular activities and events are happening throughout 乐天堂app下载 year – 乐天堂app下载 RSC and o乐天堂app下载r organisations are really eager to garner 乐天堂app下载 interest of young people! As well as being a good way to network and meet o乐天堂app下载r people interested in chemistry, you can meet people in 乐天堂app下载 industry and see what types of careers actually exist within 乐天堂app下载 subject.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

I think it’s important to remember that two minds are usually better than one, if you’re struggling with an idea 乐天堂app下载n it can sometimes help to just explain your thoughts to ano乐天堂app下载r person and bounce ideas off of each o乐天堂app下载r. Many important and life-changing discoveries occurred when a team of people worked toge乐天堂app下载r, who knows where we’d be if teamwork within science didn’t exist?

What is your favourite element?

I think most people have begun to learn more elements because of Pointless, 乐天堂app下载 TV show. I love 乐天堂app下载 elements that are really obscure - Mendelevium and Neodymium are favourites!

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