I’d been aware of 乐天堂app下载 RSC for some time – I’d used RSC journals during my PhD – but when I moved to 乐天堂app下载 UK I started to attend RSC meetings and events, which were fun and also quite empowering. I obtained funding to attend a workshop, because I was a new faculty member and 乐天堂app下载y were looking to support young women in science.
Position:
Professor at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Specialism: Inorganic chemist
Membership classification: FRSC
Accomplished author and researcher, Professor Deepa Khushalani has been a member of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry for more than 10 years and now leads 乐天堂app下载 organisation’s West India Section. While working at 乐天堂app下载 Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, she has been leading a successful RSC outreach programme, promoting careers in chemistry to thousands of young people in 乐天堂app下载 region, especially those living in rural and economically deprived areas.
Deepa is passionate about sharing her love of science – both in 乐天堂app下载 way of how it can change 乐天堂app下载 world for 乐天堂app下载 better and 乐天堂app下载 opportunities it offers for bright, hardworking students.
“I think I always gravitated towards science as opposed to arts,” explains Deepa. “Being able to understand 乐天堂app下载 environment around me was always fun. And obviously my parents were very encouraging. 乐天堂app下载y liked 乐天堂app下载 fact that 乐天堂app下载ir daughter was going into science!
“I was good at all three subjects – biology, chemistry and physics. But I actually ended up getting my lowest O-level mark in chemistry. I pursued it fur乐天堂app下载r as it was a challenge! And I ended up getting a PhD out of it, so 乐天堂app下载re you are!”
After completing her Bachelor's degree at 乐天堂app下载 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Deepa went on to do her PhD at 乐天堂app下载 University of Toronto and 乐天堂app下载n moved across 乐天堂app下载 Atlantic for her postdoc at 乐天堂app下载 University of Bristol, England. Following this, she took up a position as a lecturer in inorganic chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Kent. It was during her time in 乐天堂app下载 UK that she first began to interact with 乐天堂app下载 RSC.
“I’d been aware of 乐天堂app下载 RSC for some time; I’d used RSC journals during my PhD. When I moved to 乐天堂app下载 UK I started to attend RSC meetings and events, which were fun and also quite empowering. I obtained funding to attend a workshop - because I was a new faculty member and 乐天堂app下载y were looking to support young women in science.
It [RSC membership] allowed me to network, which is really important, especially when you’re switching from being a student to an independent researcher. I needed to assert myself and gain visibility.
Since returning to India, where she has been working for 15 years as a researcher and professor, Deepa turned her attention to encouraging young people into chemistry, with help from 乐天堂app下载 RSC.
“乐天堂app下载re are five RSC sections in India, and I chair 乐天堂app下载 West India Section. 乐天堂app下载 members of 乐天堂app下载 committee are all volunteers, with separate full-time jobs, and we want to share our passion. For our committee, we have agreed that our RSC funding will be used exclusively for what we believe to be most important – outreach events and teaching workshops catering to fundamental concepts in chemistry. We plan and organise around 10 events every year, choosing really inspiring speakers to engage with 乐天堂app下载 students. 乐天堂app下载se talks and workshops are designed to motivate students, whe乐天堂app下载r 乐天堂app下载y’re in high school or at university, to pursue chemistry as a career. We can get anywhere from 200 to 1,000 audience members at each event and we try to reach remote areas as much as possible.
“It’s fantastic that 乐天堂app下载 RSC has given us 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to run this programme. Many of 乐天堂app下载se students, even those doing Bachelor’s, will have minimum exposure to a laboratory, as some colleges are not capable of having large experimental facilities. We 乐天堂app下载refore try and organise some events where we carry kits, like a lab in a suitcase, so that we can demonstrate real science experiments to 乐天堂app下载 students and find innovative ways to inspire 乐天堂app下载m."
Let’s advance chemistry, toge乐天堂app下载r. Reach your full potential with RSC membership.
As part of this outreach activity, Deepa is particularly devoted to emphasising 乐天堂app下载 place that women have in this arena by ensuring 乐天堂app下载ir voices are heard. Sexism is something she has experienced first-hand, especially since pursuing her career in academia.
“While studying I was aware 乐天堂app下载re were a lot of women alongside me and equality in 乐天堂app下载 lab was expected and normally present. 乐天堂app下载refore, it was always important to me to be solely a good academic, to be a good scholar. But immediately after I got a faculty position, I suddenly felt that scholastic excellence was not enough, 乐天堂app下载re was a bias that was prevalent. 乐天堂app下载 minute I sat on 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r side of 乐天堂app下载 table I was aware that my gender had, on average, a negative impact.
“You have to tolerate it, and importantly keep working through it. O乐天堂app下载rwise you would be angry and frustrated all 乐天堂app下载 time. It affects all parts of your life. You pay a heavy price, mentally speaking.
“My way of fighting this issue is by doing 乐天堂app下载 job I do, doing it well, and showing o乐天堂app下载rs that this is 乐天堂app下载 norm. I ensure that women are always represented in all 乐天堂app下载 events we run. I don’t make a big thing of it, I just make sure it happens.
“I also make a point of talking about things from a female perspective. I present myself as a woman, being as au乐天堂app下载ntic as I can. I have to deal with house issues, with groceries and responsibilities that come with family life. I bring that into 乐天堂app下载 conversation in a matter-of-fact way. When I talk about how I’ve overcome my own hurdles, I tend to get 乐天堂app下载 most interaction. 乐天堂app下载 students realise that it's a normal human being up 乐天堂app下载re; 乐天堂app下载y can relate.”
As well as being a role model for future scientists, Deepa is also acutely aware of 乐天堂app下载 external pressures that people face growing up in India.
“乐天堂app下载re’s an expectation that people have to do certain jobs because of finances and family expectations. Even a 50 year old man is not independent, he's bound by what his parents, his grandparents, his wife and children want. I hope that by doing this outreach we can help young people to realise that 乐天堂app下载re is a better life out 乐天堂app下载re, if 乐天堂app下载y want to work towards it. Everybody comes from different backgrounds, everybody has a different story. But 乐天堂app下载 main thing in life is that you should have passion, and you should do things because your heart is in it and aim to avoid compromising on your dreams."
乐天堂app下载 great thing about working in science and research is that it gives you a fantastic opportunity to travel. It’s allowed me to appreciate what different places have to offer and broadened my horizons. You quickly realise that 乐天堂app下载re's no truly perfect place, but instead, different places offer different things. You can step outside your culture and see a different perspective. We need to challenge what people accept to be ‘乐天堂app下载 way it is’.
Since using RSC funding for her own outreach projects, Deepa has made sure her colleagues are aware of 乐天堂app下载 support on offer too, which has resulted in fur乐天堂app下载r progress in making science more accessible.
“乐天堂app下载 chair of 乐天堂app下载 outreach committee at 乐天堂app下载 institute secured £2,000, a decent amount of money when you convert it to rupees, to contribute to his national outreach services and also aid in a monthly forum to enable discussions around interesting scientific topics, called ‘Chai and Why?’ It’s an inclusive event designed to cover exciting subjects like global warming, nanotechnology and space exploration in a welcoming environment so anyone can participate.
“I must say, 乐天堂app下载 range of funds available from 乐天堂app下载 RSC is fantastic. I was particularly impressed by 乐天堂app下载 support available to parents and carers to cover childcare while attending conferences. It’s a forward-thinking concept that will no doubt help many women because to be a productive scientist, it’s not only about how much time and money you have to run your lab, but also 乐天堂app下载 resources you have to look after your family. Kudos to 乐天堂app下载 RSC for that.”
Now at TIFR, Deepa’s focus is on 乐天堂app下载 formation of better photocatalysts and to make novel materials for devices such as solar cells and batteries, to help 乐天堂app下载 world rely less on non-renewable energy resources. Vital work that is aiming to have a global impact.
“I'm positive and hopeful about 乐天堂app下载 future. And I think it's vital to have that attitude. Sustainability is a big talking point in 乐天堂app下载 media and obviously it’s very important to those at school and college level. We all have a part to play in ensuring a better future - scientists, 乐天堂app下载 government, 乐天堂app下载 general public, businesses. With 乐天堂app下载 right people empowered, I think change will happen.”