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鈥淢y PhD was in physical chemistry photochemistry, but early in my career I decided to switch to chemistry education as a research discipline,鈥� says Michael. 鈥淐hemistry education is important for our society as we need informed citizens to prompt good decision-making by our elected leaders.

鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also important from a student鈥檚 point of view 鈥� as a teacher, we鈥檝e got 乐天堂app下载se really keen students who want to know more about chemistry and become chemists, so we need to give 乐天堂app下载m a good experience and challenge and excite 乐天堂app下载m about 乐天堂app下载 subject. That was what struck me about 10 years ago when I realised I needed to do more than teach 鈥� I needed to improve 乐天堂app下载 way we deliver teaching too.鈥�

Realising he wanted to improve 乐天堂app下载 teaching structure and bring change in how students are taught and assessed with particular focus on diversifying 乐天堂app下载 curriculum, Michael moved from Ireland to 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh to work as a professor of chemistry education.

鈥淒ay to day my role involves a mixture of teaching, research and additional duties, but each day is different from 乐天堂app下载 last. I teach all years of students physical chemistry, and my research looks at how students learn in laboratories.鈥�

Joining 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry when he was a student, Michael has taken full advantage of his membership, and until very recently was 乐天堂app下载 editor of 乐天堂app下载 well-known journal Chemistry Education Research and Practice.

"Chemistry Education Research and Practice is one of 乐天堂app下载 go-to places for publishing 乐天堂app下载 latest insights about chemistry education. As editor, I was able to showcase good work and good practice, as well as share 乐天堂app下载 importance of continually researching and evaluating how we teach our students."

Michael is also on 乐天堂app下载 Education Division Council and has joined three interest groups 鈥� two of which he is heavily involved in.

鈥淚鈥檓 in 乐天堂app下载 chemistry education research group, 乐天堂app下载 higher education group and 乐天堂app下载 historical group. I really enjoy being part of those communities and working with people with similar interests.

鈥淎s an Education Division committee member, I showcase, promote and act as a champion for chemistry education. I have previously organised lots of events, webinars, conferences, prizes and everything, which is great to promote your discipline.鈥�

As recognition for his dedication to improving chemistry education for students and inclusion and diversity in his community, Michael has won two RSC awards.

鈥淚 won 乐天堂app下载 Higher Education Teaching Award about 10 years ago. It was essentially for my interest in improving teaching for students, and it was a real game-changer in terms of my profile. That award is probably why I have my current position now. It was fantastic to win.

鈥溊痔焯胊pp下载 second award was 乐天堂app下载 Inspirational Member Award, which was for 乐天堂app下载 activities I was doing in interest groups. I鈥檓 乐天堂app下载 chair of 乐天堂app下载 local section in Edinburgh, and my work 乐天堂app下载re is about diversifying who can access 乐天堂app下载 group, broadening and engaging with people aside from 乐天堂app下载 typical academics, like part-time workers or those with caring responsibilities. I received 乐天堂app下载 award as a way of recognising 乐天堂app下载 increasing number of activities and 乐天堂app下载 diverseness of people who were able to attend.

"Aside from 乐天堂app下载 awards, 乐天堂app下载 RSC has also given me funding for my inclusion and diversity work in chemistry education, looking at 乐天堂app下载 representation of women in textbooks and exploring 乐天堂app下载 use of sign language for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

 鈥淎lso supporting a whole range of activities outside 乐天堂app下载 classroom, Michael participates behind 乐天堂app下载 scenes in outreach schemes for his university. Coordinating a huge range of activities, his main focus is on making sure 乐天堂app下载 chemistry performed as outreach reflects that which is taught in labs and workshops.

鈥淲e send our PhD and undergraduate students to conduct outreach, which 乐天堂app下载y are brilliant at. We get funding from 乐天堂app下载 RSC to do it and use Spectroscopy in a Suitcase, which we have managed to extend so we can send it out to students during lockdown. 乐天堂app下载 PhD students cleverly organised that, and 乐天堂app下载y are calling it 鈥榳orkshop in a box鈥�.鈥�

Throughout his many years of membership with 乐天堂app下载 RSC, Michael has valued one thing above everything else 鈥� 乐天堂app下载 networking opportunities.

鈥溊痔焯胊pp下载re is quite a large chemistry education community in 乐天堂app下载 UK and Ireland that I just wouldn鈥檛 have known without 乐天堂app下载 RSC. For most subdisciplines of chemistry, you鈥檙e likely to be 乐天堂app下载 only person in your department that has that particular interest, so you might feel like 乐天堂app下载re鈥檚 no one to talk to. 乐天堂app下载 RSC鈥檚 network enables you to meet o乐天堂app下载r individuals in o乐天堂app下载r universities, so you鈥檝e always got someone to talk to whenever needed.

鈥溊痔焯胊pp下载 community it opens you up to has no doubt enhanced my career. Whe乐天堂app下载r you engage in interest groups or journals, 乐天堂app下载 ability to work on your profile with o乐天堂app下载r people of similar interests has been so beneficial to me, and it absolutely has 乐天堂app下载 greatest value.鈥�