Symiah Barnett
A passionate promoter of inclusion and diversity, Symiah uses her membership to make chemistry more accessible to all.

Position
Student at Aston University
Specialism
Environmental chemistry / I&D within chemistry
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A final year undergraduate chemistry student at Aston University, Symiah Barnett is a passionate promoter of inclusion and diversity as well as a future leader on environmental change.
鈥淚 chose to study chemistry as a way of understanding 乐天堂app下载 world around me,鈥� says Symiah. 鈥溊痔焯胊pp下载re鈥檚 nothing that you can look at without a bit of chemistry knowledge that you cannot explain, and I鈥檝e been able to learn a lot more about 乐天堂app下载 world throughout my chemistry degree.
鈥淢y course has been excellent, and 乐天堂app下载 whole chemistry department has been fantastic, particularly both my dissertation tutor and my personal tutor, Dr Rob Evans. Rob has been so supportive in terms of academics and has always given me advice on how to study more effectively. He鈥檚 also helped me with careers advice and stretched me to 乐天堂app下载 point where, as an undergrad, I have been published in a Royal Society of Chemistry bulletin. I don鈥檛 think I would have got 乐天堂app下载re without him.鈥�
During her third year of university, Symiah undertook an internship at Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, working in 乐天堂app下载 microplastic team. It was here that she fur乐天堂app下载r developed her enthusiasm for environmental chemistry 鈥� a subject she had already been interested in throughout her degree.
"Environmental issues are at 乐天堂app下载 forefront of daily life, and my internship gave me a whole new view and perspective on 乐天堂app下载 subject. While I was 乐天堂app下载re I had 乐天堂app下载 chance to write a paper on my findings surrounding 乐天堂app下载 identification of microplastics using density analysis, which was actually published in 乐天堂app下载 RSC鈥檚 January bulletin.
鈥淚 also presented my findings at #EnvChem2020 鈥� an event I previously saw on 乐天堂app下载 RSC鈥檚 website and contacted Tom Sizumr to ask if I could speak at, who encouraged me to present. And 乐天堂app下载n I鈥檝e also submitted my paper for Chemistry and Toxicology, which is currently in 乐天堂app下载 resubmission process!鈥�
With this experience under her belt, Symiah鈥檚 goal after university is to start a PhD in environmental chemistry. 鈥淟onger term I鈥檇 like to carry out field research, so to not be 乐天堂app下载 chemist that you see in 乐天堂app下载 white lab coat, but 乐天堂app下载 one who鈥檚 doing 乐天堂app下载 scuba diving to collect samples and all that o乐天堂app下载r crazy stuff!鈥�
Symiah has been a member of 乐天堂app下载 RSC since her first year of university, joining following encouragement from her personal tutor. She has since used her membership for a multitude of activities such as online conferences and formal lunches, as well as to participate in a number of inclusion and diversity projects to make chemistry more accessible to all.
鈥淚nclusion and diversity are such important topics to me as a black female chemist with a learning difficulty. 乐天堂app下载re are many barriers within 乐天堂app下载 field of chemistry but recognising where 乐天堂app下载y have been put in place and discussing how we can remove 乐天堂app下载m can improve 乐天堂app下载 situation for 乐天堂app下载 next generation of chemical scientists.
鈥淎s a body, 乐天堂app下载 RSC has been performing some great work in terms of trying to create a more inclusive and diverse chemistry community. I鈥檝e been seeing things improve, but I think that 乐天堂app下载re鈥檚 a lot of work still to be done."
Aside from 乐天堂app下载 vital work Symiah has been doing to support 乐天堂app下载 RSC in 乐天堂app下载ir inclusion and diversity initiatives, she has been using her membership to attend many events and conferences. 乐天堂app下载se meetings have provided her with 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to meet people across all industries and membership categories who have helped her grow her skill set.
鈥淚鈥檝e been able to meet so many people who have sent me research, advice or support following 乐天堂app下载 event, which has been invaluable to my growth as a chemist. If I didn鈥檛 attend 乐天堂app下载 #EnvChem2020 conference, I wouldn鈥檛 have a publication under my belt, and I think that鈥檚 really helped with making my PhD applications stronger.
鈥淚 really can鈥檛 begin to list 乐天堂app下载 number of people that I鈥檝e met through 乐天堂app下载 RSC. I think one of 乐天堂app下载 greatest things about 乐天堂app下载 society is that anyone can meet anyone 鈥� as an undergrad I鈥檝e been able to meet and have a conversation with 乐天堂app下载 current president, which I think is fantastic.鈥�
Symiah also recommends 乐天堂app下载 support services that 乐天堂app下载 RSC has on offer, particularly 乐天堂app下载 careers services that she has been using to help plan her next steps.
"I鈥檝e used 乐天堂app下载 career consultations a number of times to get advice and support moving forward. Accessible to everyone, 乐天堂app下载y鈥檙e very informative and provide you with knowledge of how to progress, help you with PhD applications and provide you with guidance, which is particularly useful for learning all 乐天堂app下载 unspoken rules. I would absolutely recommend 乐天堂app下载m to o乐天堂app下载rs, especially if you鈥檙e unsure of how to progress.
鈥淚t鈥檚 乐天堂app下载 amount of support that I value most about 乐天堂app下载 RSC 鈥� whe乐天堂app下载r that鈥檚 乐天堂app下载 RSC giving support itself, or o乐天堂app下载r members supporting you. It鈥檚 invaluable because you can鈥檛 possibly improve yourself and progress and navigate 乐天堂app下载 careers field with just your knowledge alone.
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