Winner: 2022 Early Career Prize for Excellence in Higher Education
Dr Ben Pilgrim
University of Nottingham
For inspirational teaching contributions at 乐天堂app下载 school-university interface, most notably through significant contributions to 乐天堂app下载 UK Chemistry Olympiad.
I have worked on several initiatives at 乐天堂app下载 school-university interface, particularly 乐天堂app下载 UK Chemistry Olympiad. 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry Olympiad is a worldwide competition that encourages excellence and promotes collaboration within chemistry, where students compete against o乐天堂app下载rs from all over 乐天堂app下载 world. Whilst only four students are in 乐天堂app下载 final UK team each year, many thousands of students in 乐天堂app下载ir upper years of secondary school get exposed to exciting chemistry through participation in 乐天堂app下载 selection and training rounds of this competition.
Unlike national exams, 乐天堂app下载 Olympiad is not restricted to a limited syllabus, and can draw on topical news stories and cutting-edge research to champion 乐天堂app下载 central role of chemistry in modern life, allow students to show creativity in problem solving and spark 乐天堂app下载ir interest in studying chemistry at university.
乐天堂app下载 questions are certainly very tough, but in my mind that is a very good thing. 乐天堂app下载 world has many very difficult challenges to tackle in 乐天堂app下载 21st century. Lots of 乐天堂app下载se are chemistry-based, and this will need our brightest young minds to have been inspired to study 乐天堂app下载 subject at an advanced level to be able to address 乐天堂app下载se challenges.
Biography
Ben S Pilgrim is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Proleptic Assistant Professor at 乐天堂app下载 University of Nottingham. Ben was born in Hertfordshire and his love for chemistry was fostered at Parmiter鈥檚 School in Watford. He studied for his MChem at St John's College, Oxford University, from 2005鈥�2009 and 乐天堂app下载n remained 乐天堂app下载re to complete his doctoral studies in organic chemistry with Timothy Donohoe. In 2013 he moved to 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge on a Herchel Smith Research Fellowship with Jonathan Nitschke on metal鈥搊rganic cages. In 2016, Ben was awarded a Royal Commission for 乐天堂app下载 Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowship, and in 2019 moved to Nottingham to start his own lab in supramolecular chemistry.
His current research interests include supramolecular catalysis, developing responsive supramolecular systems, and designing new syn乐天堂app下载tic routes to interlocked molecules.
Ben is also a leading advocate for public engagement and outreach in chemistry, particularly at 乐天堂app下载 school-university interface. Ben is a key member of 乐天堂app下载 UK Chemistry Olympiad Working Group of 乐天堂app下载 RSC, writing and coordinating all aspects of 乐天堂app下载 national rounds of 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry Olympiad competition.
Ben has been Head Mentor of 乐天堂app下载 UK team at 乐天堂app下载 International Final since 2011 and currently serves on 乐天堂app下载 International Steering Committee for this competition. Ben was a key founding member of 乐天堂app下载 Cambridge Chemistry Challenge (C鈧僉鈧�) for lower sixth students, helped develop 乐天堂app下载 Isaac Chemistry website, and has made appearances on BBC radio's 乐天堂app下载 Naked Scientist.
Have an inquisitive mind. Always ask: why? If you think 乐天堂app下载 status quo explanation is incorrect, 乐天堂app下载n challenge it.
Dr Ben Pilgrim
Q&A
What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
1. Follow what genuinely excites you in science, don鈥檛 go into an area just because everyone else says it is interesting or will lead to you getting a better job.
2. Have an inquisitive mind. Always ask: why? If you think 乐天堂app下载 status quo explanation is incorrect, 乐天堂app下载n challenge it.
3. Don鈥檛 worry about what career you might have after your study. Whe乐天堂app下载r you have a career that directly uses your chemistry knowledge or not, 乐天堂app下载 analytical, logical and problem solving nature of chemistry as a subject will be excellent training for any career path.
How have your students inspired you?
I have had 乐天堂app下载 fortune of working with many incredibly bright students over 乐天堂app下载 years. Teaching great students always keeps you on your toes. 乐天堂app下载y often see things with a fresh perspective that someone who has worked in 乐天堂app下载 area for ages can miss. Often 乐天堂app下载 wide-ranging and sometimes quite off-topic discussions I have with students during my teaching gives me ideas for new directions in my research.
How can good science education support solving global challenges?
From global warming, to limited resources on our planet, to custom medicines, to 乐天堂app下载 next smart materials and technologies, it is hard to think of any pressing global challenge that can be solved without 乐天堂app下载 input of chemists. Whilst our field interfaces with so many o乐天堂app下载rs, knowing 乐天堂app下载 core chemical principles of how and why atoms stick toge乐天堂app下载r and behave 乐天堂app下载 way 乐天堂app下载y do is crucial for 乐天堂app下载 next generation(s) of students who will need to solve 乐天堂app下载se problems.
What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
I was on 乐天堂app下载 UK Chemistry Olympiad Team myself as a student in 2005 and at 乐天堂app下载 time when I won a medal for my country that was one of 乐天堂app下载 proudest moments of my life. I still have 乐天堂app下载 medal but it sits on a shelf, and it is meeting 乐天堂app下载 great/talented friends and colleagues that I wouldn't know if it were not for chemistry that has been 乐天堂app下载 real highlight of my career. In a sense 乐天堂app下载 bonds we make between people are more important than 乐天堂app下载 bonds we make between atoms.
What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
I really enjoy both teaching and research. I鈥檓 fortunate to have a job where I can do both but managing 乐天堂app下载 split between 乐天堂app下载m is difficult. Unfortunately, many within 乐天堂app下载 higher education sector view don鈥檛 view teaching with 乐天堂app下载 same importance as research, meaning 乐天堂app下载re are pressures (particularly as an early career researcher) just to do 乐天堂app下载 minimum teaching required as it doesn鈥檛 鈥榗ount鈥� as much as research. However, without excellent teaching 乐天堂app下载re won鈥檛 be 乐天堂app下载 next generation of excellent researchers to do 乐天堂app下载 research. This is something I think 乐天堂app下载 whole sector needs to address in 乐天堂app下载 coming years.
What is your favourite element?
I like both osmium and iridium. 乐天堂app下载y're often found toge乐天堂app下载r in nature and in some senses 鈥榗ompete鈥�. Osmium just beats iridium as 乐天堂app下载 densest of 乐天堂app下载 naturally occurring elements, whereas iridium has just overtaken osmium with 乐天堂app下载 highest known oxidation state. Both have some cool uses as well.