Profile
Emma Schofield
My CV
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Education:
My high school was Allerton High in Leeds
I went to Birmingham University for a 4 year chemistry course that included the third year in Germany
Then I headed off to Switzerland where I did a PhD
Over the border in France, I did post-doctoral (after PhD) research in Strasbourg -
Qualifications:
GCSEs: English language, English literature, French, German, Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Biology – oh and I did Spanish during the first year of A-level
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Work History:
First job was as a lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry at Trinity College in Dublin.
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Current Job:
Current job started as a research scientist at Johnson Matthey and then moved into recycling
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About Me:
I am a chemist who likes colourful metals, a viola player who’s out of practise, and a German speaker who understands French. I can’t act.
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I was born in Leeds but I have done Chemistry in lots of other countries because I like living in different places. I now live in Reading, near London, in a house with an enormous trampoline and a pond that has frogs and newts in it. I really like frogs. I like making (and eating) bread, playing viola with other musicians, and cycling in the countryside except when there are really steep hills.
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In the Recycling and Separation Technologies group, we look for better ways to separate metals that are important in modern life. These include platinum and palladium, which are used in catalysts and jewellery, along with cobalt and nickel which are used to make batteries for electric cars. We do lab experiments to find the separation chemistry and equipment that will have the smallest impact on the environment – use the least energy, produce the least waste, and use the safest possible chemicals.
Although we are recyclers, we sometimes work with the people who mine these metals too. I once went to South Africa, where platinum and palladium are mined, and was allowed to go into the top security area where they keep bars of pure metal. I was allowed to hold a platinum bar that was worth more than my house, but I was accompanied by two scary-looking people with automatic weapons so I made sure they saw me put it back. -
My Typical Day:
I get up as late as I can because I like sleeping. I work at a desk, thinking, planning, creating, and I talk to people a lot. It’s all about making sure my team can do the work they need to.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
dynamic, creative, dedicated
What did you want to be after you left school?
a professor or a deep sea diver
Were you ever in trouble at school?
not really, but I had to work really hard
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Yo Yo Ma
What's your favourite food?
fish and chips
Tell us a joke.
From the Lego Batman movie: "How come you only have one seat in this car?". Batman:"Last time I looked I only had one butt."
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