I am a scientist/science communicator with experience of exhibit and science activity development in one of the UK's largest science centres, and experience of public science communication and and university teaching and research.
I have
- a very broad (and sometimes deep) knowledge of science, maths, and technology
- experience of interactive exhibit development
- experience of working with the public in science centres
- excellent written communication skills
- excellent oral communication skills
- lots of ideas
- good practical skills
- wide computer programming experience
- experience of teaching at university level
Previous employment
Freelance work
References
Education
University
| 1984/8 | Cambridge University | BA/MA Natural Sciences, Class 1 Main subjects: Physics, Psychology Also studied: Maths, Chemistry, Cell Biology |
| 1988 | Cambridge University | PhD Vision Science |
| 1999 | Strathclyde University | MSc Energy Systems and the Environment |
| 1998/9 | Open University |
Course units in Renewable Energy * Thermofluid Mechanics * Engineering Mechanics (Solids and Fluids) * Design and Designing * German * * = Passed with Distinction |
School
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby, 1974-1980. A-levels in Maths (B), Physics (A), Chemistry (A), General Studies (A). S-level in Physics (2). Ryan Prize for Physics and Chemistry. Harrison Scholarship.
Freelance work
I work freelance mainly, but not entirely, in the area of science communication. My other work includes university teaching and a little research. Click on the links in this sentence for up-to-date details of my current and completed freelance work.
Previous employment
For more details about each job, click on the links in the rightmost column of the table.
| Dec 1999 - Jul 2004 | Glasgow Science Centre | Researcher/Exhibit Developer Staff Scientist Senior Science Adviser |
| July 1999 - Dec 1999 | Carbrae Energy Consultants | Assistant |
| Sept 1998 - Dec 1998 | Stirling University | Part-time Teaching Fellow Department of Psychology |
| May 1991 - Sept 1998 | Stirling University | Lecturer Department of Psychology |
| Sept 1988 - May 1991 | Keele University | Research Fellow Dept of Communication and Neuroscience |
| Jan 1981 - Sept 1981 | British Gas Engineering Research Station |
Industrial Student |
Interactive exhibit development
I was part of the original exhibition development team at Glasgow Science Centre. My job was to work with the exhibition contractors Hüttinger Exhibition Engineering on the largest of GSC's three exhibition floors. It contained about 100 hands-on exhibits covering mechanics, optics, electricity and magnetism, and perception. After negotiating and completing exhibit lists, I liaised with Hüttinger on the design of the exhibits. This included 5 trips to their factory in Germany where we inspected and discussed prototypes in detail. I was responsible for ensuring that all of the science on this floor was accurate. I also wrote all of the exhibit texts.
Although GSC did not add to their exhibition while I was there, I worked on a number of my exhibit ideas, and I developed and built a number of science show demonstrations and items for public workshops. I was also part of the team that worked on GSC's Climate Change Theatre.
I have worked as consultant to GSC for the development of an exhibition about mathematics, and on the redevelopment of an illusions area.
Work with the public in science centres
In the early operational phase of Glasgow Science Centre I was part of the team of Staff Scientists that was responsible for the day-to-day running of the science centre. I worked on the gallery floors, met school groups, delivered science shows, ran workshops, found lost children, and administered First Aid.
I was particularly fond of taking exhibit prototypes (or other things that I thought would be interesting) onto the gallery floors and showing them to visitors.
Writing
I write lucidly, attractively and concisely for a variety of readers: I have been published in both Proceedings of the Royal Society and the Glasgow mass-circulation Daily Record. I am good at explaining things in simple ways; I wrote all of the exhibit texts for the largest of Glasgow Science Centre's exhibition galleries. I was also much in demand at GSC as an arbiter of grammar, spelling and good style, and as a proof-reader. I won the Glasgow heat of the Ignobel Prizes Limerick Competition 2004.
More details about things I have written.
Speaking
I am an experienced speaker, with experience that covers the range from science shows for children, through popular science for adults, to university lectures.
Practical skills
I have good, largely self-taught, practical skills and am rarely so happy as when I am making something. As well as the exhibit prototypes and demonstration items that are described on other pages, things that I have built include: a bed, a historical foot-powered lathe (on which I made the footstool on the right, starting from a log), numerous sets of bookshelves of various designs (mainly from reclaimed wood), sets of candlesticks, a sleeping bag for my toddler daughter, a pair of gaiters, a computer desk, a workbench, wooden kitchen tongs, a rolling pin, two lamps, and a lampshade. Only the lathe was to a published design.
Teaching
I have several years' experience of teaching undergraduates. While I was a Lecturer at Stirling University I developed and taught the undergraduate unit in perception (vision and hearing), as well as other teaching duties. I currently work with students on the Product Design Engineering course at Glasgow School of Art.
Computer programming
Much of my working life has involved programming computers. My experience ranges from high-level languages such as C to assembler code, and also includes programming logic controllers. I coded this site using HTML and CSS. Click here for more details about my programming experience.
Languages
I am just about to complete my second Open University course in German, to revive the German I learned at school. This course is the third of the four German courses that the OU offers. With a dictionary to hand, I can understand most written German, and I can write and speak unsophisticated German that is largely correct and which will be understood. I have also twice given a talk in German.
References
On request I can provide details of referees from both the academic and science centre worlds. There is also one reference which you can read now.