Dr Sharon Strawbridge

Biography:

I have an innate curiosity, I have always wanted to understand how and why things work from the sub-atomic level through to the universe. I began my formal academic career as a mature student with a true passion for science and a real need to understand the world around me more deeply. My background was far from traditional, with five small children at home and having just given up milking cows, I began a Degree in Biological and Medicinal Chemistry at Exeter. I obtained a First and was awarded the White Knight Prize for my final year project, I absolutely knew, I wanted to continue in scientific research.

Following my Degree, I undertook a PhD in the field of electrochemical sensors, working on a novel techniques to detect catecholamine neurotransmiters and other biologically relevant molecules. I really enjoyed the challenge of research and the freedom a PhD gave me to chase my ideas. However, it was not all plain sailing, my sixth child was born while I was a PhD student and the following year, I was forced to take a career break as a result of serious ill health. I realise how fortunate I was to have the support and encouragement the Department and University to come back to finish off my experiments and write up. This personal experience has made me realise the critical importance of having in place support mechanisms for students and staff at all stages of their academic careers "life happens".

After being awarded my PhD, I moved from Chemistry into Physics, having been awarded a Daphne Jackson Research Fellowship, working first with the Biophysics Group, where I worked on the detection of short lived radicals and oxidative stress, then later, with the Graphene Centre, where I worked on the electrical properties and doping of graphene, see my current research interests below.

My teaching career started with lab demonstrating and providing some UG tutoring as a postgraduate student. Following my PhD, I taught third year electrochemistry, I really enjoyed teaching and rapidly picked up more teaching with the Medical Imaging programme Since then, I have been a module lead for (and developed) a wide range of modules for Medical Imaging (including developing a bespoke Anatomy and Physiology module and Radiation Physics module) and for Natural Sciences I developed the Group projects module from scratch. I have developed student's experimental skills in the Stage 2 Physics labs and through undergraduate research project work. Over the years, I have supervised numerous undergraduate research projects for Physics (MPhys), Medical Imaging and Natural Sciences. I have strong links to current research across a number of disciplines and with external partners such as the Met Office, Natural England etc... I draw on this deeply in my teaching. I have never lost my sense of "wonder" and I want to share this at all levels.

I am also keenly aware of the problems some students can face both academic and personal and have undertaken a lot of work developing strategies to support mathematics skills, peer learning, mentoring the specialist postgraduate tutors, who support our Natural Sciences students in Physics and Maths and working with students as a personal tutor/mentor.

My role:

My main role focuses on students, teaching and education, ensuring the best possible environment and educational experience is available to all our students, enabling them to reach their full potential and promoting their active engagement with their subject/s and student life. I work with students across all years of their UG degree programmes, through research based project work, laboratory teaching, lecturing and personal tutoring/mentoring at UG and PGR level. I have a real love of teaching, explaining, discussing ideas and concepts at all levels. My very wide academic background has given me a deep understanding of the links between the disciplines, enabling me to teach, and hopefully inspire, students to think about problems and topics in a cross-disciplinary way.

Through my role as a PGR pastoral tutor for a number of postgraduate research students in Physics, I have kept strong links with the research taking place in Physics.

Throughout my career I have been very involved in widening participation, outreach and public engagement . My personal experience has shown there are many barriers that can limit life choices and aspirations, I have wanted to do all I can to encourage and find strategies to enable widening participation and diversity in HE.

I want to share my love of science with a wider community, I have given a number of invited public lectures for the Institute of Physics, Cafe Scientific and delivered a Guild "Research Uncovered" Lecture. I have worked with both schools and local colleges to raise the aspirations of young people and especially to inspire girls to to think about studying science at A level and university. I was also one of the first University Catayst Public Engagement Champions and ran a joint project, which bought primary school students and their families into Physics for a series of workshops and events exploring light, it was so inspiring to see bright young minds discovering how the world around them works! I am always looking for opportunities to continue this type of work and very happy to be contacted by anyone interested in setting up projects.

I have had a number of education focused grants from the HEA, HESTEM and HEFCE over the past few years, these have supported a number of valuable student projects, particularly in maths education and recently, a joint application with Physics funded an undergraduate scanning electron microscopy suite for Natural Sciences and Physics students.

Contributions to the Academic Community:

Taking an active role in our academic community has always been important to me. I have been member of the University Senate, the Taught Programme Faculty board and sit on the University Health and Safety Committee (in my role as UCU Health and Safety Rep). I have been involved for many years at Discipline, College and University level with the Athena Swan initiative and IoP Project Juno to promote diversity within STEM subjects and more widely across the university, to be sucessful we need to include all talent. I also regularly take part in the LTHE programme participating in panels etc., in order to develop the next generation of teachers/lecturers.

University level responsibilities: Member of (Covid) Silver Policy Group, Member of the academic workload steering group, University Health and Safety Committee, UCU branch president.

College responsibilties: College Senior Academic Misconduct officer College Health and Safety Committee

Dicipline responsibilities: Stage 1 Coordinator (Physics), assistant Director of Education (Physics)Departmental Health and Safety Committee, Radiation Protection Officer (Physics), PhD Mentor.