Page 2 - Periodic Issue 01

A Letter from the C hairman

0ROFESSOR 4IM 3OFTLEY

As Chairman of Oxford Chemistry, it gives Why launch an alumni relations and
me great pleasure to launch Periodic, communication progamme now? First, our
a new annual magazine created for our students are the life blood of the department
researchers, staff, and students, our 8,500 and one of the best measures of our success
chemistry alumni, our partners in industry is to look at our alumni – you are the outcomes
and commerce, and our sponsors and of our teaching and training, and by making
stakeholders in the UK and worldwide. As contact with you we hope to gather the stories
a forward and outward looking department that will inspire the next generation of students.
we are delighted to share with you some By extending our network and building a
of the exciting science, personal news, community with Oxford Chemistry at the core,
and future plans emerging from Oxford we aim to provide tangible benefits to you, for
Chemistry, as well as to provide an example help with careers and recruitment.
opportunity for you to communicate with us Second, we value your involvement in
and with each other. developing our future plans. Oxford Chemistry
alumni have been successful in very diverse walks of life – we
Where is Oxford Chemistry now? We continue to be one of often say that a Chemistry degree prepares our graduates
the largest chemistry departments in the world and by many with a skill set that is highly sought after by almost any
external measures one of the best worldwide. We are also a employer - and we put great value in having scientifically
young and dynamic department with over half our academic educated leaders in many
staff appointed since 2006 – this makes it an exciting job for spheres of influence.
me as Chairman. In teaching our focus continues to be on So whether you are
providing a broad, rigorous, and deep chemistry education, now in teaching, law,
culminating in the 4th year Part II project (which has remained business or industry,
in its current form for almost 90 years). In research we finance, communications,
are building world-leading strength in many key areas academia and research,
including Catalysis and Synthesis, Chemical Biology, Novel or any other field, we
Instrumentation, Advanced Materials, Nanoscience and welcome your help and
Interfacial Science, and Computation and Theory. input.

We have had many successes not only in fundamental Finally, we believe in
science – perhaps the true hallmark of Oxford chemistry getting our science ‘out
research – but also in the commercialization and impact of there’ in the public eye,
that research, stemming from a genuine culture of innovation and we want our partners
and opportunism. Our spin-out companies such as Oxford and alumni to feel that
Catalysts (Professor Malcolm Green) and Oxford Nanopore our successes belong
Technologies (Professor Hagan Bayley) have been very much to you as well. Of all the
in the news recently, while last year a major contribution to sciences, Chemistry is
healthcare from Professor Allen Hill, through the development perhaps uniquely positioned to contribute to the world’s major
of the Glucose Sensor for the benefit of millions of diabetes challenges – healthcare, environment and renewable energy,
sufferers, was recognised by an RSC National Chemical security, food and water supply – and substantially to the
Landmark blue plaque (read more on p.12). UK economy. You can help us to share that good news and
bring us your perspective on the tasks ahead.
We have ambitious plans for the future including a new
building focusing on interdisciplinary research areas Since we launched our Chemistry alumni relations
particularly at the biology/medicine interface, and a new programme in 2012, we have been hugely encouraged
undergraduate teaching lab facility to enable us to provide by the positive response to this new initiative. For more
a practical course for undergraduates that is fit for the next information on how to stay involved with the Department,
generation of Oxford chemists. please see p.14.

I look forward to meeting and talking to many of you in the
near future.

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Periodic The Magazine of the Department of Chemistry