Page 15 - Periodic Issue 02

From chemistry undergraduate to Biomedical Engineering Professor, a
very fulfilling path.
Margaret Wheatley, Somerville College 1967
Pension lawyer: what I do varies from summarising complex technical
deeds and regulations into plain English to devising routes to solve
complex technical or funding challenges whilst keeping one eye on the
actuaries and ensuring the clients understand the cost implications of
what they are trying to achieve.
Phil Smith, St John’s College 1986

I have always been very grateful for my science education and argue that
the City of London only benefits from scientifically-trained minds. Thirty
years in banking led me to a career in the City of London Corporation -
the City’s town council - which saw an Oxford Chemistry Lord Mayor of I careered from a post-doc into publishing with OUP (five years) and then
London last year. Roger Gifford, Trinity College 1973
television, where eventually I presented the last run of “Tomorrow’s World”,
A career in the international petrochemical industry from 1965 until 1995 plus a variety of other science and technology programmes, including
culminating as Managing Director of Shell Chemicals South Africa. “What the Romans (and others) did for us”.
Maurice Terry, New College 1961 Adam Hart-Davis, Merton College 1962
Intellectually stimulating, challenging, a multitude of positive relationships,
continuing opportunities for enlarging self-awareness and for keeping a Alumni Opinion
young mind - school teaching. The only downside is the long hours. On my daily drive to Bath I used to pass a
Mark Robinson, Balliol 1979 farm, and every day I got annoyed. A large
sign proudly proclaimed “Chemical Free
Potatoes”. One day I stopped and located
the farmer, but his position was: “I don’t
put chemicals on my potatoes, so them’s
chemical free”. I might be the Professor of Biochemistry at
the nearby university, but his potatoes remained, unarguably,
non-chemical.
Pret A Manger produces excellent sandwiches, but they come
in a wrapper which states: “Traditional, well sourced, sustain-
able, chemical-free, unadulterated goodness.” I wrote to them
complaining of the nonsensical use of “chemical-free” – the
response was less than satisfying.
I have worked mainly as a teacher of the deaf in Cornwall working with
pupils from 3 to 22! I currently work to support pupils in KS2 and KS3. Not long ago, the manufacturers of an organic compost
Sarah Wardle, Somerville College 1981 claimed in a TV advert that it was “100% chemical-free”.
Despite complaints, the Advertising Standards Authority
I went to IBM, held several General Management roles where I managed defended the advert, claiming: “when there is a colloquial
over 1500 people and $3B in revenue, became CEO of an Internet understanding of a word, we can take this into account when
Security start-up, and am now a Board Member, Adviser, Mentor, reaching our decision.” The Royal Society of Chemistry’s re-
Speaker. Val Rahmani, Somerville College 1975
sponse was to offer £1M to anyone who could come forward
Chief Executive of a FTSE 100 company followed by almost ten years as with a material that was truly chemical free. No successful
Chief Executive of one of the UK’s largest charities from which I retired in applicants to date!
2013. Peter Hollins, Hertford College, 1966
And so it goes on. Readers will probably have encountered
My last job was as a Facilities & Real Estate Manager for an American similar examples of chemophobia and a failure to appreciate
multinational, managing corporate offices from St Petersburg to that everything around us, including ourselves, is chemical.
Johannesburg, from London to Lahore and all points in between. What can be done? Schools, universities, industry and indi-
Lynn Scales, Magdalen College 1980 viduals all have a role, but changing public misunderstanding
is no easy task. Are we just to wring our hands and accept
I am on my third 3-year term as Pro Vice Chancellor of University that the thing we all love – chemistry – is to be so maligned
of Swaziland. It’s a job that requires SOLUTIONS everyday! So my
Chemistry training is very valuable!! and demonised? Please contact me (pdjw@btinternet.com) if
you have any good ideas.
Victor Mtetwa, Oriel College 1980
Chemophiles – to the barricades!
Ski Instructor - I swapped commuting to the City for hopping on a chairlift David Weitzman, Oriel 1954
surrounded by snow-capped mountains and being paid to do something
I love every day, splitting my life between the Swiss Alps and the little
known Snowy Mountains of Australia.
David Leonard, St Peter’s College 2004 To learn more about our Alumni Programme, benefits,
and upcoming events including the annual Chemistry
Agricultural scientist researching & introducing new technologies with Christmas Reception, please visit http://alumni.chem.
global perspective. People need food and environment conservation! ox.ac.uk and join our group on LinkedIn.
John Pidgeon, St Peter’s College 1964

15
Periodic
The Magazine of the Department of Chemistry