Behind the lab specs – careers in battery science
A new video series put together by chemists at the University of Birmingham showcases careers in the battery industry.
By Lizzie Driscoll
Behind the Lab Specs is an interview series currently focusing on the individuals involved in the (Li-ion) battery industry. The project initially began in June 2021, where Faraday Institutions interns: Zoe Wright, Emily Hanover and Hannah Blakiston (University of Birmingham) got the camera rolling. Since November, the episodes covering the different individuals involved in this sector have been gradually released on the "Birmingham Batter Bunch: PRSlaterChem + EnergyMatGroup" YouTube channel.
The series asks questions typically asked by school students to the professionals, with the aim of inspiring school students of the possible careers within this sector, as well as informing the wider public of the different challenges ongoing with this technology.
Most importantly the series is for breaking down the stereotypes associated with the individuals working in the sciences – where you don’t necessarily have to be wearing a lab coat to be involved, and to humanise everyone – we are regular people who have hobbies on top of working in batteries.
This project has been supervised by myself, along with Prof. Peter Slater, Prof. Emma Kendrick and Dr Pooja Goddard. The series is an ongoing project, edited by PhDs within the Birmingham Battery Bunch – their bios are also available in the video description and the project is set to continue this summer!
Start the journey of Li-ion batteries with your students now.