Dr Julie Hyde

Q&A

What would be your advice to educators who are working with colleagues going above and beyond, but are yet to nominate them for an RSC Education prize?
Awarding prizes recognises people’s hard work and expertise. Being a prize winner helps people become recognised nationally, helping with their career and progression. As educators we get the chance to see excellence in our colleagues, supporting and nominating them where possible is important.

How did you first become interested in chemistry or science?
From an early age I was interested in science and keen to learn, and my father encouraged me to carry out simple experiments with him in our shed from a young age. Dad gave me an inspirational book he had been given as a child, “101 Experiments for Boys”, even though I was a girl, and it contained experiments I had not seen before. Both of my parents encouraged me to carry out simple experiments at home. Unfortunately, I was not able to study chemistry at school, as at the time in my school it was not really considered appropriate for girls and other subjects were considered more valuable. Leaving school I gained a position as an analytical chemist in a large chemical company and studied part-time. How wonderful: every day there was a chemistry set waiting for me, with new experiments all of the time. Colour experiments particularly attracted me, and EDTA titrations got me hooked!

Who or what has inspired you to have a role in education?
Mum often said that I would make a good teacher, as from an early age I helped with the local Cub pack, however I was not confident with the idea of being a teacher. My first industry role helped because I was quickly part of a team who trained new graduates when they joined the company. This role helped inspire me to take a full time BSc in chemistry and during this time, I tended to be the student my peers asked for help about practical chemistry techniques as I was experienced from my previous industry training. After my degree and once again in a technical role, I found myself training others, which helped me decide to study for a part-time PGCE, teaching part-time and eventually moving into full-time teaching. My teaching career has been inspired by students and other colleagues thanking me by saying they enjoyed and understood my sessions.

What motivates you?
Being able to help students, trainee teachers, teachers and colleagues develop their practical skills. My motivation is the drive to share my love of chemistry with others and inspire them so they can share chemistry too and promote it to others. More chemists are needed and as a team if we can all do our bit, the next generation will be keen to study or work in the field. This motivates me.

A particularly motivating moment has been when each of the TransNational Education (TNE) Sheffield/Nanjing Tech degree students graduated with their joint degrees. It is satisfying to see our students develop their chemistry and English language skills over three years in China then graduate in year four confidently in Sheffield. This is the start of their future career, and being a part of the team to help them through their professional journey was truly amazing.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
Ask your teachers, technicians, friends, and family about chemistry as a career. Write to the RSC about chemistry careers, who may be able to guide you to valuable information, and attend local events where possible. Try to get as much exposure and experience in chemistry as possible by helping out with extracurricular school activities such as open evenings, supporting younger year groups and local youth groups, and writing to local industry or universities to get some work experience. After GCSEs select Chemistry A-level or study on a vocational science course with a view to making an application for a degree at university, or take on a technical chemistry apprenticeship in industry.

How have your students inspired you?
I am inspired by my students gaining their qualifications and progressing into chemistry or chemistry-related careers. Sometimes it is not the most academically gifted, but the students who struggle, also gaining qualifications and following a scientific pathway. I am very inspired by students who offer to help with the outreach activities through my work or RSC roles. It is great to see students several years later becoming significant in the field, and reminds you that you were able to help their development. One such moment was an ex-A-level chemistry student being my local pharmacist and telling me they really enjoyed chemistry taking them onto the pathway to pharmacy. This is inspirational and encourages me to continue to help out! It has also been rewarding to see my GTAs gaining the Further Higher Education Academy (FHEA) awards, which is a big achievement for them at this stage of their careers, and a great progression for their future careers. Also, seeing many of these GTAs in significant educational or industrial roles themselves is inspirational.

How can good science education support solving global challenges?
Developments over the last few decades mean that science education now focuses on achieving outcomes but using more environmentally friendly processes that will be safe and economical for workers in the field. Making sure young people are educated in these developments will generate modern scientists who will be thinking outside of the box, solving problems with new and innovative ideas.

Why is chemistry education important?
Chemistry is fun and challenging but can inspire the next generation with its exciting practical activities! I believe that chemistry is a central science because many related careers such as forensic science, pharmacy, biomedical science, biology, physics, materials, chemical engineering and of course medicine need a good grasp of chemistry. It is therefore important that chemistry is a strong subject at school and university to ensure a workforce with a strong scientific background for the future.

What has been a highlight for you (either personally or in your career)?
A highlight for me has been the opportunity not only to teach chemistry at all levels but even more to deliver extra-curricular activities that will attract people to study chemistry or the chemical sciences. I have been able to do this through the RSC and my employers, allowing me to share my chemistry locally, nationally and internationally. The RSC has allowed me the opportunities to set up groups such as the Secondary and Further Education (SaFE) group to enhance the development of educators, as well as sit on a number of diverse committees. A huge privilege for me was to be asked to develop and deliver a three year laboratory programme in English for the Sheffield/Nanjing Tech Universities joint BSc. This led to me teaching in China for approximately three months per year for eight years, and it was amazing to see the Chinese students finish their BSc in their final year alongside the Sheffield cohort. Not only was this a fantastic opportunity, but I was able to take our PhD students as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), giving them the opportunity to teach alongside me, and giving me the opportunity to mentor them to gain their Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA) awards. Many of the GTAs themselves have progressed into teaching careers in school or higher education.

What has been a challenge for you (either personally or in your career)?
To be recognised as a competent chemist in industry or education I have always had to go that extra mile, and take on extra duties to prove my ability as a chemist. I have always been able to do this successfully in every chemistry position I have carried out. Although I was not able to continue for a PhD at the time of my first degree, a fantastic opportunity was given to me whilst teaching to study part-time for a research degree at the University of Sheffield. Balancing a job and part-time study was particularly challenging, but I gained my PhD in Organometallic Chemistry and Crystallography. This opportunity then allowed me to follow a career path that would not have been possible without a second degree.

How are the chemical sciences making the world a better place?
In 2024 the world is a different place, and scientific research and new innovations have allowed us to carry out different and more sensitive analysis leading to significant advances. Environmental chemistry and medical treatments are finding new ways to help live in a better environment and find cures for cancers and medical issues. The world is constantly changing, and the chemical sciences need to be big players for the future.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science / education?
In most advances in education, industry and research settings, it is necessary to work with a variety of people both inside and outside of chemistry, so being good team players is important. As educationalists we can develop team-working skills from classroom activities and through vocational activities that relate to real-life challenges in the workplace, building teamwork before HE or employment. My personal motto throughout all of my teaching is that “no person is an island”, and the more this skill is developed means that together we can make bigger differences, so start early!

Who or what has supported you in your career as an educator?
My family, always! They have always been there for me understanding the demands of my roles, particularly whilst working in education. Supporting me through the challenging times and the good times, understanding my work requirements, marking for long hours, working away, and working abroad, they have always been supportive. My managers, for having the faith in my ability to be successful over the years, and more recently giving me challenging opportunities such as managing the China laboratory programme and GTAs. I have always appreciated the RSC for allowing me the opportunity to carry out my voluntary work, enabling me to inspire new generations of chemists and colleagues, and for having the confidence in me to start up a new interest group. Also, the chance to liaise with other educationists and industrialists nationally and internationally through RSC meetings and conferences has been great!

What is your favourite element?
Purple is my favourite colour so my element must be iodine. Heating that shiny lilac solid turns it into a lovely purple gas, and if the gas reaches a cool surface, beautiful purple crystals are formed (sublimation). Also, iodine has many other valuable attributes, and for me, helping my thyroid to function. If I was asked about my favourite molecule, it would be mauvine, the beautiful purple dye discovered by W H Perking over 100 years before I was born, without which I would not be able to wear my purple lab coat!