Niamh

Hi, I`m Niamh.

I have worked as a research scientist on new research making low cost solar panels and on batteries for electric cars. I`m a STEM ambassador and have delivered practical sessions in schools from age 7 to 18.

My qualifications: Two Master`s degrees and a PhD (1st Class Hons in MChem in Chemistry, University of York, Distinction in MSc in nanotechnology, University of Leeds and PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds). 4 A-levels, 12 GCSE`s.

Availability: Before school, after school, evenings, weekends, school holidays.

Willing to travel: 15 miles

Experience: I love explaining science to anyone who crosses my path, so I have done lots of activities with the public, talking about my own research and other science. I have spent time in schools with kids of all ages, taking some lessons and designing activities.

I am friendly and approachable, so people I have worked with from children to adults have felt really comfortable asking me questions. I`m creative in finding different ways of explaining things until I find one that really sticks. I will find an explanation that makes sense to you.

I make what seems like a disparate list of stuff in the GCSE and A-level Chemistry syllabus relevant to real life, drawing together different parts of the curriculum. Some chemistry crosses into physics and with my physical chemistry and physics background, I am happy to draw connections between chemistry and physics. I`ve worked in a range of research labs (7 so far) so can link the syllabus to real-world research.
I use a range of resources, the best is pen and paper, but I also find YouTube videos, pictures and online articles for you to read or look at outside of our sessions.

It is hard to learn a topic without knowing why something is important, so I will tune my examples to your interests. When you get in touch, please let me know why you would like to learn chemistry. For instance, I have a tutee who wants to go into medicine, which is great, because I can talk about relevant examples.