Nearly two years ago, while attending admissions day in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, I was asked, ‘Why Chemical Engineering?’ That is also the question I will attempt to answer today, before beginning my second year at Imperial.

1.  ChemEng is everywhere

If you look around, you will see countless things whose production involved chemical engineers. From a plastic bottle on your desk, through cosmetics and medicines, to the fuel that your car uses – all those products involve complex chemical processes designed and improved by engineers. I see chemical engineering as a job full of opportunities – and of many diverse ones, as well.

Not only are there numerous industry sectors to work in, but also possibilities beyond the scope of ChemEng. For example, other areas of employment stretch across research, finance and management, as chemical engineering equips students with many useful transferrable skills, such as problem-solving abilities or analytical thinking.

2.      Chemical engineers can make the world a better place

It may sound like a slogan, but I really believe it’s true. Today’s society faces serious problems, some of which are caused by human activity. It is hard to ignore the changes in the natural environment and the problems such as climate change, but chemical engineers are here to find a way to fight it.

Nowadays, the focus in designing chemical processes is increasingly shifting towards environmental sustainability. Even our department has a carbon capture pilot plant, and when implemented on a chemical plant, carbon capture is aimed at reducing CO2 emissions. Chemical engineers can make production processes more eco-friendly and help to develop clean energy generation, which is crucial for today’s world.

 

Another big challenge of the 21st century is ageing society. It results in increased occurrence of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and many other types of illnesses. Subsequently, this increases the demand for various kinds of medicines, increases the consequent development of pharma industries, and thus, more opportunities for chemical engineers to benefit society.

 

3.      ChemEng is fun!

To be perfectly honest, this course can be challenging at times. But at the same time, I find it really exciting and rewarding. Its multidisciplinary nature is what makes it interesting; we study elements of maths, physics, mechanics, some elementary programming and different branches of chemistry. It is also a course full of practical work – lab experiments and group projects, which develop co-operation skills and the ability to solve real-life problems, but it is also a fun way to learn and to meet new people!

The most important thing is to enjoy what you study, and ChemEng is an ideal fit for those enjoying STEM subjects and willing to solve practical problems. And that is probably why I am so excited to come back to uni and start second year.

Cassie Sims is a PhD student and SCI early career member, sitting on the committees of SCI’s Agrisciences Group and Agrifood Early Career Committee. Read more of Cassie’s work at soci.org/news and soci.org/blog.

 

The SCI staff pass makes a change from the conference lanyards I am used to.

I am studying for my PhD as part of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and University of Nottingham Doctoral Training Programme (DTP). I’m currently stationed at Rothamsted Research, a research institute in Hertfordshire, studying insect olfaction, specifically in aphids. 

A DTP involves completing rotations in different labs, a variety of training days and an internship, alongside your PhD studies. The internship is expected to be three months working in a role not directly applicable to your PhD studies, and is designed to give you a break from the lab to explore different potential career options.

 

Working in digital media is a big contrast from my usual lab work.

When choosing where to undertake my internship, I was presented with a world of possibilities. There was working in industry, policy, marketing or for a charity. Prior to even considering an internship, I had done a lot of volunteering with the Society of Chemical Industry, being a member of their Agrisciences Group and Agrifood Early Career Committees. 

I had even previously written for the blog about experiences as PhD student. Having really enjoyed my prior work with them, it seemed logical to ask whether they would host me for my internship – and they said yes! I was accepted to do a three-month internship in the digital media team starting in January 2019.

My first month working with SCI has been a whirlwind of activity. There have been lots of opportunities already, from writing for the website and SCI Blog, to running their social media accounts. Recently, I was asked to help cover an SCI conference, which presented an entirely different experience to that which I had had with conferences before. 

The conference was on formulation – an area of chemistry I am completely unfamiliar with – and there was a wide-range of talks from academics to industry partners. It was a unique experience to listen to technical talks in something you have never studied, and the variety of real-world applications piqued my interest.

 

Commuting to London everyday takes some getting used to, but it is a privilege to work in such a beautiful building.

There are huge differences between working at SCI and Rothamsted. Aside from the obvious differences in the work, there’s the London commute, dressing smart, and most importantly, the exposure to the wide variety of science covered across the chemical industry. 

Coming from an academic science background, my brain has been filled with new knowledge, particularly in relation to the intersection of industry and policy, such as the Chemistry Council and Industrial Strategy. This new knowledge, along with my training in digital media, will certainly be beneficial to my future scientific career.