Author: jonwoodscience

On average, how much time do you commit to STEM Ambassador activities? 

I work full time in a university and they support my ambassador activities up to a point. However, I love doing STEM ambassador activities and rarely decline them. Sometimes the activities can spread over a few days, such as at the Big Bang Fairs and similar festivals. Yet, others can just take an hour. Remember that you can share something inspirational in two minutes and sometimes, that’s all that is needed. Continue reading “The STEMNET Case Study (part 4)”

What inspires you or enthuses you about your work, and / or about STEM?

For my own STEM activities, I gain inspiration from a number of sources. Never underestimate experiencing how other ambassadors go about their craft; seeing how they breakdown and demonstrate the fundamental and often complex aspects of our universe. Other inspiration comes to me from the vast history we have available to draw on. I love how simple the early forays into experimentation were conducted, often from the romantic period and that of the enlightenment. It often makes me wonder why it took us so long to grasp these elegant and beautiful fundamental principles as I demonstrate their simplicity. Continue reading “The STEMNET Case Study – Part 3”

Question 2: What pathway did you follow to get to where you are? What courses of study, or qualifications did you need?

As the first year to take GCSEs, I took the maximum eight and got all grades, ‘B’s and ‘C’s. But from there, my path is not a usual one. I eschewed taking A-levels to work for two years, but it meant I had a car before my peers had gone back to start their AS levels. However, science still beckoned and I began work as a Medical Laboratory Assistant in the Microbiology department of the Manor Hospital in Walsall. Continue reading “The STEMNET case study (part 2)”