I have had a longstanding interest in science public engagement being involved in a range of activities. I work with the widening participation team at the University of Sussex to run physics workshops for young people to engage them with physics and research.
I have was the outreach co-coordinator for the ATLAS experiment from 2014-2019, working to communicate the success of ATLAS and provide educational resources to the public, students and teachers.
In 2015 I won the European Physical Society (EPS) Outreach Prize, for outstanding outreach achievement in HEP. (ATLAS article, ICTP article).
This is why I think science outreach is important:
- to inspire the next generation of scientists, who will be vital for technological advancement and addressing developmental and environmental issues;
- to disseminate current scientific research to the public, propagating scientific culture;
- to outreach to those that have less access to scientific research, in particular young people from groups poorly represented in the scientific field.
Here are some of my activities:
- As ATLAS outreach co-coordinator, my key contributions include developing and implementing the ATLAS communication plan, and developing the ATLAS Open Data project (note) which I continue to coordinate. You can visit the ATLAS Public Website, check out our Resources.
- I engage with young people from low represented groups, working with Widening Participation team at the University of Sussex in the local area, I also with h
igh schools in Norfolk where I grew up.
- I organise particle physics workshops and masterclasses worldwide for under/post graduate students (such as at the African School of Physics, and ICTP Summer Schools), and also for high school students including as part of the international masterclasses.
- I have been involved in various science festivals showcasing particle physics and ATLAS is particular, such as at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition, and the Brighton Science Festival.
Selected Public Lectures:
- “Exploring the mysteries of the Universe”, Guest Lecturer at the International Conference of Physics Students, Helsinki, August 2018.
- “An Introduction to Particle Physics”, CERN International teachers program, CERN, August 2017.
- “Understanding the Universe with ATLAS”, Keynote Speaker, Moogfest, Durham, US, May 2017 (article).
- “Asking the Big Questions: A Journey into Particle Physics”, University Liverpool, January 2017.
- “Back to the Big Bang: ATLAS and the LHC”, as part of the Ireland for CERN campaign, Trinity College, Dublin, March 2014.
- “Discovery of the Higgs Boson with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC”, Birzeit University, Palestine, October 2013, (article).
- “Back to the Big Bang”, University of Constantine 1, Algeria, May 2013 (poster).