Career streams from STEAM Fair

Look ahead Career streams from STEAM Fair Over 200 students from five Berkshire schools were lucky enough to hear molecular biologist, geneticist and television presenter, Dr Emily Grossman, deliver the inaugural STEAM lecture at Leighton Park School’s STEAM Careers Fair

Dr Grossman recently joined Astronaut, Tim Peake, as one of the nation’s two Honorary STEM Ambassadors and, using her phenomenal talents, she aims ‘to show people just how exciting science is, and to make it more accessible by explaining complex concepts in a fun and engaging way.’ Describing herself as a Science communicator, she uses her website to explain:

‘I’m an expert in molecular biology and genetics, with a Double First in Natural Sciences from Queens’ College, Cambridge and a PhD in cancer research. I also trained and worked as an actress and singer, and I now combine my skills as a science communicator, broadcaster, author, educator and trainer.

‘I talk about science on the TV and radio, I give talks in schools, universities and at live events, I teach maths and science, I write books and articles about science, and I help others to communicate clearly about their work.

‘I also campaign to increase diversity in science by encouraging more young people, especially girls, to choose careers in science. I am passionate about changing the perception of what it is to be a scientist and raising awareness as to the value of emotions in science and society. I enjoy sharing my own challenges and experiences as a woman in STEM in a way that might support and inspire others to reach their potential and attain their goals. I hope that I can be a role-model to young women.

‘I love bringing simplicity and clarity to others – that lightbulb moment when it all makes sense. I think of myself as a translator, a bridge between the scientific community and the public.’

Karen Gracie-Langrick, Leighton Park’s Academic Deputy Head, praised the talk as ‘a fascinating insight into recent developments in science, in particular biotechnology and transformative medicine. It was a very accessible presentation and left us all with a sense of awe, wondering what will be possible in the future. Emily is a strong female ambassador for women in science and a real inspiration to all the students who heard her speak.’

Sponsored by Cisco, the lecture offered a light-hearted but insightful overview of pioneering biotechnology under the humorous heading, ‘How to Build a Human.’ Hema Marshall, Executive Lead for Inclusion and Diversity at Cisco UKI, said, ‘Dr Grossman’s lecture was a fabulous start to this annual series. Emily is a wonderful and engaging STEM role model and the excitement of the students was great to see. I especially enjoyed the section on stem cells and how we could potentially re-grow our own body. Cisco is delighted to support this initiative as part of our broader commitment to encourage girls and boys to consider STEM careers’.

The STEAM Careers Fair is designed to offer insights into professions from across the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) industries. Visitors from Year 10 to the Upper Sixth at Leighton Park School, together with around

100 visiting students from The Abbey, Waingels, Emmbrook and St Joseph’s College, explored their opportunities through a series of workshops and seminars. Some of the UK’s best known STEAM organisations offered guidance and advice, including representatives from Unilever, Cisco, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and Costain. Academic partners, such as the Universities of Southampton and Reading, and apprenticeship advisors, such as Ask Apprenticeships, provided information and support on the various routes into STEAM related careers. Browsing the stalls, students had the opportunity to ask plenty of questions as they researched their options for the future.

Sami Kanza, Research Fellow at the University of Southampton, returned to the Park as an Old Leightonian, one of several who were keen to give back to the community that supported them through secondary education. Embracing the Quaker testimony of sustainability, Sami has found a niche that enables her to marry her values with her skillset. ‘My first degree was in Computer Science, but I do so much more than that now! I have teamed up with a Research Group led

by Chemist, Dr Jeremy Frey, and I’m involved in projects as different as maximising crop yield for African farmers and developing ways to improve health and safety within scientific labs. It’s all about using technology to make a difference.’ Dr Frey made the point that ‘it is as much an attitude as anything else. Start where your interest is for your first degree, and then consider what people and technology can achieve together. Use your knowledge in a broader way. Where you start does not have to be where you end up; it’s about using the skills you learn on the way.’

Miguel Calvo, another Old Leightonian, now at LINX Print, a sizeable commercial print company, agreed. ‘I work with a team of chemists, even though you might think that within manufacturing it should be a team of engineers. We do have engineers, but we also need to develop ink that dries instantly and is perfectly adhesive without being sticky enough to come off on the consumer or to stick the products together on the manufacturing line. We were the first company to develop our own touch screen controls for industrial printing equipment. That’s software engineering that we’ve pioneered even though we are printers, and we now provide tech support for our clients too. There are a huge number of STEM roles within STEM businesses that are not the obvious ones. I hope to inspire students to consider more of the options today.’

The careers event is one of a series of STEAM initiatives launched in 2017 by Leighton Park School, masterminded in conjunction with seasoned organisers and promoters of the ‘Big Bang’ brand, STEM Sussex. ‘Big Bang Interactive’, which takes place annually at Leighton Park School in March, was the first event of its kind to take place in Berkshire. Both of the Big Bang events contribute to the school’s bid to achieve official recognition as a Centre of STEM Excellence. Next year’s Big Bang Careers Fair will be on Monday 1st July 2019. Leighton Park School is a co-educational Quaker school founded in 1890, based on the seven principles of respect, integrity, simplicity, equality, peace, truth and sustainability