13-19 Chem Admissions news.qxp_Chem news 14/02/2019 17:52 Page 3 Chemistry Admissions February 2019 NEWSLETTER Outstanding League Table Results for 2019 The Department of Chemistry was placed 3rd in both the latest ‘Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide’ and ‘The Guardian University Guide’. ¬ The Times and Sunday Times league Department receives 97% table is derived from official data from the Research Excellence Framework overall satisfaction in 2018 NSS 2014, the Higher Education Statistics Chemistry at York confirms its place at the top of the Russell Agency and this year’s National Student Group in the 2018 National Student Survey (NSS) results. Survey, and also takes into account factors such as graduate prospects and This year the Department received 97% in ¬ Teaching on my course (94%) social inclusion. the ‘Overall Satisfaction’ category, an even ¬ Learning opportunities (94%) higher result than 2017. The Department was placed first in eight out of the nine ¬ Organisation and Management (95%) areas within the Russell Group, including ¬ Learning Resources (93%) ‘Overall Satisfaction’, ‘Teaching on my course’ and ‘Learning Community’. ¬ Learning Community (90%) We were delighted to achieve over 90% ¬ Overall Satisfaction (97%) satisfaction in six of the areas: ¬ Published annually, the Guardian’s University Guide ranks 121 UK The Gold Standard universities by undergraduate degree The Department of Importantly, the policies subjects according to satisfaction with Chemistry has been developed as part of the course, teaching and feedback; student featured by The Royal Athena SWAN initiative to staff ratio spend per student; entry Society of Chemistry in an benefit all staff members. tariff; career after six months of leaving article promoting initiatives As Dr Caroline Dessent, the course; degree results compared to to support diversity in the Chair of the Departmental entry qualifications; and continuation workplace. The Athena SWAN gold Equality and Diversity Committee, points of first year students. award, held by the Department since out in the article: 2007, recognises our commitment These rankings round off a brilliant year to advancing the careers of women This has been really important in for the department, making the top six in in higher education and research. keeping the support of all of the all three major UK league tables. The article discusses specific initiatives department’s staff over the last including family-friendly working, a decade and has led to inclusivity, which flexible working guarantee, a part-time goes far beyond the original remit of working assurance, pay gap analysis and Athena SWAN and aims to provide a unconscious bias awareness, and gives welcoming environment, which actively examples of how the environment within supports all members of the department, the Department has been transformed. irrespective of gender, sexuality, disability, ethnicity or background. 13-19 Chem Admissions news.qxp_Chem news 14/02/2019 17:52 Page 4 Chemistry@York February 2019 Drilling down into final year research opportunities Our staff talk about our final year projects – how they are organised and what is involved BSc Chemical MChem MChem MChem Communication Year Abroad Year in Industry Year in York N Projects R We support students in Our recruitment process Our research projects are m Our BSc research projects various ways both prior to, for year 4 placements 'real world', open-ended c give our students the and during, placements at starts in the Summer Term and as tailor-made and f opportunity to do an a university abroad. of year 2. A handbook is individualised as possible. l original piece of work, Students in years 1 and 2 issued containing details By the end of year 3, many covering a wide spectrum are invited to attend of at least thirty regular students will have clear, of different types of information sessions at placement companies. informed ideas about their research, from the the start of each academic Students research these research interests/future synthesis of novel year. This gives an overview companies to find out the plans, and we offer and compounds, to designing of the programme and sort of chemistry they do support a wide range of new analytical methods, to what students need to and their location projects supervised by completely non-lab-based do to prepare. Students (companies are based academic staff. projects. interested in spending a throughout the UK and year in a country where some in western Europe). We start the process with One option for our final English is not the first At the end of the Summer an introduction session, year BSc chemistry language are encouraged Term students select their early in Spring of year 3. students who are to take part in language 8 favourite companies and Students then explore considering a career such courses via the LFA register their interest in opportunities for projects as teaching, is to (Languages for All) the scheme. by talking with academic undertake a Chemical programme. The staff. If students have Communication project in Department covers the After the summer exams suggestions of their own, place of a more traditional fees for these courses for we organise CV writing we are usually able to lab-based research project. students enrolled on the and interview sessions so accommodate these. At There are two styles of MChem(Abroad) scheme. that students can brush up the end of the Spring project to choose from. on these skills. Over the Term, students submit four One is school-based, in At the end of year 2, vacation, students prepare project choices, in order of which a student spends a students submit their CVs/supporting letters for preference. Typically, we minimum of ten days preferences for the their chosen companies assign at least 90% of across two terms in a local different destinations/ and submit these at the projects according to first secondary school, research topics. The start of year 3. The or second preferences. observing and helping MChem(Abroad) Department attaches a When oversubscription with (mainly) chemistry coordinator works with reference from the College issues arise, the module and other science lessons. students during year 3 to tutor, then forwards this coordinator brokers the The second style of project organise nominations for information to the best possible alternatives involves designing and placements. The focus is companies, who hopefully between students and running an outreach event on finding placements offer our students academic staff, but we for visiting school groups. and research projects that interviews, starting in never assign projects that The activities that the fit with students’ interests. October. New companies did not feature on the participants take part in Although some usually become available students' project choices. are based on areas of destinations can be throughout the year. chemistry research at the oversubscribed, the Assignments are usually University of York. Department uses a It is a competitive process completed around the transparent/fair system and we cannot guarantee middle of the Summer The chemical to make decisions on every student will secure a Term, when the module communication projects nominations. It is usually placement (students will coordinator shares all have been running for 13 possible to secure always have the choices and final years, and several of our placements for most opportunity to complete assignments to ensure former students are now students interested in the their MChem degree at maximum transparency. teacher mentors for our programme at one of the York if they change their Students are asked to current cohort. If a student destinations they are keen mind or if they don't contact their project is considering teaching, to visit. secure a placement) – on supervisor(s) to discuss the this is an excellent way for saying this, we typically latest developments/plans, them to dip their toe in The coordinator offers place around 50 students and collect reading for the the water to see if this is support to students per year. summer, to prepare for a the career for them. preparing to spend year 4 smooth start in the next C abroad, with assistance Dr Brian Grievson academic year. S Dr Annie Hodgson from our Centre for Global n Programmes. Dr Angelika Sebald d c Dr John Slattery th de www.york.ac.uk/Chemistry 13-19 Chem Admissions news.qxp_Chem news 14/02/2019 17:52 Page 5 Chemistry@York February 2019 Making artificial metalloenzyme assembly reversible A new anchoring strategy enables a synthetic catalyst to be bound strongly, yet reversibly, to a protein scaffold, thereby developing an artificial metalloenzyme that benefits from recyclable components. Artificial metalloenzymes combine a reactive synthetic metal catalyst with a highly selective and biocompatible protein scaffold. In this way, they can combine the New hope for cold cure beneficial features of both – performing synthetic reactions with new levels of selectivity. In Researchers have lab-tested a their latest research, the research team of Professor Anne Duhme-Klair and Professor molecule that can combat the Keith Wilson has developed a new reversible approach to combining these components. common cold virus by preventing it from hijacking human cells. Early lab-based tests with human cells have shown the molecule’s ability to completely block multiple strains of cold virus, and the team hope to move to animal and then human trials. The common cold is caused by York student a family of viruses with hundreds of contributes to variants, making it nearly impossible Research Science paper on to become immune to or vaccinate anti-cancer drug biosynthesis against all of them. On top of that, Highlights During his final year, Khoa Chung, an MChem the viruses evolve rapidly, meaning (Industry) undergraduate student, was they can quickly gain resistance to involved in a project at the John Innes Centre, drugs.