Chemistry Admissions February 2012 NEWSLETTER 2012 League Tables We achieved an overall score of 90.3% (ranked 7th) for Chemistry in the Times A flavour of success Good University Guide 2012. The league We hope this newsletter will give you table bases its rankings on student a flavour of some varied highlights in satisfaction, research quality and what has been a highly successful graduate prospects and it highlighted year for Chemistry@York. the excellent performance of The Department of Chemistry in various Our achievements include the award areas including student satisfaction of a number of high profile research and entry standards. The Guide notes: Artist impression of new student accommodation at grants in areas including atmospheric, Langwith college on the Heslington East campus. materials and biological chemistry. We Teaching Laboratory and Green Chemistry The University has done well in the are also proud of the numerous Chemistry Centre, providing world-class laboratory National Student Survey. York has staff and students, who have been awarded facilities for our students and researchers. finished in the top 30 universities prestigious prizes, and for the significant in all six years of polling. Archaeology, academic achievements of our students Outside of Chemistry, the University is making biology, chemistry, molecular biology, – for example, last year, over 84% of our rapid progress in expanding Heslington East, biophysics and biochemistry, and physical MChem students achieved a first or upper with a new college and sports village geography and environmental science second class Honours. scheduled for completion in July 2012, all produced particularly high levels and the £20 million refurbishment of the of satisfaction in the 2010 result. The results of the latest National Student university library (on Heslington West) will For 2012, the Department of Chemistry Survey, (NSS) showing student satisfaction also be complete this year. The refurbished at York consistently features in the levels of 99%, confirm that York is one of library will offer a range of 21st-century top-seven across a number of other the very best places to study Chemistry. technology and media-rich learning, league tables including The Independent Indeed, admissions to Chemistry@York is teaching and research environments. Complete University Guide 2012, buoyant and our 2011 entrants achieved The Guardian University Guide 2012 a record high average tariff score Chemistry@York is an and Times Good University Guide 2012. (equating to A-level grades of AAA). exciting and dynamic place in which to work Our new building programme is well and study. Come and advanced, with the second phase of the see for yourself! Second Place Dorothy Hodgkin Research Building due for in the NSS completion in May. This will be followed by Professor Richard Taylor, construction of an exciting new spacious Head of Department In the 2011 National Student Survey (NSS), the Department of Chemistry confirmed itself as one of the very best places in the UK to study Chemistry. Overall student New Chemistry buildings satisfaction levels of 99% demonstrate The University has initiated a £16.5 million phased redevelopment of the Department a massive vote of confidence from our of Chemistry. New state-of-the-art facilities are being provided for both research and students. With a 91% average satisfaction undergraduate laboratories. The first stage of this exciting development involves the score across all questions on the survey, completion of the Dorothy Hodgkin Research Building at a cost of £6.5 million, providing York was one of only five departments to additional accommodation for about 100 researchers. Following completion on this building break the 90% barrier – well above the in May 2012, in a second development, a new two-storey building will be constructed. average score for Chemistry departments On the ground floor, state-of-the-art teaching laboratories will provide outstanding of just 83%. Students indicated high levels professional-standard training facilities for the scientists of tomorrow. On the upper floor, of satisfaction in all areas of the survey, the building will house our Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, a world leading and in particular ranked York in the top 5 research centre which aims to promote the development and implementation of green UK departments for teaching quality, and sustainable chemistry and related technologies into new products and processes. academic support and the quality of assessment and feedback. Combined with data from the Research Assessment which indicated that 75% of all research in the department was internationally excellent, the third best result, the NSS helps confirm York as one of the elite UK Chemistry departments. The Launch of Chemistry Admissions Feb 2012 Chemistry@York Chemistry Awards Bulletin Board Students applying for an undergraduate Chemistry programme for entry in 2012 Ewald Prize or 2013 now have access from point of Professor Eleanor Dodson shared the ninth application, to a new, distinctive VLE site Ewald Prize for the enormous impact made called ‘Chemistry@York’. in the area of structural crystallography. Invaluable contributions to the computational Prospective students access the site via side of the field mean that daily, all over the a username and password. The site has world, thousands of crystallographers are been developed specifically to form an profiting from their excellent achievements. early engagement with students during the crucial decision-making ‘1–in–5’ stage Vice Chancellors Awards and provides a unique insight into life as a Chemistry student at York. The site Supervisor of the Year The following VC awards were awarded to addresses four key areas: A “Supervisor of the Year Award” from the department last year: ¬ the University of York Students Union The Athena SWAN team in Chemistry ¬ Application Information (YUSU) was awarded to was awarded a Gold Award for ¬ Dr Avtar Outstanding Achievement in the Our Courses Matharu in 2011 and presented at a ¬ Careers and Employability special ceremony by the Deputy Vice Inclusivity Category ¬ ¬ Featured Items Chancellor, Professor Trevor Sheldon. The Green Chemistry team were In total, our students nominated seven awarded a Gold Award for Outstanding Chemistry supervisors for the award. Achievement in the Sustainability Category ¬ Professor Simon Duckett (Chemistry) and Professor Gary Green (Psychology) were awarded a Gold Award for Analytical Prize Outstanding Achievement in the A York Undergraduate Chemist Katie Barnes Excellence Category won the Royal Society of Chemistry Analytical ¬ The Chemistry Undergraduate Prize for 2011 for her significant achievements Admissions Team were awarded in the area of analytical Chemistry. a Silver Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Excellence Category Royal Society Honour Professor John Goodby Eliahou Dangoor Sponsorships in research into liquid crystals,who has specialises been We are proud to announce that four of our elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, one of first year Chemistry undergraduates have the world’s top scientific honours. Professor each been awarded one of the prestigious Goodby’s research focuses on the use of Eliahou Dangoor sponsorships. The liquid crystals in a range of high technology sponsorships were created by Dr Naim For example, under Our Courses there is applications, including large area flat panel Dangoor to give talented students the detailed information on our diverse and displays, microdisplays, sensors, imaging opportunity to study science, technology, innovative range of teaching methods devices, biomedical materials, surface engineering and mathematics subjects at and small group college-based teaching. coatings, and smart adhesives. Last year, leading universities in the UK, including York. Fellowships were also awarded to We have also included a typical student week and 5 videos along with lab scripts, Professors Robin Perutz and Gideon Davies. quotes from current students on each of the four main themes and screencasts Departmental explaining how our tutorials and Wellcome Trust Fellow Vacation Bursaries Last year the Department initiated a new workshops support our students Professor Sir John Holman appointed Senior Fellow in Education at scheme that offers up to 10 bursaries for our throughout each year of their studies. has been the Wellcome Trust, to advise the Trust undergraduate Chemistry students per year, on education policy and strategy. to undertake an 8–10 week research project over the summer vacation. The scheme is open to students who have completed their first or second year of studies, and it offers RSC Environment Prize them the opportunity to work in a research Professor James Clark received the Royal group of an academic member of staff of Society of Chemistry’s Environment Prize last their choice. As well as the opportunity to year. Professor Clark views waste as future further develop their practical skills, our feedstock – he is interested in making students learn more about a specific area chemicals, fuels and materials from chemical, of modern Chemistry, and receive £100 food and other wastes, solving both the per week. Projects from last year included problems of increasing waste and decreasing “Doing a lot in one-pot: a radical approach A still from our ‘typical week’ video resources. The award recognises Professor to shogaol and related ketones”, “Stay cool: The creation of the site has been fully Clark’s “fundamental and