Postgraduate Student Demonstrator
Provide academic support for chemical engineering undergraduate students during lectures, seminars, tutorials and experimental sessions, as well as marking coursework and tests, for the following modules and academic activities:
• MEng Research & Development Project, Level Masters, Year 4: created research projects for students based on my own PhD work, and provided training and supervision for the students to be able to work independently, effectively and safely.
• Design & Professional Skills A and B (DPS), Level Intermediate, Year 1: including Technical Drawing, using AutoCAD to create equipment parts, Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) and Pipe and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs). Also guided students in the preliminary design of a styrene plant, involving material and energy balances for various unit operations, plant costs and drawing equipment, as well as considering safety and loss prevention regulation;
• Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer & Thermodynamics (FTH), Level Intermediate, Year 1;
• Chemical & Biochemical Processes (CBP), Level Intermediate, Year 2;
• Computing for Design (CfD), Level Intermediate, Year 2;
• Laboratory experiments on the temperature control and pressure variation in fluidised beds, gas absorption in batch stirred tanks, temperature and flow control in heat exchangers, flow and pressure drop control in tubes, flow and power input control in insulated pipes;
• Product Design Exercise (PDE), Level Intermediate, Year 2: helped students to formulate a novel product, including all aspects of its production, such as technical specifications, manufacture, marketing, health and safety and regulations.
Chemical Engineering Peer Mentor
Offer advice about the School of Chemical Engineering, the courses available, facilities, laboratories, staff, areas of expertise and research groups to postgraduate students and potential applicants.
• Support undergraduate students who have been awarded a Research Experience Bursary, and are undertaking a research placement over the summer vacation;
• Help students prepare for and reflect on their research placement, by reviewing their progress in planning, developing skills for, and undertaking their work;
• Raise students' aspirations about postgraduate research.
• Answer questions from prospective students in the Doctoral Researcher Enquiry Service (DRES) Centre, via e-mail and telephone. Advise applicants about the courses available, detailed programme overviews, the application process, writing postgraduate proposals, scholarships, accomodation, etc. Use Hobsons' Enrollment Management Technology (EMT) CONNECT CRM to manage student interactions and data;
• Represent the University on Higher Education Fairs throughout the UK;
• Use Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5 to create webpages for Schools and Departments at the University;
• Collate information for prospectuses;
• Participate in promotional photos and films and help to edit them, e.g.:
(1) Postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham;
(2) Staying Local - University of Birmingham;
(3) Meet our postgraduate students;
(4) Postgraduate Mentor Scheme - EPS.
• Help to organize, administrate and run Open Days, Higher Education Fairs, Applicant Visit Days, School Visits and Campus Tours at the University;
• Give presentations and advice to potential applicants and parents, from diverse backgrounds, about higher education, various aspects of student life, the facilities offered at the University, acting as their guide;
• Participate in promotional photos and films.
Website Content Editor
• Transfer, update and add Content to the University's website using Contensis Content Management System (CMS) as part of the Web Services Team;
• Involved since the launch of the new website, during the recent redevelopment of the web pages, focusing on projects to move the rest of the website across into the new brand and CMS;
• Work on staff and student profiles, courses, schools & departments, and mapping the old websites across the University.