Hi everyone,
my name is Leanne and I am very excited to have been appointed as the 2022/2023 ED&I Fellow in the Department of Materials!
As a first-generation university student and a woman in STEM, I have developed a strong sense of commitment into improving the culture within STEM subjects from personal experiences as well as those of my peers. I believe it is vital to celebrate the diversity among us whilst also pushing for societal and systemic shift in the views, values and beliefs we hold. During my PhD I pioneered events on mental health and Women in Materials Science which I hope to carry on at Oxford. As well as this I hope to learn about the inequalities faced by my fellow colleagues that I do not face personally, and being the best ally I can be.
I am currently a postdoctoral researcher here in the Department of Materials with Professor Rob Weatherup, where I will be looking into the electrocatalytic performance of 2D materials and their integration with metallic nanoparticles. I will be using X-ray spectroscopies to characterise the electronic structure as well as performing electrochemical measurement in order to understand the relationship between the reaction mechanisms, chemical state of the electrocatalyst, and their stability under reaction conditions.
Outside of work I enjoy going for long walks in the countryside (that usually end up at a pub), reading history books, spending time (probably too much time) playing animal crossing, and visiting my family back in Wales.
I am based in the Rex Richards Building and I am more than happy if anyone wants to come by for a chat about any ED&I issues, or just a chat in general.
