Jonathon Speed MChem, 2010

PhD student

Hi, I'm Jonathon Speed and I studied MChem within Chemistry at the University of Southampton.

I went straight from my undergraduate degree into my PhD, because I knew the department was friendly, how things worked, and that some of the best academics in the country are here.

I decided to study at Southampton partially because the course sounded interesting, both accessible and challenging at the same time; but mostly because the staff seemed so friendly, and the welcome on my UCAS day was extremely warm and genuine.

I found the course to be very varied in its content, covering all aspects of chemistry for the first two years, before allowing me to specialise towards the end of my degree. The tutorials and workshops offered by the department were extremely useful, and they made sure I understood the lecture material, whilst allowing me to think for myself too.

I got involved in the outreach side of chemistry from my first year, where I helped out with National Science and Engineering Week, and have been taking part ever since. The chance to engage with the public and help to drum up more enthusiasm for chemistry amongst them was both a very rewarding and enlightening experience. So much so that I’m now looking for a career in outreach and impact.

Southampton never really felt like a large stereotypical city, so I never felt lost or intimidated by it. It feels very much like a collection of villages and towns linked with a central shopping area, and as a result there’s a very student-heavy area, with all the student friendly pubs, restaurants and cafes.

I went straight from my undergraduate degree into my PhD, because I knew the department was friendly, how things worked, and that some of the best academics in the country are here. I did research into spectroscopy, which is used to determine the characteristics and identity of molecules and I did a lot of work with nanostructured metals as well, which is cutting edge at the moment.

A PhD is very different from an undergraduate degree, mostly because you are responsible for everything. You have to manage your own time, order your own chemicals, maintain the lab and equipment, and sort out conferences, visits, etc. It’s a bit of a shock when you first start, but you become quite experienced fairly quickly. My PhD gave me many transferable skills, as well as an in-depth knowledge in my field, that I hope to use in the future for science communication and public engagement.

I’m currently looking for jobs in public engagement, outreach, and the impact of chemistry in the real world, and am currently working as an outreach specialist for Chemistry. I’m even in contact with the BBC over making a television programme based on trying to use science to do real-life magic!