Emma Pewsey
Comment and careers editor, Chemistry World
One of the best things about being a materials scientist is that you’re a bit of everything: chemist, physicist, engineer – in some cases even a biologist. As a result, I’ve spent my career blending chameleon-like into all kind of situations.
My early dreams of winning a Nobel Prize were scuppered by choosing to do a PhD in corrosion science (which, let’s face it, is never going to be cool enough to win mainstream awards). The experiments were fun; writing and talking about science was more fun. Academic working culture as I understood it then – long, lonely hours striving to succeed on a competitive career path – was not fun at all.
As my project looked at the corrosion of metal implants inside the human body, I figured that qualified me as a biologist and entered a biomedical writing competition. I won, which triggered a series of fortunate events that led me to join the Features team of the open-access biology journal eLife in 2014. In my time there my interest moved away from the plain-language summaries of research I’d originally been employed to write, to various issues affecting research culture: open science, working conditions, support for early-career scientists (inside and outside academia), how to fix a system where you’re fortunate to get a permanent job before the age of 35.
In 2019 I joined Chemistry World as comment and careers editor, where I get to explore those topics – and much more! It’s nice to pretend to be a chemist again.
CareersLong hours are a short-term solution for skills shortages
Instead, we need to invest in making careers more attractive
CareersSlow progress reforming academia creates its own generation gap
Requirements from funders and hiring committees have a cultural influence
CareersLosing a job can make you question who you are
Our identity becomes tightly linked with our work
CareersSeven musicians who you might not know are chemists
From experimenting in the lab to experimenting with sound
CareersWhen should you declare your feelings for a colleague?
The importance of keeping HR informed about workplace romances
CareersHelping others is hard to incentivise, but an important part of work
Voluntary assistance is the most valuable kind
CareersResults of the RSC’s 2023 Pay and Reward survey
Financial and mental wellbeing are linked as many chemists feel the effects of the cost-of-living crisis
CareersMandatory events aren’t relaxing
Giving employees options for how to de-stress is better for preventing burnout
OpinionWunmi Sadik: ‘I still see myself as the young girl explaining chemistry to my mother’
The interdisciplinary innovator on moving beyond silos and communicating the real-world impact of chemistry
CareersWhen will funders take action on PhD and postdoc conditions?
Campaigns in the UK, Ireland and Canada await announcements
CareersA more reasonable view of workplace adjustments
Normalising giving people what they need to do their jobs well
CareersAcademics around the world protest fee hikes and budget cuts
Financial difficulties affect researchers at all career stages