Why did you choose to do a Masters at York after undergraduate study?

I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do after my undergrad, but I knew I loved sustainable chemistry. Fortunately, having done my undergraduate at York, I was quite lucky to be able to stay and specialise here. A key thing that drew me to the course was the balance between taught material and research. I knew I still wanted to keep learning but also spend more time in the lab, and at the time of writing this I get to go in almost every day!

Everyone in the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) is super friendly. I’ve joined Green Impact outside of my studies, which has helped me to contribute to sustainability more widely and impactfully (and been a great CV booster!)

I also love being part of a smaller cohort. When I first started at York as an undergraduate there were close to 300 of us. Now being specialised as a postgraduate there are less than 20! You get to know and work with everyone throughout the year. Our year group have organised pub trips to socialise outside of uni.

What do you like about the course?

I love how diverse the content on the course is. As well as learning about the fundamentals of green chemistry, we apply its principles to chemical engineering, education, patent law and formulation science. We even got to visit Croda and make our own body creams! At the start of the course I really didn’t know what I wanted to do after. Now I have exposure to so may different sectors it’s given me a clear idea of where my career is going. I’m lucky enough to have secured a grad job exactly where I want to be!

What research are you doing?

There are such a wide range of projects to choose from in the GCCE. From looking at valorising food waste to sustainable polymers to cleaner synthesis. For my undergraduate research project I looked into utilising coffee waste for dye adsorption, but now I have chosen to do a lot more synthetic chemistry. I am currently looking at creating a solvent guide for allylation reactions using greener solvents. Allylation reactions are widely used to create precursors to pharmaceutical products, so a more sustainable method to their production is vital.

Any tips or advice for people starting a Masters?

It is definitely a different experience to undergraduate study, but there is so much support so always ask for help when you need it. And make the most of it! Join new societies and meet new people outside of uni, you’re still a student after all.