ChemEd-Ireland 2023

The day will be officially opened by the head of the TCD School of Chemistry Prof Graeme Watson, closed by the TCD Dean of STEM Prof Sylvia Draper and will include national and international speakers in chemistry, and chemistry education.

Our Academic Plenary Speaker is Dr Michelle Browne, who is a Young Investigator Group Leader at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (Germany) and a L’Oreal UNESCO for Women in Science UK & Ireland Rising Talents Alumni. Dr Browne is a Dublin City University Analytical Chemistry undergraduate and received her PhD in Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin. Michelle will talk to us about her work developing the next-generation electrocatalysts for hydrogen production including the hydrogen economy and her journey through her career in electrochemistry.

Our Keynote Speaker is Professor Serena Cussen, who is the Head of Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield and also runs the UK's Faraday Institution project for next generation cathodes for lithium-ion batteries (FutureCAT). Prof Cussen will provide us with an overview of the need for clean energy storage, new battery technology, and how research at large facilities can help on the road to Net Zero. Prof Cussen is the 2023 recipient of the Royal Society of Chemistry interdisciplinary prize.

Our Education Plenary Speaker is Dr Claire Murray who is a chemist, science communicator and educator in the fields of crystallography and citizen science, leading numerous initiatives for schools and the general public. She is interested in creating more open and inclusive conversations about science, with a focus on highlighting that everyone can enjoy science. This talk will provide an overview of her work in education and public engagement, including the Project M citizen science schools experiment, the Diamond Light Source board game, the Breaking Bias textbooks project and more.

We will also be joined by Chris Llyod from the Scottish Schools Education Research Centre to talk about safety in the lab, and Humphrey Jones from the Irish Science Teachers Association (ISTA) to talk about lab design. There will also be representatives and speakers from the Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) project, the PDST (Oide), the Virtual Labs project and others throughout the day. There will be posters on display from teachers and PhD researchers during the breaks and we will also have stands from across the chemistry education spectrum.

Workshops will take place either side of lunch:

• Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI)
• DIY Make and Take Chemistry Instruments
• Royal Society of Chemistry Ireland Microscale workshop
• Teaching Chemistry through Irish
• PDST Workshop

All ticket prices include tea/coffee with snacks in the morning and a full hot lunch. Attendees will also receive electronic copies of all resources and talks after the conference. Certification of attendance will also be provided.