New Perspectives in Science Education
Thomas Anderson
Institution: University of Sheffield
Country: United Kingdom
Tom Anderson is currently Senior Tutor and Level 1 Lab Director at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Sheffield, a member of the United Kingdom’s prestigious Russell Group of higher education institutions and winner of the 2011 Times University of the Year award.
Tom graduated with an MA / MSci degree in the Natural Sciences Tripos from the University of Cambridge in 2007, specialising in Chemistry. Having become interested specifically in the field of supramolecular chemistry during his master’s degree research project under Sijbren Otto, he then completed a PhD 2007-2011 under Jeremy Sanders on the role of chirality in the structure and properties of supramolecular organic nanotubes, including published research papers.
Tom taught undergraduates extensively during his PhD and, with a passion for teaching, chose to specialise in a university-level teaching-led career. He took up a post with the grade of Teaching Associate in the University of Sheffield Department of Chemistry in 2012, then was promoted to University Teacher grade in 2015. During this time he has taken on course leadership roles in practical Chemistry teaching for second- and then first-year students, as well as experience in lecturing, tutorial delivery and running skills projects. He has collaborated with colleagues at other institutions, notably the University of Liverpool, on sharing good practice and judging the appropriate responses to new technological possibilities in teaching. In addition to this, in 2018 he became the Department’s first Senior Tutor, focusing on pastoral leadership of the tutorial system and management of student issues – a role which has become even more important given the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tom has a particular interest in pedagogic research-led teaching practice and has received Advance HE’s Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) qualification for his work and practice. He has attended and spoken at a number of chemistry education conferences, including organising Sheffield’s hosting of VICEPHEC 2018 and presenting his research at EuroVariety 2019 at the University of Monash’s campus in Prato, Italy. He has conducted research into how first-year Chemistry teaching should change in response to reforms to England’s university-precursor A-level qualification, as well as social changes to generations of student (the ‘digital natives’ debate). This research was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and has since been expanded to take in how best to respond to the challenges of online teaching and Covid-safe practical lab teaching. He will be presenting some preliminary findings at this conference.
Outside of Chemistry he is also a published author of historical and speculative fiction, and in 2018 a short story he co-wrote with Canadian collaborator Bruno Lombardi, “N’oublions Jamais”, was shortlisted for the Sidewise Award.
Areas of expertise: Organic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, biological chemistry, practical chemistry teaching, higher education, e-learning, pastoral leadership, student engagement, history.
Tom graduated with an MA / MSci degree in the Natural Sciences Tripos from the University of Cambridge in 2007, specialising in Chemistry. Having become interested specifically in the field of supramolecular chemistry during his master’s degree research project under Sijbren Otto, he then completed a PhD 2007-2011 under Jeremy Sanders on the role of chirality in the structure and properties of supramolecular organic nanotubes, including published research papers.
Tom taught undergraduates extensively during his PhD and, with a passion for teaching, chose to specialise in a university-level teaching-led career. He took up a post with the grade of Teaching Associate in the University of Sheffield Department of Chemistry in 2012, then was promoted to University Teacher grade in 2015. During this time he has taken on course leadership roles in practical Chemistry teaching for second- and then first-year students, as well as experience in lecturing, tutorial delivery and running skills projects. He has collaborated with colleagues at other institutions, notably the University of Liverpool, on sharing good practice and judging the appropriate responses to new technological possibilities in teaching. In addition to this, in 2018 he became the Department’s first Senior Tutor, focusing on pastoral leadership of the tutorial system and management of student issues – a role which has become even more important given the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tom has a particular interest in pedagogic research-led teaching practice and has received Advance HE’s Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) qualification for his work and practice. He has attended and spoken at a number of chemistry education conferences, including organising Sheffield’s hosting of VICEPHEC 2018 and presenting his research at EuroVariety 2019 at the University of Monash’s campus in Prato, Italy. He has conducted research into how first-year Chemistry teaching should change in response to reforms to England’s university-precursor A-level qualification, as well as social changes to generations of student (the ‘digital natives’ debate). This research was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and has since been expanded to take in how best to respond to the challenges of online teaching and Covid-safe practical lab teaching. He will be presenting some preliminary findings at this conference.
Outside of Chemistry he is also a published author of historical and speculative fiction, and in 2018 a short story he co-wrote with Canadian collaborator Bruno Lombardi, “N’oublions Jamais”, was shortlisted for the Sidewise Award.
Areas of expertise: Organic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, biological chemistry, practical chemistry teaching, higher education, e-learning, pastoral leadership, student engagement, history.
