Emma Pewsey
Comment and careers editor
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.
CareersWhen will funders take action on PhD and postdoc conditions?
Campaigns in the UK, Ireland and Canada await announcements
- Careers
A more reasonable view of workplace adjustments
Normalising giving people what they need to do their jobs well
- Careers
Academics around the world protest fee hikes and budget cuts
Financial difficulties affect researchers at all career stages
- Careers
Financial challenges faced by PhD researchers around the world
Many are protesting stipends that see them work for below minimum wage
- Careers
More guidance makes job and university applications fairer
A question-based format helps candidates prioritise what to tell recruiters
- Careers
PhD students should be classed as employees
With planned stipend increases barely covering increased costs, postgraduates need better employment protections
- Careers
Ethical decisions in the workplace
Employees who feel secure should challenge unethical employers on behalf of their colleagues
- Careers
PhD students don’t need second jobs – they need paying above minimum wage
Recommended minimum stipends for UK-based PhDs failed to match inflation since 2005, exacerbating the current cost-of-living crisis
- Careers
Break down barriers by explaining jargon
Journal publishers should do more to help researchers communicate clearly
- Opinion
Susan Solomon: ‘We had to literally stand out on the roof’
The atmospheric chemist on battling the elements in Antarctica and preserving the integrity of science
- Opinion
Supawan Tantayanon: ‘I designed my own portable lab’
The green chemistry pioneer on making labs safer, designing a portable lab and her unusual way of cooking
- Careers
When you can’t tell the whole truth in a job interview
We can’t expect interviewees to open up about themselves if that puts them at risk of discrimination
