Profile
Katherine Smith
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About Me:
I am a physicist who has worked on researching and developing various new devices and technologies. I live in Oxford with my husband and two children. In my spare time I enjoy canoeing, photography, cooking and reading.
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I did maths, physics and chemistry at A-level then did a degree in physics at Oxford. My first job was at Sharp Laboratories of Europe in Oxford (part of the Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp) as a research scientist on semiconductor technologies. I worked on various lighting emitting devices and solar cells before moving across to a new battery research group being set up on sodium ion batteries. I then worked at Johnson Matthey (a UK chemicals company) making cells and testing their new battery materials to develop and improve them. I now work at AMTE Power (a UK cell manufacturer) developing new battery technologies.
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I have worked on a wide variety of projects and enjoyed different things about each them. The projects include red and blue lasers for DVD players (a long time ago when these were still new!), LEDs for white lighting, quantum dot LEDs, solar cells, lithium ion batteries and sodium ion batteries. I have had lab based roles making all of the above devices where I developed and improved them, but also managed projects, labs and patents linked to the technologies.
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My Typical Day:
Working with engineers, technicians, electrochemists, marketing to make sure all parts of bringing a new product to market are working, and working jointly with other universities and companies on new areas to develop.
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I only started my new job a month ago so I’m still learning the new role and every day is different. I am currently developing two new products and days would consist of deciding what data a customer would be looking for to buy our products, putting together a testing plan and timeline to generate the data, check we have the people, materials and money to carry out the work. Working with the other product managers to make sure all our plans fit together. Check the results and make changes if needed to improve the products and plan the next stages of work. Next stages can be short term for the next test to be run or long term looking at the factory plans we would need to make the products successful in really large numbers.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
But some electronic kits to run a science day at my local primary school.
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Education:
Rainford High, Rainford 6th Form, Oxford University.
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Qualifications:
GCSEs: English, English literature, maths, physics, chemistry, biology, history, German, design and technology, food technology
Alevels: Pure Maths, Applied Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Studies
MPhys Physics Master degree.
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Work History:
Sharp Laboratories of Europe: research scientist, senior researcher, research supervisor, lead researcher
Johnson Matthey: Senior researcher, application test hall manager, electrochemistry manager
AMTE Power: Product manager
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Current Job:
AMTE Power: Product manager
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Device physicist
What did you want to be after you left school?
Science researcher
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not much
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Magic theatre
What's your favourite food?
Sushi
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Never start on the three wishes, all the stories suggest you’ll only end by asking to put everything back to how it was before.
Tell us a joke.
A mathematician walked up to a bar and said I’ll have a pint, and a half pint and a quarter pint and an eighth of a pint. The barman put two pints on the bar and said “let me stop you there, the problem with you mathematicians is you never know your limits.”
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