The public engagement event Operation Isolate, a science-themed Halloween horror maze in collaboration with the local charity Health in Mind, ran for its 2nd year on 27th October 2018.

Congratulations to Rachel Fisher for the award of the William Darling Memorial Prize for her work in enhancing the reputation of the University.

Rachel, who has recently completed her PhD, was awarded this prize in recognition of her outstanding contributions to Public Engagement.

The Solar Spark team from the School of Chemistry (Victoria Porley, Sergio Adan, Nikola Zotev, Ellie Tanaka) delivered the Make it Glow! workshop at Dalkeith Library and Lasswade Library as part of the Midlothian Science Festival.

A group of 8 to 12-year-olds enjoyed making their own artistically beautiful sunlight traps (luminescent solar concentrators), learned about the wonders of light and solar energy through a mini-lecture, and explored the glowing effects of their sunlight traps using different light sources.

The School of Chemistry Outreach and Public Engagement team consisting of undergraduate (Yvonne Anderson, Mohamed Katish) , postgraduate students (Kelly Gallagher) and staff (Dr Anna-Maria Maciejuk and Prof. Eleanor Campbell), visited the Isle of Bute in September to take part in the Annual Baird of Bute Festival of Flight.

On the 9th of June, The Solar Spark team took part in the Fife Science Festival. We were involved in fun and inspirational talks with visitors about solar energy. We also talked about news from the research field and Professor Neil Robertson’s group's new discoveries in materials chemistry.

A group of undergraduates, postgraduates and staff have returned to Bute for the third time, to run science activities in the school and the town of Rothesay.

A small team of dedicated public engagement scholars and PhD volunteers spent a lovely Sunday afternoon in the local park as a part of the hugely popular Meadows Festival on the 3rd of June. Under the university banner, our team had the chance to share their love for chemistry with visitors from all ages.

Our Public Engagement scholars Ellie and Nikola took the Space Lab activity to Sciennes Primary on the 26th of May, during the Year of Young People Summer Fair.

Children were thrilled to explore the "alien" biopolymer cells under the microscope, find about the soil properties on Planet X, and see how the alien bugs come alive when they see the sun.

Following last year’s success, the School of Chemistry organised an image competition as part of their drop-in activities “Space Lab” at the Edinburgh International Science Festival in April (EISF2018).