Student profiles

Profile photo of Lianxu Lin

At the University of Sheffield, you have the opportunity to take a new step forward in life. Be courageous and be independent with your thoughts.

Liangxu Lin PhD Engineering Materials

Since graduating in 2014 with a PhD in Engineering Materials Liangxu Lin has had a number of roles in academia before starting their position of Professor at Fujian Normal University in China. In their current position they lead a research group, undertake their own research and supervise other researchers. Liangxu Lin’s research is looking at surface and interface phenomena of two-dimensional materials and applications of electrochemical functional devices, material discovery and application expansion.

Profile photo of Owen McGann

The material which I learned, the skills obtained and the people that I met have all been and continue to be instrumental, in my ongoing career.

Owen McGann UG Chemical Physics, MSc Nuclear Environmental Science & Technology, PhD Nuclear waste vitrification

After completing their PhD Owen started working at Glass Technology Services through a KTP (Knowledge transfer partnership) between GTS and the University of Leeds. This introduced Owen to the area of photonic glass materials. Once the KTP finished GTS employed Owen on a permanent basis and over the following eight years has risen to their current position leading the R&D work in the area of photonics. Owen has been involved in a wide range of interesting and impactful research work while at GTS.

Elizabeth Davis-Fowell

There are people from all walks of life and every culture I can think of and it makes it a fantastic place to work

Elizabeth Davis-Fowell Rare-Earth Free Bulk Permanent Magnet Alloy Development

This Pride Month, we spoke to Elizabeth about her experiences in the Department. She graduated as a Physicist, but always had an interest in materials physics. Having spent some time with 'nuclear binmen' in Scotland, she now develops new magentic alloys for electric cars.

James Mansfield

I’ve studied in lots of unis/departments, but I’ve found this department in Sheffield to be the warmest and most welcoming of the lot!

James Mansfield Immobilisation Science Laboratory

To celebrate Pride month, we talked to James about his research and his experience of being part of the growing LGBTQIA+ community in the department. James is working towards his PhD in researching how glass dissolved over long periods of time to understand how nuclear waste may be safely disposed of. His project is about "Long-term Glass Behaviour Testing In Action + some other stuff (LGBTQIA+ ??)”

Chris Morris - CDT student

Proper science means you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. At first that can be a bit scary, but your experience will guide you through.

Chris Morris Currently a member of the Centre for Doctoral Training for Nuclear Energy Futures

Chris studied Materials Science with Nuclear Engineering and has gone on to join the Centre for Doctoral Training in Nuclear Energy Futures.

Zena Jehad Wally

We've really enjoyed our time here and bringing up our children in the city

Zena Jehad Wally PhD Materials Science and Engineering

Zena and her family moved to Sheffield from Iraq so that she could research small-scale 3D printing for her PhD.

Betül Aldemir Dikici - PhD Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

The beauty of working in science is that no two days are the same

Betül Aldemir Dikici PhD Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Betül won a scholarship from the Turkish Ministry of Education to undertake a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering in Sheffield under the supervision of Dr Frederik Claeyssens.

Serkan Dikici

I chose tissue engineering because it has a tangible impact on human beings

Serkan Dikici PhD Engineering Materials

Serkan came to Sheffield from Turkey to carry out his PhD. His research includes developing synthetic and natural tissue-engineered constructs.

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