Profile
Franceska Waggett
-
About Me:
I am a scientist by day, and after work I enjoy playing hockey or piano, climbing with friends, or going for a long walk with our puppy 🐶.
-
My pronouns are:
she/her
-
My Work:
Fuel cells use hydrogen gas instead of petrol or diesel to power a car which is better for the environment as there is no carbon dioxide released! My job is to find the least toxic chemicals possible to make a fuel cell so it is as clean as possible for the environment!
-
Read more
A fuel cell looks like a sandwich, the slices of bread are 2 electrodes, and the filling is a membrane. Hydrogen gas, which is the fuel, is flowed onto one electrode, and air onto the other one.
The electrodes (slices of bread) are where the chemical reactions happen with the use of a catalyst to speed up the reaction. Electrons and protons are produced by these reactions.
The membrane in the middle of the sandwich lets the protons travel straight through it from one piece of bread to the other, but won’t let the electrons through. These electrons instead travel to your car to make it move!
Lots of different chemicals are used to make the electrodes and membranes in a fuel cell, and some of these chemicals are very good at their job, but are not very good for the environment. So my job is to find nicer chemicals to replace these toxic chemicals.
-
My Typical Day:
After walking the dog and having breakfast I head to work about 9 am. I will catch up with my colleagues then head to the lab to start my experiments. At lunch time, a group of us have lunch together and will go for a walk in the gardens, or play a game together. After lunch I might join in some meetings to share our lab results with each other, before heading back to the lab to finish my experiments. Every experiment is different, either using different chemicals or a new piece of equipment to see how well the fuel cell works with a new chemical in it!
-
My curriculum links
-
Education:
I went to Stroud High School in Gloucestershire from year 7 to year 11. Then I went to Wycliffe college sixth form to study my A-levels. I then went to Bristol university to study chemical physics for 4 years, and stayed there to do my PhD in colloid science for another 4 years!
-
Qualifications:
GCSEs: Maths, English (language and literature), Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Music, Geography, Spanish, Food technology, IT,
A-levels: Maths, Physics and Chemistry
AS-levels: Geography
Undergraduate degree: Chemical Physics
PhD: Colloid Science
-
Work History:
I finished my PhD right at the start of the COVID lockdown! So I didn’t find a job straight away.
I first went and worked for Unilever making anti-dandruff shampoo in the lab.
Then I decided to train to become a science teacher for a year. I loved it! But I really missed being in the lab doing experiments every day so I then got a job with Johnson Matthey research fuel cells, and now here I am!
-
Employer:
Johnson Matthey
-
My Interview
-
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
fuel cell scientist
What did you want to be after you left school?
Scientist!
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not really
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Data Analyst
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Radiohead
What's your favourite food?
Fajitas
Tell us a joke.
If the silver surfer and Iron Man teamed up, what would they make? Alloys
-