Profile
Ilija Rasovic
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About Me:
I live and work in beautiful Birmingham. I’m a materials scientist and engineer who also loves music, sport, history, geography… and much more!
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My family is from different parts of the former Yugoslavia, a country that was violently torn apart by civil war in the year that I was born. It gives you a certain perspective on life! I was born in Birmingham and grew up not far away in a beautiful part of the West Midlands—it’s a nice feeling to be back working here. Most simply, I would say I’m a curious person, which is a great trait to have to be a scientist. But my interests extend far beyond the lab! I’ve always loved reading (whether fiction or learning about history, geography and philosophy) and am obsessed with both music and sport. I’m a classically trained pianist but, since completing Grade 8 just before I left for university, I’ve spent much more of my time gigging in jazz and funk cover bands. And I drove up to Scotland once to buy an accordion! Which I’m now obsessed with. As for sport, growing up I would be running around and playing something every single day. Whilst I love watching almost any sport on TV, I continue to play competitive tennis and wish I had more time for my two other loves: football and basketball.
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My Work:
I’m a Lecturer in Materials and Natural Sciences at the University of Birmingham.
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It’s a varied, fun and busy job! I don’t spend much time in the lab any more but spend much of my time teaching university students, organising research projects, and doing lots of work in science communication and public engagement. I have an unusual contract in that I split my job between the University of Birmingham’s School of Metallurgy and Materials, and its Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences (LANS) department. LANS is a fascinating place to be as I teach students who have the opportunity to learn in more than just one subject area. As a materials scientist and engineer with keen interests in other disciplines, I wish I could have done this degree when I was an undergraduate student!
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My Typical Day:
I wake up, eat my breakfast, and get to work for 9am. My day is mainly spent teaching, meeting, reading and writing. No two days are ever the same! In the evening I’ll go to the gym or for a swim or for a game of tennis, before heading home and enjoying my dinner.
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The best thing about my job is that it is constantly so varied! Whilst I do have to deal with the boring things like lots of emails, I will then spend my time teaching, speaking to and working with interesting, interested, and intelligent people. I love it!
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I’m developing a game for school pupils that will teach them about the scientific process of making nanomaterials through engagement with different sports: football, rugby, netball, basketball and tennis. The £500 will help me buy lots of the equipment needed for this!
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Education:
I went to my local primary school before getting a generous scholarship to The King’s School Worcester. I will forever be grateful to my parents for their efforts in working to put me through that as that school truly gave me the confidence that transformed my life. I got a place at Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford, to read for an MEng in Materials Science (this is a four-year undergraduate degree) before doing my DPhil (what is known in most places as a PhD) in Materials at St Cross College, also in Oxford.
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Qualifications:
GCSEs: the options I chose were History, Spanish and Latin, alongside 7 core subjects.
A levels: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, French
Undergraduate degree: MEng Materials Science
Postgraduate degree: DPhil Materials
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Work History:
Many of the most important experiences in my personal development have been because of the numerous jobs I did alongside my studies from the age of 16 in order to make enough money to get by. There is no substitute for the experience of hard work! From the summer after my GCSEs until the end of my second year at university, I worked every school and university holiday next to my dad on the shop floor of a small engineering firm. I bought an Xbox 360 with my first paycheque from this job, it was so exciting and so satisfying! For the same time period, I was on the books of a catering company for whom I did ad hoc work behind bars and waiting tables. Waking up for a 6am start at Cheltenham Races on New Year’s Day is something I’ll always remember… During my undergraduate studies I worked as a fundraising campaigner for my College; I also worked nights behind the library issue desk and summers as a maintenance worker and summer school porter. My first taste of work that I couldn’t have got without my university education was as a summer intern at Jaguar Land Rover after my final exams. You don’t get much money as a PhD student and so I supplemented my income with lots of teaching and tutoring jobs—it was tough to balance everything! But all those experiences ultimately helped me in landing my first full-time job as a Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, which is where I am now.
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Employer:
University of Birmingham
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
curious materials lecturer
What did you want to be after you left school?
Owner of my own business
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not often but occasionally!
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Entrepreneur
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Muse
What's your favourite food?
Pizza!
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
I wish I had houses in all the places in the world I'd like! I wish I were as fit as a professional athlete. I wish I ran a successful café where all my friends and family hang out and where brilliant musicians would play every day!
Tell us a joke.
My attempts to combine nitrous oxide and Oxo cubes made me a laughing stock (credit to Olaf Falafel)
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