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Staff Profile

Dr Paul Branch

Transition and Ogden Outreach Officer

  • Address: Rm. 3.03
    Mathematics, Statistics and Physics
    Hershel Building
    Â鶹´«Ã½
    Â鶹´«Ã½ upon Tyne
    NE1 7RU
Background

Background

After studying for an MPhys at Durham University I continued at Durham to complete a PhD. My PhD looked at experimental investigations of high temperature superconducting tapes under both tensile and compressive strain with a view to using them in the superconducting magnets used to confine fusion plasmas.

During my time as a postgraduate I found a passion for outreach and engagement, delivering sessions to various audiences, developing new resources and demonstrations, and organising events. Upon finishing my PhD I followed my passion for engagement taking a job as Regional Coordinator with the Institute of Physics, developing and delivering their regional programme of engagement activities, and managing their local stakeholder network, before moving to Â鶹´«Ã½ in my current role.

Outreach and Engagement

As Ogden Outreach Officer I am responsible for coordinating our physics outreach programmes. The overall goal of our programmes is to encourage more students to take physics at A-level and university by reducing the real and perceived barriers that prevent a student from feeling like physics is something "for me".

My responsibilities as Ogden Outreach Officer include:
  • developing, delivering and coordinating our programme of physics outreach activities
  • training undergraduate and postgraduate students to deliver our outreach activities
  • evaluating the impact of our outreach
  • developing our physics outreach strategy
  • lowering barriers, and providing guidance and resources to other members of the School interested in developing their own outreach activities
  • fostering an environment where outreach and public engagement is part of the normal activity of the School
  • working with other members of the faculty and university to coordinate our outreach efforts

Transition

As Transition Officer I aid the Stage 1 students in their transition from A-levels to university life. This includes pastoral and academic support for Stage 1 students, and monitoring their attendance and academic performance.

Publications
  • Branch P, Tsui Y, Osamura K, Hampshire DP. . Scientific Reports 2019, 9, 13998.