Achievements

We have  many prestigious awards and accolades for both our teaching and research success. Here is a selection of our most recent achievements.

Fellows of the Royal Society

Malcolm Levitt, Professor of Physical Chemistry and Phil Bartlett, Professor of Electrochemistry are our two elected Fellows of the Royal Society within the department. Professor Levitt was elected in 2007 and Professor Bartlett in 2012.

Athena SWAN success signals new beginning for gender equality

Chemistry at the University of Southampton has been awarded an Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) Silver Award , recognising its continuing efforts to support the career aspirations of female chemists, eliminating gender bias and promoting opportunities for all. This is the first Silver Award to be awarded at the University.

Southampton ranks among best in Europe for chemistry researchers

Research in chemistry at Southampton is among the best in Europe, according to a prestigious European ranking. Southampton is one of only 13 UK universities listed in the Centre for Higher Education Development's (CHE) 2010's Excellence Ranking of European graduate programmes in chemistry.
The ranking compares the best European university research facilities for prospective master's and doctoral programme students. It is the second time the CHE has recognised Chemistry at Southampton - it was also awarded Excellence Group status in the inaugural CHE rankings in 2007.

Honours for three Chemistry professors

Professors Phil Gale , Jonathan Essex and Malcolm Levitt have all been honoured for their achievements in Chemistry. Each has received prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Awards for their work over the last two years.

Jointly funded by the Wolfson Foundation and the UK Government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the awards recognise talented scientists of outstanding achievement and potential.

Blue plaque for Chemistry Building

The Royal Society of Chemistry has awarded a blue plaque to Chemistry at Southampton. The National Chemical Landmark award celebrates the 40th anniversary of the discovery of a technique that has revolutionised science.

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, or SERS can detect tiny quantities of molecules, a technique that can assist in crime scene forensic analysis, drug detection, or establishing the origins of works of art. It was discovered in the 1970s by Southampton professors Martin Fleischmann, Patrick Hendra and Jim McQuillan.

News: The ground-breaking discovery that continues to change the world of science

Teaching excellence and innovation

Dr David Read , former School Teacher Fellow, now Head of the Education Group is a passionate educator and received the RSC Higher Education Teaching Award in 2010 in recognition of his efforts. The award was presented for David's 'commitment and leadership in innovation at the schools-university interface'. The RSC runs the award scheme to recognise individuals who demonstrate outstanding teaching skills and excel in the development of innovative materials and methods for use in higher education. David also won the prestigious Association for Learning Technology Award for his development of video tutorials, in collaboration with Professor Richard Brown. David leads a team of highly committed teaching fellows, who play a key role in delivering an innovative programme of education which inspires our undergraduates to fulfil their potential.

In 2013, Dr Sally Bloodworth , won Outstanding Lecturer within the department, and Dr Paul Duckmanton , a Senior Teaching Fellow in inorganic chemistry won for his Contribution to Academic Support. The Education Group has a national profile, with members regularly attending conferences to give talks and deliver workshops. Members of the Education Group contribute to the success of Chemistry at Southampton in many different ways. A good example of this is the work of Dr Thomas Logothetis, Senior Teaching Fellow and Laboratory Manager, who last year was pivotal in the installation of state-of-the-art equipment to dramatically reduce water usage in the teaching laboratory. During the academic year 2013/14, the Education Group will be engaged in a range of exciting education research projects, aimed at improving the learning experience for students as well as tackling some of the key challenges facing the chemistry education community.

Professor George Attard from was winner for 'Innovative Teaching’ at the recent University of Southampton Students’ Union Excellence in Teaching Awards 2015 .

Glassblowers recognised for excellence

Our in-house glassblowing service has been recognised for its excellence at the annual British Society of Scientific Glassblowing (BSSG) event. The Southampton team participated in a series of competitions to test their capabilities and won a number of awards. The University’s glassblowing workshop provides a full design and manufacturing service for complex scientific glass apparatus, including work with electrochemical cells.

News: Southampton glassblowers make a baby

Electrochemical research accolades

The achievements of emeritus professor, Derek Pletcher , in the field of electrochemicals were rewarded with the 2010 Vittorio de Nora Medal and Prize from the US Electrochemical Society. The award recognises ‘outstanding contributions to electrochemical engineering and technology directed towards the utilisation of electrochemical phenomena and processes’. Derek’s research has resulted in over 300 technical papers being published in international academic journals, and he has supervised the training of over 90 postgraduate students.

Phil Bartlett, Professor of Electrochemistry, has been awarded the Giulio Milazzo Prize by the Bioelectrochemical Society, recognising his contribution to science. He will receive the prize and deliver a lecture at the Society’s bienniel Symposium in Malmö.

Southampton researcher meets Nobel Prize winners

Postgraduate researcher in Chemistry Nathalie Busschaert got the chance to discuss latest developments in science with Nobel Prize winners at an exclusive event in Germany this summer for the world's best young scientists.

The 63 ^rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting brought together 625 students from 78 countries with 34 of the distinguished scientists for a week long programme of lectures and discussions.

To read more please follow this thin: The 63 ^rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Key facts

Chemistry's degree programmes have been accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), rating them highly in terms of intellectual challenge and the competence that they impart to graduates.

The Academic Rankings of World Universities (ARWU) Top 100 list has rated Chemistry at Southampton as one of the top 75 chemistry departments in the world.

100 per cent of our research has been rated world leading or internationally excellent for the research environment we provide to staff and students (REF 2014)