Hassan Baig, Research Fellow

"When I started at the ESI, it was completely new and we just had empty spaces in our lab. As time progressed we began adding newer equipment within our labs and currently, I am proud to say that the solar laboratory at the ESI is home to world-class pieces of equipment to carry out your research. Developing the solar laboratory at the ESI has been a very unique learning experience in its own.

During my PhD I won the Impact Award within the Sustainable Futures category for my research work. After completing my PhD I started working as a research fellow within the Clean technologies research group. This gave me an interesting opportunity to work closely alongside both national and international researchers hosted at the ESI hence enriching my experience beyond my own research agenda.

The open office culture at the ESI is one of its most prized possessions. Allowing people to interact and share their ideas freely enabling new science to emerge from cross-collaboration among people. The ESI attracts several visitors which gives a very nice opportunity to speak to the general public and adds value to your research.

The Tremough Innovation Center which largely forms a link between the industry and the academia is placed just next to the ESI. The support from the TIC has been very crucial towards broadening my research mindset and understanding the needs of the industry. The ESI cafe is an amazing space bursting with people with different expertise.

After working for last two years I thought of doing a spin-out company based on my previous research. I successfully managed to conceptualise solar squared a multifunctional glass block with integrated solar energy technology. The ESI has supported very much in encapsulating the idea into and actual product. They offered me a very strong support towards marketing the product and reach it to the wider public."

Daniela Farina, Lab Manager

"I started working as a research technician in the ESI first with the Costal Pathogens team, and later with prof. Angus Buckling. After three years, the restructuring of the Technical Services gave me the opportunity to become the laboratory manager in the ESI. My daily duties include health and safety implementation, smooth operation of the labs and solving problems, preferably before they arise.

My personal mission is making sure that the ESI labs are a place where the structure and organisation of the lab facilities promotes natural collaboration rather than incites conflict. Achieving that in such a multidisciplinary environment is a challenge, but thanks to collaborative spirit of ESI researchers we manage to pull it off!"

Mark Plummer, Senior Administrator

"I started working in the ESI when we first opened as the Institute’s receptionist and am now the Senior Administrator. This progression was possible due to the opportunities and encouragement afforded to Professional Services staff in the University to learn and develop ready to apply for roles with greater responsibility. Working in an interdisciplinary environment like the ESI gives a broad and varying experience and means you get to work with and meet lots of interesting people. My day-to-day tasks can be as various as budget management, organising events, helping new members of staff, compiling reports, community outreach and updating websites. Being part of the ESI means that you are at the centre of the campus as we try and be a focal point to bring people together in interdisciplinary research."

Katie Shanks, David Clarke Research Fellow

"When I first arrived at the ESI to start my PhD in solar energy, it was within its first 2 years of opening and there was only a small cohort of us stretched across the various disciplines. So at lunch time our conversations ranged from the impact of light pollution on moths, through the effect of climate change temperature increases on bacteria all the way to the measurement of wave energy and how that translated to surfer slang. It was this subtle exposure to other areas of research that made me want to do interdisciplinary work and through a colleagues recommendation after a presentation I gave in my first year I began discussions and work with Prof. Richard Ffrench-Constant within the Biosciences department on the potential solar concentrator basking properties of the cabbage white butterfly. Since then I have tried to branch further out to work with other collaborators from different disciplines, including artists and local glass crafters who have now started their own enterprises (Art and Energy, Upcycled Glass Company) which I help direct. The ESI has a creative exchange programme to facilitate collaborations between artists and researchers which has really helped me expand and strengthen my connections with others. I’ve always thought research required a strong combination of logical and creative thinking in order to make exciting breakthroughs towards a more sustainable future and hope more people take advantage of this approach. I have recently been awarded an EPSRC David Clarke Research Fellowship to investigate bio-inspired optics for solar concentrator technology, in the challenging attempt to make solar energy more efficient, compact and integrated into everyday structures and smart tech. I work within the solar energy group, led by Prof. Tapas Mallick and Asif Tahir and plan to continue showcasing interdisciplinary research and its benefits, for the researcher as well as the research fields, as much as possible and this career path wouldn’t have been possible without the ESI environment. The ESI in my opinion takes the most challenging first step for interdisciplinary research to be possible, which is simply making other research more visible and accessible to all disciplines, in an informal and encouraging environment which increases those chances of having the right conversation with the right people on the most impactful topics."