We handed the keys of @ChemCambridge to PhD student Sandile Mtetwa to celebrate the UN International Day for Women and Girls in Science. Mtetwa researches metallicity and sustainable fuels, and is a co-chair of the organisation Africans in STEM.
Some highlights of the day included:
Hi everyone. Sandile here! In commemoration of #February11 @WomenScienceDay I'll take you through my day as a #WomeninScience, share my motivation in chemistry and highlighting women I look up to in my field. pic.twitter.com/3fW0x1k0U0
— Cambridge Chemistry (@ChemCambridge) February 11, 2022
Today's work is photocatalysis experiments, part of my research in collab with @reisnerlab. I work with 'pretty' & 'colorful' materials called metal organic frameworks (MOFs) doped with organic dyes. I assess their activity for hydrogen evolution.#RealTimeChem #MOFs #hydrogen pic.twitter.com/Y6UMGlWwyo
— Cambridge Chemistry (@ChemCambridge) February 11, 2022
Update – checking the progress of an experiment that needs a week. Patience🧘♀️
This is part of my other research in collab with @MoghadamPeyman from @sheffielduni on conductive MOFs with potential application in toxic gas sensing. We use a dual theoretical - experimental approach pic.twitter.com/3mqFjNh9Hz— Cambridge Chemistry (@ChemCambridge) February 11, 2022
About Sandile
Mtetwa has been with the University of Cambridge since 2017 and arrived as a Gates-Cambridge Scholar. With an eye on increasing global access to clean energy, she joined Andrew Wheatley’s group studying metal-organic frameworks to increase the lifetime that electric charge can be stored in a structure.
Investigating these charge-carrying frameworks have many potential applications with implications for energy storage The team is hopeful for its application in semiconductor and conductor technology which would impact energy and sensing industries.
Diversity is a core driving force for Mtwetwa and she is a co-chair that founded the organisation Africans in STEM to address this. The mission is to highlight scientific contributions by Africans in STEM and create a network for collaboration and connection.
IUSOC Breakfast
For anyone wanting to celebrate Women in Science, our ChemSoc is hosting a breakfast on the 16th of Feb. Our current plan is to host a controlled table in the lobby to manage numbers, however, this will be complemented with online events.
This is part of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Global Women’s Breakfast. Hundreds of institutions around the world will also be celebrating women in chemistry and hosting these events to promote community across career levels.
Want to Takeover our Twitter?
A takeover is an opportunity for an ambassador to share their research to a new audience, inspire and communicate.
Do you want to know more about volunteering to curate your twitter takeover? Get in touch with news@chem.cam.ac.uk