Francesca
Burgoyne
Pathway to
success
2012–present
Education executive,
Royal Society of Chemistry
Education executive
Philip Robinson introduces you to
RSC ChemNet's new team member
By day she is Francesca Burgoyne, the RSC’s new
education executive, looking after all aspects of
ChemNet. But by night she could be Ophelia, Juliet,
Elisa Dolittle or a host of others as she treads the
boards in theatres around Cambridge. It’s the perfect
balance of work and play(s) but there was a point, back
in secondary school, when she had to make a tough
decision: ‘I was torn between doing stage management
and biochemistry,’ Francesca recalls. It wasn’t easy
to decide, but a residential course at the University of
Nottingham sealed the deal: ‘Chemistry in the lab [at
school] seemed abstract but [at Nottingham] we did
a forensics course and I could see that chemistry was
real and an impact on everyday life.’
It’s a choice she has never regretted. ‘All my teachers
said that with a degree in chemistry I could do whatever
I wanted; the career prospects for chemistry graduates
are great.’ And Francesca has certainly proved them
right, with a career that has seen her working in
research, analysis, publishing and now education.
Transferable skills
Francesca studied chemistry at the University of
Edinburgh, ‘a beautiful city’, where she completed a
Master's degree. During her studies she continued
to sample real life as a chemist by taking a
placement year – working in pharmaceutical giant
GlaxoSmithKline’s labs as an analytical chemist. Her
final year research project – developing a biosensor
using carbon nanotubes – also gave her a taste of
life as an academic. But rather then tempt her into
the lab, these experiences made her eager to see
what else chemistry had to offer. And there was
plenty. ‘Chemistry gives you so many transferable
skills: analytical thinking, problem solving, time
management. You also have to be resilient, because
things don’t always work’. So, after graduating,
Francesca set about looking for jobs outside the lab,
but her resilience wasn’t required in this case – she
landed her first interview and moved to Cambridge
to join the Royal Society of Chemistry’s publishing
division. ‘I wanted to use my chemistry knowledge to
help in disseminating science,’ she explains.
Looking after ChemNet members
It is this passion for sharing knowledge that brings her
to her latest role as an RSC education executive, looking
after the resources, competitions and events available
to ChemNet members. And she couldn’t be more excited
about it. ‘The team organises a really great range of
events, from lecture tours to lab visits and quiz nights,’
says Francesca, one of which recalls her own decisive
encounter with chemistry: ‘It was a trip to a forensics
lab in Swansea. You became a criminal investigator for
a day and saw all the analytical techniques they use – it
was a really exciting day.’
Although acting remains only a hobby, the skills she
has learned on stage do come in handy (‘I can give
a really good presentation’) and she still harbours a
fallback plan for the future: ‘I used to belong to a youth
theatre company and one of the other members was a
chemist. We always said that if we got stuck, we’d start
a pyrotechnics company for theatre,’ she laughs.
2011–2012
Development editor,
Royal Society of Chemistry
2009–2011
Publishing editor,
Royal Society of Chemistry
2005–2009
MChem with a year in
industry, University of
Edinburgh
2003–2005
AS-levels in maths and
theatre studies. A-levels in
chemistry, English and
physics. Coloma Girls’
School, Croydon
Did you
know?
MChem courses last four
years. The first two years
are usually identical to
those of the chemistry BSc
course. The third and
fourth year typically
include more in depth
study and a research
project. MChem provides a
good basis for a career in
chemical science research.
Versatile chemistry
Francesca’s example shows just how versatile a career
in chemistry can be and she has some advice for
anyone feeling uncertain about their future: ‘I knew so
many people at school that knew exactly what they
wanted to do, but I didn’t. And that’s ok – just go out
and experience as many different things as possible
because you will find your niche.’
Mole
You can download The Mole at www.rsc.org/The
and copy it to use in schools
www.rsc.org/TheMole
January 2013 | The Mole | 5