Alumni

Save the date!

Meeting Minds, the Oxford Alumni Weekend, will take place from 11-13 September 2020.

The Oxford Chemistry Annual Reception 

Wednesday January 22nd 2020, 6-8.30pm

Professor Dame Carol Robinson, Dr Lee's Professor of Chemistry and President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, talked about her presidency of the RSC and her vision for the future of the chemical sciences.

The event was held  in the magnificent Science and Fish Rooms.  There were displays of cutting-edge work by Oxford Chemistry research students and a drinks reception hosted by Head of Chemistry Professor Mark Brouard.

Meeting Minds: the Oxford Alumni Weekend 2019 

Saturday September 21st, 4pm to 6.15pm at the Chemistry Research Laboratory

The UN designated 2019 the International Year of the Periodic Table in celebration of one of the most significant achievements in science and a unique tool that enables us to predict the properties of matter.   Chemistry alumni were invited to hear about exciting new developments in the chemistry of the elements – from creating better batteries to designing more effective drugs.

Speakers included Professor Simon Clarke, Head of the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, and Professor Simon Aldridge, Professor of Main Group Chemistry and the talks were followed by tours of the labs and a drinks reception.

The Oxford Chemistry Annual Reception, January 8th 2019

6.00-8.30pm, 8th January 2019 at the Apothecaries' Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ

This year’s event was held at the magnificent Apothecaries’ Hall in the City of London. 

 Professor Ben Davis FRS and Dr Emily Flashman gave short talks about some of their cutting-edge  research in plant-related chemistry.  The talks were followed by a drinks reception hosted by Head of Chemistry Professor Mark Brouard.

Saturday September 15th, 4pm.  Chemistry Teaching Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS

Alumni and friends of the Department visited the new state-of-the-art teaching laboratories to hear how the next generation of chemists will be enabled to address the challenges of the 21st century.   Speakers  included Professor Nick Green, Associate Head of Department (Teaching) and Dr Malcolm Stewart, Director of Teaching Laboratories.

6.30-8.30pm, 9th January 2018 at the Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE

Professor Chris Schofield FRS and researchers from the Department of Chemistry gave talks about some of their cutting-edge research in medicinal chemistry. The talks were followed by a drinks reception among the fascinating exhibits of the Medicine Now gallery, hosted by HoD Professor Mark Brouard.

Energy for the future: a series of short talks

Oxford Alumni Weekend, Saturday September 16th, 4-5pm, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory Lecture Theatre, South Parks Road, OX1 3QR

Chemistry plays an essential part in the search for clean and plentiful energy and pioneering research at Oxford led to the first Li-ion batteries. Professor Steve Faulkner, Professor Fraser Armstrong and Professor Andy Weller gave short talks and presentations on how Oxford chemists are contributing to a secure and sustainable energy future.  This was followed by a drinks reception for Chemistry alumni in the beautiful and historic Abbot’s Kitchen.

View the complete programme for the Oxford Alumni Weekend

6.00-8.30pm, 10th January 2017 at Salters’ Hall, 4 Fore St., London EC2Y 5DE

Professor Graham Richards CBE, Oxford’s first Chairman of Chemistry and hugely successful entrepreneur, gave a talk about his remarkable career in chemistry and innovation. 

The venue for this year’s reception was the splendid Salters’ Hall.   Dr Sandy Todd, a former Master of the Salters' Company and Oxford Chemistry alumnus, gave an introduction to the history of the Salters', one of the ancient Great Livery companies in the City of London, and its work in support of education in chemistry.

The short talks were followed by a drinks reception hosted by Head of Chemistry Professor Mark Brouard.

A day of celebrations was held on Saturday September 17th to mark the centenary of the Dyson Perrins Laboratory, named after C W Dyson Perrins, the philanthropist (and heir to the Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce empire) whose generous benefaction enabled its construction.  The DP was home to some of the most important research and eminent organic chemists of the 20th Century.  Attended by alumni, students and staff, a series of talks was hosted by Head of Organic Chemistry Professor Chris Schofield FRS.  The speakers were science historian Allan Chapman, Emeritus Professor John Brown FRS, Professor Tim Donohoe, and (pictured below with Mrs Perrins) Mr Andrew Perrins, great grandson of C W Dyson Perrins.

Podcast of talk presented by >Professor Tim Donohoe at the The Dyson Perrins Laboratory Centenary Celebrations

Dyson Perrins Laboratory Centenary Celebrations at the Oxford Alumni Weekend, Saturday September 17th 2016

Talks   3.00-4.00pm.  The Dyson Perrins Lecture Theatre (HMLT), Hinshelwood Road, OX1 3QY

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Dyson Perrins Laboratory, one of the world’s first custom-built chemistry laboratories, distinguished chemists and science historian Allan Chapman will give a series of short talks, ranging from the foundations of organic chemistry at Oxford, reminiscences of the DP, to present-day cutting-edge work in fields including catalysis, cancer research, antibiotics, and new ways to synthesise medicines and natural products.

Tours  4.15-5.30pm.  Meet outside the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory on South Parks Road, OX1 3QR

An opportunity to visit the listed laboratories of the DP as we celebrate its centenary, and to see the modern facilities that are home to cutting-edge research in fields including health, climate and clean energy.  Meet students and researchers, see some incredible machines, and learn how chemists identify the building blocks of matter in conversation with Professor James McCullagh.

Reception 5.30-7.00pm.  The Atrium, Chemistry Research Laboratory, OX1 3TA

Join denizens of the DP past and present for chemistry-themed cocktails and canapés to celebrate the centenary of the Dyson Perrins Laboratory and view a display of photographs and ephemera from the DP over the past 100 years.  Catch up with old friends, meet current researchers and students, and hear about the present and future of chemistry research at Oxford.  Hosted by HoD Professor Mark Brouard.

photographs by John Cairns and members of the Chemistry Department

January 12th, 6-8.30pm at the Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA.

It was a great pleasure to welcome Oxford Chemistry alumni to the RSC for the 4th annual reception hosted by Head of Department Professor Mark Brouard. 

2016 marks an important milestone for Oxford as we celebrate the centenary of organic chemistry in the Dyson Perrins Laboratory. Professor Tim Donohoe, whose research interests are in synthetic organic chemistry, talked about his own cutting-edge research and highlighed some of the most significant advances in organic chemistry to have been made in Oxford.

Tours of the Department of Chemistry

We were delighted to welcome Oxford alumni and their guests back to the Department in September at our events for the annual Oxford Alumni Weekend.  Our staff and student-led tours showed how the Department is contributing to fields including human health, cancer research, climate, and energy solutions, with opportunities to see some of our incredible machines and learn about the latest cutting-edge research.

Alumni are very welcome to join the Department of Chemistry and Cancer Research UK from 2-4pm on Saturday 12th September.  The event is part of the Oxford Open Doors weekend, an annual city-wide event organised by the Oxford Preservation Trust to celebrate Oxford and all that makes it special - its places, spaces and communities.  Our theme for this year is:

Chemistry and Cancer Research: From Bench to Bedside

Panel discussion, Q&A session, lab tours and exhibition

Saturday 12th September at 2pm. Interactive panel discussion

How does scientific research in the laboratory translate into new ways to fight cancer? More than one in three people in the UK will develop cancer, but survival rates have doubled in the last 40 years thanks to advances in treatment and research.  Join Oxford Chemistry and Cancer Research UK to discover how advances in fundamental research help to develop new ways to treat patients. Panel discussion followed by audience question and answer session.  

Wolfson Seminar Room, Chemistry Research Laboratory,  12 Mansfield Road OX1 3TA, 2-3pm.

Speakers: Professor Chris Schofield FRS, Head of Organic Chemistry

Dr Sarah Blagden, Associate Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine

Dr Geoff Higgins BSc (Hons), MBChB, MRCP, FRCR, D.Phil

Chair:  Dr Claire Bloomfield, Cancer Research UK Strategic Planning Lead

Saturday 12th September, 2-4pm.   Drop-in session, exhibition and tours of the Chemistry Research Laboratory

Visit the Department of Chemistry to learn how our research contributes to the fight against cancer.  Meet scientists and staff from Cancer Research UK and the Department of Chemistry and view displays of our work.   We will also be showing some works by the sculptor Katharine Dowson, whose work is inspired by science and medicine.

Drinks Reception at the Royal Institution, London
Wednesday 12th December 2012, from 6:30pm

It is our great pleasure to invite all Oxford Chemistry Alumni to join us for an evening reception in the presence of Vice-Chancellor (and chemist) Professor Andrew Hamilton, and Professor Tim Softley, the Chairman of Chemistry.

This cocktails and canapés event is free of charge, and is an informal occasion meant to celebrate our alumni and the beginning of a dynamic and engaging alumni relations program. It will be held in the Conversation Room of the Royal Institution (photo from www.rigb.org ) - a lovely and striking venue in the heart of London.

The evening will provide an opportunity for you to reconnect with old friends and colleagues, learn about the Department’s current research initiatives, and gain insight into our vision and plans for the future.

Official invitations will be sent via email the week of November 12th 2012, and as we anticipate this inaugural event will be quite popular, we would appreciate your registration by November 28th 2012.

It is our pleasure to welcome you as a valued part of the Oxford Chemistry community. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Lucy Erickson, Alumni Relations Officer.

Dress code: Business Suit

Note: As we will be inviting guests by email, please use the "update your details" tab to ensure your information is up to date. If you have not received an email invitation by Nov 15, please contact alumni@chem.ox.ac.uk and register using the link below.  

Registration: http://chemalumnireception-eorg.eventbrite.co.uk/?ebtv=C