Profile
Dean McGettigan
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About Me:
Hi, my name is Dean, I am PhD Student currently working in York but I am originally from Dublin, Ireland. I play rugby, I rock climb and I perform in a folk band!
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I moved from Dublin nearly two years ago to pursue a PhD in the UK. I came here as it was always my dream to move abroad and York seemed like as good a place as any.
I currently play rugby with the University team, I like to go rock climbing with friends, and when the weather is nice we sometimes travel to different parts of the country to climb outdoors!
My friend and I also write and preform songs together whenever we can, we mostly write folk music. I play guitar and sing and he plays any instrument that has strings.
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My pronouns are:
He/Him
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My Work:
My work focuses on the chemistry of precious metals such as gold, palladium and rhodium, all of which are transition metals. I also work with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), the same technique doctors use in MRI scanners.
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Metals such as gold, palladium and rhodium all have really interesting chemistry and used all over the world to do really important things. Not many people know this, but gold can be found in the electronics of every single mobile device in the world as it’s really gold at conducting electricity! Palladium and rhodium are used in car exhausts and can be found in every single automobile on the planet.
My work focuses on using these metals for another purpose, to use them in chemical reactions! These metals can allow us to make some really useful chemicals that are beneficial to everyone on the planet. I am trying to learn more about how these metals work using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance a technique that lets us see what is happening to each molecule during a reaction!
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My Typical Day:
I wake up at 8:30 am, I have a short 10 minute walk to work where I have a quick breakfast and get right to work at 9:00 am. I spend most of my day doing experiments in the lab. Then at about 5/6 o’clock I finish up for the day and go home.
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I wake up at 8:30 am, I have a short 10 minute walk to work where I have a quick breakfast and get right to work at 9:00 am. I spend most of my day doing experiments in the lab. Then I have lunch with friends, and in the afternoon it’s back to the lab to look at my results. There is a lot of people who work in my lab with me so we all get to chat and listen to music while we work. Then at about 5/6 o’clock I finish up for the day and go home. I live with six of my friends so after work I get to go home and hang out with them all.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
With £500 of prize money for a STEM outreach project, I would use the funds to create engaging, hands-on workshops that inspire students to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I would purchase essential materials for interactive experiments and build learning kits to distribute to local schools. Additionally, I would invest in promotional efforts to ensure wide participation, organize guest speaker sessions featuring STEM professionals such as other PhD students, and provide resources such as books and online tools to encourage continued learning beyond the workshops. This would help foster a passion for STEM subjects and create more equitable access to educational opportunities.
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Education:
I started my education in primary school in Ireland when I was 5, I went on to finish school at 18 completing my Leaving Certificate (the Irish equivalent of A-Levels). I went to University in Dublin at UCD where I studied Chemistry. In Ireland our STEM degrees are 4 years long. In my final year we had to do a research project where I researched the chemistry of the ‘coinage metals’ which consists of copper, silver and gold. Once I had completed my bachelor degree I moved to York to start my PhD which is where I am now.
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Qualifications:
Junior Certificate (Irish Equivalent to GCSEs)
Leaving Certificate (Irish Equivalent to A-Levels)
Bachelors Degree in Chemistry
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Work History:
I started my first ever job when I was 14 when I worked in my local butchers. I didn’t like the job very much but if taught me a lot about how to work hard. I worked there for 6 months before I left as I was starting my junior cert and needed the time to study. I didn’t get another job until I started University when I was 18. I worked as a waiter and barman for 1 year in my home town before leaving to get a new job in Dublin and move out of home, closer to University. I worked for 3 years as a barista in Dublin city center with 2 of those years I acted as a manager. I left while doing my final year of University and now I work in a lab for my PhD.
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Current Job:
My PhD has been my job for the past year and a half and will continue to be my job for another two years.
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Employer:
The University of York
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My Interview
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What did you want to be after you left school?
Doctor
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes, but nothing too serious!
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I would probably be working in a lab still but for a company
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Zach Bryan
What's your favourite food?
I love Italian food like pizza and pasta
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To always have friends around, to be happy and healthy, and to be able to visit my family as much as possible.
Tell us a joke.
Why can you never trust an atom? They make up literally everything.
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