Profile
Sarah-Jane Potts
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About Me:
Postdoctoral Research Engineer working on printable solar panels. When I’m not covered in ink you can find me doing arts and crafts or dancing.
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I have lived in Swansea since 2011, moving here to study as a student at Swansea University, then decided I loved it so much that I stayed for a Doctorate, then a job. I live with my partner, who also works for the University, along with our little puppy Maisie.
Apart from getting covered in ink, I also enjoy making artworks, particularly pyrography art which is pretty much like burning patterns into wood with a soldering iron with a really nice tip. Its great fun upcycling old wooden things! Iām also a great lover of dance, I do a range of styles including hip hop, tango and flow arts including hoop, chair, and pole.
I design, make, and test solar cells that can be made using a screen-printer, just like the one used to make t-shirts! I also work on printing special inks which can make things heat up, light up and even change colour.
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My pronouns are:
she/her
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My Work:
I work for Specific IKC in Swansea University, which is a research group that makes buildings into power stations. I design, make and test printable solar panels.
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My work is on Screen-Printing Electronics, with most of my time spent on designing and making Printed Perovskite Solar Cells. These Solar Cells are cheaper and easier to make than the ones you see on most rooves. These solar cells can be made on many different materials, so they can be printed onto the roof material rather than be attached to the roof afterwards. There are even some that can be made seen through to make windows into solar cells! As well as solar cells, I also get to work with a range of special inks which can conduct heat or electricity, glow in the dark, light up, or even change colour with different temperatures or light levels. One of my favourite things is printed heaters as they can be made on metals to go under floors, fabrics to go on t shirts and even cork to be used as a coaster to heat up your coffee!
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My Typical Day:
My days vary! I can be found working in labs, planning experiments, analysing data, writing papers and grants, or sharing my work at conferences. I also provide workshops and talks for students, schools and the wider public.
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None of my days are the same but I normally start work at 9am and finish at 5pm with a one-hour lunch break at midday with my colleagues. During those hours, I sometimes spend my day in the laboratories, where I get to make, test, and assess printed electronics such as solar cells. If Iām printing the solar cells, this also involves a lot of cleaning to get the ink off of everything. Other days I will be in the office where I will go through my results, making graphs and tables which are then written up as reports and papers to explain what I have found out. I usually spend some time planning new experiments, as well as buying new equipment and supplies to help me make better solar cells.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would buy resources for workshops to run in schools so that every student gets to keep something to remember the session by.
I have ran workshops on printed electronics in Schools and youth groups across the country in the past, but I can no longer afford to run them. This money would alow more students to get to learn about the joys of printed electronics in a hands on way and keep a conductive coaster for themselves at the end.
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Education:
Caerleon Comprehensive School, Swansea University
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Qualifications:
Caerleon Comprehensive School:
- 11 GCSEās (Art & Design, Core Science, Double Science, English Language, English Literature, Geography, Graphics Design, Mathematics, Religious Education, Resistant Materials, Short Course Welsh Language) (2009).
- A-Levels in Mathematics, Art & Design and Physics, with an AS-Level in English and Welsh Baccalaureate (2011).
Swansea University:
- Master of Engineering (MEng) in Product Design Engineering (2011-2015).
- Doctor of Engineering (EngD) in āAdvanced Manufacture by Screen-Printingā (2015-2020).
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Work History:
- Research Engineer For Swansea Univeristy (2015-2019)
- Secondment as a Teaching Tutor for Mechanical Engineering at Swansea Univeristy (2021-2022)
- Technology Transfer Fellow in Scale Up (Postdoctoral Researcher) for Specific, Swansea University (2019-present)
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Current Job:
Postdoctoral Researcher on Scale Up of Printed Electronics
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Employer:
Swansea University
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My Interview
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What did you want to be after you left school?
In year 12 I decided that I wanted to be a Design Engineer. Before then I was interested in becoming an Architect, Illustrator or Fine Artist.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not really
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Architect or Fine Artist
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Linkin Park
What's your favourite food?
Sushi
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
world peace, elimination of poverty, superpowers
Tell us a joke.
The optimist says: āThe glass is half full.āThe pessimist says: āThe glass is half empty.āThe engineer says: āThe glass is twice as big as it needs to be.ā
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