Congratulations to Dr Peter Hatfield (Physics): awarded MPLS Impact Award for Public Engagement with Research

Peter Hatfield, Hintze Research Fellow in the Department of Physics has been awarded the MPLS Impact Award in the Public Engagement with Research category for his work with the Institute for Research in Schools.

Enhancing Physics Education with Research in Schools

Peter Hatfield is a champion for young people undertaking real research to deepen their physics engagement. He provides mentorship and access to data to allow students to develop their own research ideas (leading to a peer-reviewed paper) and plays a leading role in the scientific and educational aspects of a project that enables school students (over 7,000 since 2016) to explore space science through authentic research with cosmic ray detectors. Peter’s work has influenced the creation and strategic direction of the Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS, founded in 2016) which facilitates research opportunities for over 200 schools.

Professor Ian Shipsey, Head of the Department of Physics, said: “Peter’s dedication and expertise in providing opportunities and building capacity for ‘research in schools’ is outstanding. Peter’s work with IRIS has inspired the Department’s own strategic goal of ‘supporting PER which enables school students to engage with and carry out current physics research’, and I believe the impact of Peter’s pioneering work will continue long into the future.”

Congratulations!

Read about the other impact awards.