Sitting down with Simon Banks - new Vice-Dean (Education) for NMES

Welcome to the Faculty Simon. Could you tell us a little about your background and career to date?

I have been lucky enough to work in a range of interesting roles in higher education, from those focused solely on research, through to my more recent (and current) roles focused on education and the overall experience of students.

I am a theoretical chemist by background, and spent many years doing research at the interface between chemistry and physics. This has included work on the statistical mechanics of low-dimensional and frustrated magnets, as well as on the quantum dynamics of collisions involving small molecules which result in chemical reactions.

Over the past ten years or so I have become very much focused on education, with a strong emphasis on how education policy, and their supporting systems/processes, have an impact on the student experience. As chemist who has spent a lot of time working with physicists and who has worked for the past eight years in an Engineering faculty, I feel very at home in an interdisciplinary NMES!

What first attracted you to the field of chemistry and how does it relate to your research?

It is almost a cliché to say, but I was genuinely attracted by the breadth of the subject. When choosing a subject to study at university there was no doubt for me that it had to be a science, and chemistry just seemed to offer the ideal mix of scales (from atomic to macroscopic) and applications.

That scope and breadth is inherent in the areas of statistical mechanics in which I have worked – especially around the beautiful links between disparate phenomena that emerge when studying critical systems and universality classes.

What are your priorities for your first six months as Vice Dean of Education?

There is clearly a huge amount of excellent work going on in education across the faculty – so one priority is to make sure that this is recognised, championed and shared, so that good practice in one department might be picked up in other.

I want to work with colleagues in departments and beyond NMES to help to address some of challenges that exist around policy and process. I am also very focused on the implementation of the education aspects of King's Interdisciplinary Science (KIS) – especially nurturing the final stages of development for the Natural Sciences degree programme.

Alongside (and integral to) all of the above, I am simply keen to meet and listen to colleagues across the faculty, so that as many people as possible are helping to shape plans and priorities for the future.

Is there a scientist in history, or today, who is your biggest inspiration? If so, why?

I am inspired by lots of the work of scientists through history, although I am not sure I always know enough about the scientists themselves to say I am inspired by them as people. I tend to find inspiration closer to home.

My PhD supervisor at UCL (Professor Steve Bramwell) was something of an inspiration as both a teacher and scientist – especially his writing style which I have tried to mimic but without great success! I was also fortunate to be taught by, then work with, UCL's Professor Mike Ewing, who was a constant source of wisdom and who greatly influenced my approach to research, education and university management.

I worked closely with Oxford's Professor Sir David Clary for many years – the inspiring thing about him was that despite being a researcher truly at the top of his field internationally, he always showed great dedication and diligence in relation to education and genuinely cared about the students he was teaching.

What do you like to do in your spare time to switch off from the job?

I have young children and time spent with them is great way to unwind – they know immediately if my mind wanders and have no qualms about bringing the focus back to them!

I also enjoy playing tennis and I am trying to pick this up again after a few years without much time on court. I love DIY – mainly anything involving making things (not such a fan of painting and decorating).