ABOUT

Hi, I’m Peter Broks and I am the creator of Alchemarium. In part this is a personal site, but it is also a place where I can offer the services of a team of people that I have worked with.

Over the years I have come to realise that much of what I do is taking raw material and turning it into something more valuable, It is not quite turning lead into gold but still a form of alchemy – whether this is in research, teaching, writing, handling complex problems or simply editing someone else’s text.

I started my working life as a journalist and freelance photographer before moving to academia to carry out research into science communication. Building on this practical experience and research my academic career has always combined theory with practice.

Here is something about myself and the team.

  • Subject knowledge

    My own subject specialisms are science communication and the history of science, but my cultural approach to these also means a wider familiarity with cultural studies, science studies and media studies.

    More generally, the kind of science/humanities interdisciplinary work that interests me can be seen as fitting within an environment of Liberal Arts or Liberal Science (I have worked in a Humanities Faculty, Science Faculty and an Arts College).

    Most recently my attention has been focussed on Responsible Research and Innovation.

  • Training and teaching

    I have taught at all levels from undergraduate through postgraduate to PhD supervision. I have extensive experience designing, developing and teaching courses in science communication and in science and technology studies. I have also designed several courses with a focus on the practical skills of communication.

  • Research

    Most of my own work has been text-based qualitative research but I am familiar with (and taught) a range of approaches within the Humanities and Social Sciences. Including discourse analysis, ethnographies, focus groups and quantitative content analysis.

    A full list of publications can be found here.

  • Management

    I have extensive experience in academic and project management having been Associate Head of School for Media and Cultural Studies at the University of the West of England, Branch Chair for the University and Colleges Union at UWE, and part of the project management team for a €4million Horizon 2020 project.

  • Communication

    My background in journalism has given me skills in writing, editing, proof reading, page design etc. In addition through various roles I have gained experience in producing newsletters, brochures and booklets; creating campaigns, managing social media, and interviews for TV and radio.

    I maintain my own blog.

  • Team

    Alchemarium can draw on a team of experts from around the world. Subject specialisms include: citizen science, Responsible Research and Innovation, storytelling, sustainability, the environment and the value of the humanities to the public engagement with science. Skills include communications, evaluation and a range of creative arts.