Jennifer Hack (she/her)
University of Sheffield
Materials Science and Engineering
Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow/ Lecturer in Sustainable Materials
Personal webpage
@JenHack_
Tell us a little bit about you
I was born in Glasgow but grew up in Stockport in South Manchester. I've always had an interest in energy in general, and have been on a bit of a journey to find my STEM identity - I started in a Chemistry department for my undergrad, before moving into a Chemical Engineering department for my PhD and finally now ending up in Materials Science and Engineering! But I think this is a good analogy for solving challenges in energy; it will take people from all backgrounds and all disciplines to work together to develop solutions to reach net-zero.
What do you think are the challenges for equity/equality, diversity and inclusion in the energy research community in reaching netzero targets by 2050?
I think some of the challenges for the community include ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunities, and improving retention of minoritised groups at all career stages. Given that advocacy/EDI work tends to be done by people from the minoritised and underrepresented groups that they themselves represent, this adds an unequal (often unpaid) burden onto these groups. Thus, there is also work to be done in terms of ensuring that allies are taking on more of this workload.
Energy Materials
Hydrogen Energy
Energy Storage
EDI Issues in Energy/ STEM