First-year Chemical Engineers get a taste of real-world research at LSBU
At LSBU, we believe you learn best by doing, not by waiting until your final year. This summer, first-year BEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering students Timothy Wong and Adriana Ochoa Rosario spent their holidays deep in research labs of our Materials Analysis Device Design (MADD) group, working on sustainable energy related projects. Here’s what they had to say:
Jump in from day one
From your very first term, you’ll be immersed in hands-on experiments, not just slideshows. Timothy was immediately involved in a chemical vapour deposition project, supported by the Energy, Materials & Environment (EME) Research Centre at LSBU, investigating how to produce high-quality thin films for next-generation solar cells. “I learned how temperature, pressure and precursor flow during synthesis can influence material properties and device performance,” he says.
Teamwork and tech
It wasn’t just solo lab work – collaboration is at the heart of LSBU’s approach.
“Working in a team made it all the more enjoyable,” Timothy remembers. Alongside his classmate Adriana and under the wing of PhD students Matt Tabima-Cuervo and Shane Park, he got to see parts of the university and kit he’d never have found otherwise. “They were patient and generous with their time. For example, we used a state-of-the-art scanning electron microscope (SEM) available at LSBU to study our thin film topography at the nanometer scale, which is equivalent to resolving features over 100 times smaller than the width of a human hair!”
Those chats with Ali Raza, a student on the MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering course, even gave him a taste of what postgraduate life could look like.
Finding your passion early
Adriana’s summer placement proved equally eye-opening. Already a winner of the prestigious The Porter Prize from The Salters’ Institute, she found the internship “a new perspective beyond the classroom.” From planning experiments to presenting results, she gained hands-on experience with wet chemistry, X-ray and UV-visible spectroscopy, and SEM imaging – all vital modern techniques.
“Working on a project tied to solar energy and green tech reinforced my desire to pursue postgraduate study and contribute to global energy solutions,” she says. “Winning the Salters’ Prize brought me a deep sense of personal satisfaction and fuelled my determination to make the most of my time at university.”
Why LSBU?
- Lab work from Year 1: No waiting around – you’ll tackle projects that matter from term one.
- 4th in the UK for Student Satisfaction: Our Chemical Engineering programme is ranked 4th nationally in the Complete University Guide 2026.
- 3rd in London overall: Guardian University Guide 2025 ranks us 3rd in London for Chemical Engineering.
- MADD research group: Join our Materials and Devices for Energy and Environment hub, where undergraduates work on everything from solar cells to green fuels.
- Supportive mentors: Lecturers, PhD researchers and industry experts are always on hand to guide you.
If you’re keen to dive straight into labs, work on real challenges and grow in confidence from day one, LSBU is the place for you. Imagine yourself here next summer – making discoveries, building skills and shaping a sustainable future. Why wait? Start your journey with us today.