Fiona Porter
Commercial Graduate, Johnson Matthey
Three graduates reveal why sustainability is such a big issue for them — and how they are committed to using science to make the world cleaner and healthier.
Why is sustainability so important to you?
I became interested in sustainability when I was a poor PhD student! I had to be frugal which meant looking for reusable solutions, such as buying from charity shops and doing clothes swaps with other students. And with maturity I came to realise that a lot of challenges around sustainability need to be solved with science and technology, which is a subject I love.
As a scientist, what skills do you need to develop sustainable solutions?
You need to be open-minded, creative and determined, because new things aren’t invented by following the rules. Of course, the people around you have to engage with your ideas, too, because some really big changes need to happen if we’re to solve the sustainability challenges we face.
What’s the best thing about working in your industry?
I like change. I find it exciting. In science there’s a lot of opportunity for change, plus so much technology to get your claws into and so many problems to tackle.
You need to be open-minded, creative and determined, because new things aren’t invented by following the rules.
What one thing would you do to make the world cleaner and healthier?
I would love there to be better infrastructure to support the growth of the second-hand market. Perhaps having some sort of quality control in place, so people were happier to buy second-hand rather than new.
Learn more from Johnson Matthey graduates
Solving big problems with science innovation
How science can solve the world’s biggest challenges
