Sam Illingworth
sam illingworth

Dr Sam Illingworth MPhys PhD PgCert MA PFHEA

Associate Professor

Biography

As an Associate Professor in the Department of Learning and Teaching Enhancement (DLTE), I bring internationally recognised expertise in higher education, interdisciplinary studies, and science communication. My leadership role encompasses leading pedagogical innovation across the University, through both DLTE and the Centre for Higher Education Research.

My research integrates poetry and generative AI into creative pedagogies, aiming to enhance staff and student well-being and foster a sense of belonging. This approach has proven effective in cultivating meaningful dialogues across diverse groups and amplifying the voices of marginalised communities. Highlighted works include studies that demonstrate the impact of interdisciplinary approaches to learning and teaching.

With over 70 peer-reviewed publications, I have an h-index of 21, an i10-index of 41, and a total citation count of 1,882 (source: Google Scholar). These metrics attest to my sustained excellence in pedagogic innovation and science communication. I have been successful in over £400,000 in funding from prestigious organisations such as AHRC, The Royal Society, Arts Council England, and The Leverhulme Trust, enabling significant projects that bridge disciplinary gaps and engage with societal challenges.

In terms of academic leadership, I have directed several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes globally, fostering a rich learning environment that encourages academic and professional growth. I hold a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and an MA in Higher Education and am a Principal Fellow of Advance HE (PFHEA).

My mentorship extends to supervising two current PhD candidates, with three completed supervisions and six external examiner appointments, underscoring my commitment to nurturing the next generation of scholars.

Beyond academia, I am an award-winning poet, games designer, and science communicator. My research has also generated extensive local, national, and international media attention, including features on BBC, NPR, Scientific American, Buzzfeed, and Times Higher Education. These engagements have not only spread awareness of my research but also highlighted the intersection of science and art in public discourse.

My contributions to the cultural landscape include writing for radio and stage, with productions performed by organisations including The Royal Shakespeare Company. Additionally, my poetry has resonated with audiences worldwide, including at prestigious events like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Green Man music festival.

Through my diverse pursuits, I strive to blur the boundaries between academic research, pedagogical innovation, and creative expression, aiming to inspire, educate, and engage communities both within and beyond the academic sphere.

News

Events

Esteem

Advisory panels and expert committees or witness

  • Member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Education Committee
  • Expert Witness for Westminster Education Forum on Next Steps for AI in Education
  • Expert Witness for European Commission on the impact of AI on scientific publishing and communications
  • Member of SRHE's Research and Development Committee
  • Chair of iCRAG's Education and Public Engagement Advisory Committee
  • Member of European Geoscience Union's Outreach Committee
  • Elected Union-level Early Career Scientist representative for European Geosciences Union
  • Member of the Institute of Physics' Outreach Committee

 

Conference Organising Activity

  • Panel Chair: SRHE International Conference 2023, Online, December 2023
  • Conference Organiser: The Gathering, Edinburgh, June 2023
  • Conference Organiser: The Gathering, Edinburgh, June 2022
  • Panel Convener and Chair: European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Online, April 2022
  • Panel Convener and Chair: European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Online, April 2021
  • Conference Organiser: ENU Learning & Teaching Conference, Online, June 2021
  • Panel Convener and Chair: European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Online, April 2020
  • Panel Convener and Chair: European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Vienna, April 2019
  • Conference Organiser: Science in Public, Manchester, July 2019
  • Panel Convener and Chair: European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Vienna, April 2018
  • Panel Convener and Chair: American Geophysical Union Fall Assembly, New Orleans, December 2017
  • Panel Convener and Chair: European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Vienna, April 2017
  • Conference Organiser: Multiplatform, Manchester, June 2017

 

Editorial Activity

  • Editor of Special Issue: Earth System Science Data
  • Editorial Board Member: Consilience
  • Editorial Board Member (Chief Executive Editor): Geoscience Communciation
  • Editor of Special Issue: Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Editor of Special Issue: Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
  • Editor of Special Issue: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • LSE HE Blog Fellow
  • Katia and Maurice Krafft Award
  • Principal Fellow of Advance HE (PFHEA)
  • Elected Member of Young Academy of Scotland
  • Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA)
  • Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA)

 

Grant Funding Panel Member

  • Invited member of AHRC Moderation Panel
  • Invited Member of Royal Society of Edinburgh's Research Awards Sub-Committee
  • Chair of Grant Funding Panel for Discover Programme for Science Foundation Ireland
  • Invited Member of Oversight Panel for Science Foundation Ireland's Research Centres
  • Invited Member of Grant Funding Panel for Discover Programme for Science Foundation Ireland

 

Grant Reviewer

  • Swiss National Science Foundation

 

Invited Speaker

  • Invited Speaker: The Royal Astronomical Society, Online, 23/01/2024
  • Invited Speaker: European Geosciences Union, Online, 11/03/2024
  • Seminar Speaker: Liverpool John Moore University, Online, 12/03/2024
  • Seminar Speaker: Wellesley College, Online, 13/10/2023
  • Panel Discussion: Advance HE - NTFS Roadshow, Online, 12/12/2023
  • Seminar Speaker: Wellesley College Online, 14/10/2022
  • Seminar Speaker: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Online, 24/05/2022
  • Seminar Speaker: Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Online, 18/05/2022
  • Seminar Speaker: Liverpool John Moore University, Online, 29/03/2022
  • Seminar Speaker: The University of Edinburgh, Online, 05/04/2022
  • Seminar Speaker: Universität Stuttgart, Online, 12/11/2021
  • Seminar Speaker: Norwegian Research School for Dynamics and Evolution of Earth and Planets (DEEP), Online, 09/11/2021
  • Seminar Speaker: Liverpool John Moore University, Online, 27/07/2021
  • Seminar Speaker: The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Alumni Association, Online, 15/11/2021
  • Seminar Speaker: Making Decarbonisation Fair, the third ENGAGER network conference , Online, 04/03/2021
  • Seminar Speaker: Swedish Research Council, Online, 19/03/2021
  • Seminar Speaker: EURAXESS ASEAN, Online, 30/03/2021
  • Seminar Speaker: Unconventional Hydrocarbons in the UK Energy System (UKUH), Online, 06/07/2021
  • Seminar Speaker: The University of Manchester, Online, 23/07/2020
  • Seminar Speaker: Policy Connect, Online, 08/06/2020
  • Seminar Speaker: The University of the West of Scotland, Online, 07/07/2020
  • Seminar Speaker: Falling Walls, Online, 27/04/2020
  • Seminar Speaker: the University of Leeds, Online, 26/06/2020
  • Seminar Speaker: Australian Science Communicators, Online, 24/07/2020
  • Seminar Speaker: Institute of Physics, Online, 16/06/2020
  • Seminar Speaker: Inspiring Australia, Online, 14/05/2020
  • Keynote Speaker: European Science Engagement Association, Vienna, 09/10/05/2019

 

Media Activity

  • Radio Feature: All things considered; NPR, 16/04/2024
  • Radio Feature: Drivetime, Current Affairs, BBC Radio Scotland, 21/03/2023
  • Radio Feature: Mornings with Stephen Jardine, Current Affairs, BBC Radio Scotland, 11/05/2023
  • Website Article: Interview, THINK, 27/11/2023
  • Radio Feature: The Afternoon Show, Current Affairs, BBC Radio Scotland, 09/02/2022
  • Radio Feature: Falling Stars, Documentary, BBC Radio 4, 29/11/2022
  • Radio Feature: BBC Inside Science, Documentary, BBC Radio 4, 21/04/2022
  • Radio Feature: Seriously, Documentary, BBC Radio 4, 09/12/2022
  • Radio Feature: Words and Music, Documentary, BBC Radio 3, 07/08/2022
  • Radio Feature: Free Thinking, Documentary, BBC Radio 3, 22/01/2020

 

Membership of Professional Body

  • Member of SRHE
  • Member of European Geosciences Union

 

Public/Community Engagement

  • Public Workshop for The Binks Hub, ‘Poetry and Research’, Edinburgh (March 2024)
  • Public Talk and Workshop, ‘RSE Curious: Exploring the climate crisis through poetry’, The Royal Society of Edinburgh (September 2023)
  • Poetry Workshop for Royal Mile Primary School in Collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library as part of National Poetry Day (October 2023)
  • Public Talk, ‘Deep-sea Plastics’, The Deep-sea Podcast (February 2022)
  • Public Talk and Workshop, ‘Poetry in Practice’, Heriot-Watt University (September 2022)
  • Public Talk and Workshop, ‘RSE Curious: The Poetry of Science’, The Royal Society of Edinburgh (August 2022)
  • Public Talk, ‘Creative Climate Communications’, The Sustainability Report Podcast (January 2022)
  • Public Talk ‘Science & Poetry’, La Ninfa Eco Podcast (May 2021)
  • Public Workshop ‘Rhyme Your Research – Discover the joys of turning research into poetry’, The University of Liverpool (May 2021)
  • Public Talk ‘How Social Media can Benefit your Research’, Oceanworks (April 2020)
  • Public Talk ‘The Poetry of Science’, Science Exchange (May 2020)
  • Public Talk ‘A Sonnet to Science,’ Blackwell’s Manchester (May 2020)
  • Public Talk ‘Why Engage with the AHRC', The University of Manchester (January 2020)
  • STEM Ambassador

 

Research Degree External Examining

  • External Examiner for PhD viva voce of Dr. Achintya Rao, University of West of England
  • External Examiner for PhD of Dr. Alba Suarez Garcia, University of Otago
  • External Examiner for PhD viva voce of Dr. Lei Qiu, The University of Edinburgh
  • External Examiner for PhD viva voce of Dr. Gary Kerr, University of Salford
  • External Examiner for PhD viva voce of Dr. Kaewnapha Phothi, The University of Edinburgh

 

Reviewing

  • Arts and Health (Reviewer)
  • Weather, Climate, and Society (Reviewer)
  • Science Communication (Reviewer)
  • Conservation Biology (Reviewer)
  • Research for All (Reviewer)
  • Public Understanding of Science (Reviewer)
  • Geoscience Communication (Reviewer)
  • Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (Reviewer)
  • JCOM, Journal of Science Communication (Reviewer)
  • Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology (Reviewer)
  • Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (Reviewer)
  • Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (Reviewer)
  • Sensors (Reviewer)

 

Date


87 results

The future of conferences: lessons from Europe's largest online geoscience conference

Journal Article
Gibson, H., Illingworth, S., & Buiter, S. (2021)
The future of conferences: lessons from Europe's largest online geoscience conference. Geoscience Communication, 4(3), 437-451. https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-4-437-2021
In the early months of 2020, as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) swept across the globe, millions of people were required to make drastic changes to their lives to help contai...

Ten simple rules for designing analogue science games

Journal Article
Illingworth, S., & Wake, P. (2021)
Ten simple rules for designing analogue science games. PLoS Computational Biology, 17(6), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009009
Abstract not available.

A Celestial Crown of Sonnets

Book
Illingworth, S., & Wren, S. P. (2021)
A Celestial Crown of Sonnets. Padstow: Penteract Press
A Celestial Crown of Sonnets aims to tell the story of astronomy via an heroic crown of sonnets (also known as a sonnet redoublé), with each sonnet focusing on a different his...

Creative communication – using poetry and games to generate dialogue between scientists and nonscientists

Journal Article
Illingworth, S. (2020)
Creative communication – using poetry and games to generate dialogue between scientists and nonscientists. FEBS Letters, 594(15), 2333-2338. https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.13891
Science communication is often perceived as an opportunity for scientists to broadcast their expertise and knowledge to a general public, so that this lay audience might bette...

Effective Science Communication: A practical guide to surviving as a scientist (Second Edition)

Book
Illingworth, S., & Allen, G. (2020)
Effective Science Communication: A practical guide to surviving as a scientist (Second Edition). Bristol: IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/978-0-7503-2520-2
Being a scientist in the 21st century can be extremely demanding. In addition to conducting exceptional research we are expected to communicate it effectively to a variety of ...

In my remembered country: what poetry tells us about the changing perceptions of volcanoes between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries

Journal Article
Soldati, A., & Illingworth, S. (2020)
In my remembered country: what poetry tells us about the changing perceptions of volcanoes between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries. Geoscience Communication, 3(1), 73-87. https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-3-73-2020
In this study we investigate what poetry written about volcanoes from the 1800s to the present day reveals about the relationship between volcanoes and the societies and times...

Geoscience in a time of pandemics

Journal Article
Tennant, J. P., Illingworth, S., Stewart, I., & Elverfeldt, K. V. (2020)
Geoscience in a time of pandemics. Geoscience Communication, 3, 71-72. https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-3-71-2020

“This bookmark gauges the depths of the human”: how poetry can help to personalise climate change

Journal Article
Illingworth, S. (2020)
“This bookmark gauges the depths of the human”: how poetry can help to personalise climate change. Geoscience Communication, 3, 35-47. https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-3-35-2020
By conducting a qualitative content analysis of 72 poems written about climate change by poets from across the world, this study demonstrates how these poets have interpreted ...

Developing Reflective Thinking through Poetry Writing: Views from Students and Educators

Journal Article
Jack, K., & Illingworth, S. (2019)
Developing Reflective Thinking through Poetry Writing: Views from Students and Educators. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 16(1), https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2018-0064
Aims and Objectives To explore student nurse and educator perspectives on the use of poetry writing as a wayto reflect on important nursing practice issues. Background Reflect...

Book Review: Craig Cormick, The Science of Communicating Science: The Ultimate Guide

Journal Article
Illingworth, S. (2020)
Book Review: Craig Cormick, The Science of Communicating Science: The Ultimate Guide. Public Understanding of Science, 29(3), 364-365. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662519892782
Abstract not available.

Pre-Napier Funded Projects

  • Research Grant: Arts Council England, £14,750, Experimental Words 2, University of Western Australia, 2021
  • Research Grant: WUN, £9,994, Education in a Warming World, University of Western Australia, 2020
  • Research Grant: Advance HE, £2,500, Advance HE Connect, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2019
  • Research Grant: Kickstarter, £32,420, Carbon City Zero, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2019
  • Research Grant: EPSRC, £4,000, HEAT, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2019
  • Research Grant: Society for Applied Microbiology, £3,000, Antibiotics on the Tabletop, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2018
  • Research Grant: Arts Council England, £14,800, Experimental Words , Manchester Metropolitan University, 2017
  • Research Grant: Arts and Humanities Research Council, £56,000, The Imitation Game: Artificial Intelligence in Analogue and Digital Games, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2018
  • Research Grant: Royal Society of Chemistry, £1,800, Tabletop Chemistry, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2018
  • Research Grant: Natural Environmental Research Council, £119,000, Climate Consortium, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2017
  • Research Grant: The Royal Society, £2,800, History of Science Poetry, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2016

Current Post Grad projects

Non-Napier PhD or MSc by Research supervisions

  • PhD Supervison - Eleanor Dunn, University College Dublin
  • PhD Completion - Dr Tony Hall PhD (2017-2020) First Supervisor, Manchester Metropolitan University
  • PhD Completion - Dr Maria Loroño PhD (2016-2019) First Supervisor, Manchester Metropolitan University
  • PhD Completion - Dr Joanne Phillips PhD (2015-2018) First Supervisor, Manchester Metropolitan University