An interview with Rhodri Owen

Name: Rhodri N. Owen

Current Job: Experimental Officer in Mass Spectrometry

Scientific Discipline/Field: Chemistry

Country: Wales, UK

Pick some letters (L,G,B,T,Q,+, etc.): G

Website: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3109-6653

Twitter or other social media handle: @RhodriNOwen

What does your job involve?

I lead on business development for my group and I am involved in research into the development of new instrumentation and applications for chemical and biochemical analysis.

How did you get to this job (education etc.)?

I undertook a degree in Chemistry at Swansea University and after few years working outside of STEM decided to return to science, which was certainly challenging; my practical skills had become rather rusty after such a long time away, and of course the field had advanced and changed quite a bit in that time.

Do you feel being LGBT has affected your career decisions?

Being LGBT has made me more conscious of selecting diverse and inclusive employers.

Have you had any reactions from colleagues about being LGBT, either good or bad?

Colleagues have generally been supportive, I personally haven’t had any bad reactions though I know of other LGBT colleagues who’ve experienced difficulties.

What are your plans for the future?

I will be conducting more of my own research, concentrating on the implementation and further development of new instrumentation designed and built at the facility. Not only will I be doing some great and interesting work, a higher qualification is quite possible as an end goal.