Dr Bryn Jones
Dean of Postgraduate Studies

Introduction

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Background

I came to the University in September 1990, having been a Newcastle PhD student from 1986-1989. My initial employment in the Fossil Fuels and Environmental Geochemistry Postgraduate Institute was as a scientific officer with responsibility for managing the Institute's inorganic laboratory facilities. During the 1990s I became increasingly involved with the Institute's Master's degree programmes, both in terms of teaching and programme management, eventually becoming MSc Degree Programme Director.

In 2002, following a University re-structuring, I was appointed Director of Postgraduate Studies in the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, and became Degree Programme Director for a suite of Master's programmes in geotechnical and structural engineering.

I continued in this role until mid-2006 when I took up the post of Dean of Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering. On doing this, I dropped some of my MSc responsibilities but remain programme director for two flexible-learning postgraduate programmes in Renewable Energy and Renewable Energy, Enterprise and Management.

Having completed my initial term (2006-2009) as Dean of Postgraduate Studies, my position was extended for a further two years (2009-2011) and it has recently been extended again (2011-2016).

Within the University, I chair the eLearning Steering Group, and the Researcher Development Co-ordination Group, as well as the SAgE Faculty Graduate School Commitee.

Qualifications

PhD Geochemistry, Newcastle, 1991
BSc Geology, Aston, 1986

Memberships

Fellow of the Geological Society (FGS)
Fellow of the Mineralogical Society (F Min. Soc.)

Undergraduate Teaching

At undergraduate level, I normally teach the 20 credit module GEO3064, Research Methods in Environmental Pollution, which is offered to final year BSc/BA students taking geography, environmental science and related degrees. This module will not be offered in 2012, but will return in 2013 as part of a revised Environmental Science undergraduate programme. I sometimes also supervise undergraduate final year projects in environmental chemistry. 

In summer 2012 I hope to offer an International Summer School in "Exploring Environmental pollution". See: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/nuiss/programmes/pollution/index.html

Postgraduate Teaching

At postgraduate level, I teach parts of geoscience modules for the MSc programme in Environmental Consultancy (previously Environmental Biogeochemistry). In a typical year I would also expect to supervise MSc research projects, usually on some aspect of environmental geochemistry. For 2012, I will teach on:

CEG8631 - Environmental Analytical Geochemistry (10 credits)
CEG8606 - Sources, Fates and Control of Pollutants (10 credits)

I am also the Degree Programme Director for two postgraduate programmes in renewable energy which have more than 100 students registered. These are:

MSc in Renewable Energy Flexible Training (Reflex)
MSc in Renewable Energy, Enterprise and Management (REEM)

and I teach on one module in the REEM programme:

SPG8025 - Energy from the Earth. 

 

 

Research Interests

In my scientific life, I am interested in sedimentary geochemistry and environmental geochemistry and the use of statistical tools in geology. In my role as Dean, I am interested in (i) the impact on institutions and students of the development of doctoral training centres and (ii) the development of early career researchers.

Other Expertise

Chemical and mineralogical analyses of environmental and geological materials in research and industrial contexts.

Postgraduate Supervision

My most recent PhD student, Hassan Al-Shammari, completed in 2009.

Esteem Indicators

I have reviewed papers submitted to international journals including the Journal of the Geological Society, Marine Pollution Bulletin and Sedimentology. I am a former Chairman of the Geological Society's Northern Regional Group.

Funding

1995 NERC MSc Review - 4 Studentships for MSc Environmental Biogeochemistry
2000 NERC MSc Review - 5 Studentships for MSc Environmental Biogeochemistry
2000 NERC MSc Review - 5 Studentships for MSc Petroleum Geochemistry
2004 EPSRC CTA Scheme - Responsible for approximately £1.8M of Newcastle University's £7.8M award
2005 NERC MSc Review - 5 Studentships for MSc Environmental Biogeochemistry
2005 NERC MSc Review - 5 Studentships for MSc Engineering Geology
2008 ONE PG Bursaries Project NE004313A - £1.3M
2008 NERC Light Touch Review - 5 Studentships for MSc Environmental Biogeochemistry
2011 BBSRC ATP Intensive Livestock Health and Production. Co-Investigator. £2.95M

Industrial Relevance

Chemical and mineralogical analyses of environmental and geological materials in research and industrial contexts.