Michael is Professor of Chemistry Education and the Director of Teaching in the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. His research explores learning in laboratories and supporting students’ independent learning through curriculum design. He is the Editor in Chief of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) journal Chemistry Education Research and Practice, and a member of the RSC Education Division Council.
Michael has received several awards for his work in education including the RSC Higher Education Teaching Award, the Irish Learning Technology Association Jennifer Burke Award, and the (Irish) National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (NAIRTL) Teaching Excellence Award, as well as an RSC Inspirational Member Award for his work in diversity and inclusion activities for the Society.
In spare time Michael is a keen amateur historian, and has written extensively under a theme of Irish social history in the long eighteenth century. In any remaining spare time, he enjoys gardening and travelling with his partner, Matthew.