Science Magazine Society: Managing Editor

I apply for the editor position because I have a good academic background. I have achieved grade A* in A-level biology and chemistry. I have also achieved British Biology Olympiad silver award in 2021. In addition, I think I understand what the required type of writing that this magazine required since I have wrote one article for this magazine.

Hi! I’m Tom, a first year studying Biological Sciences. 

Why I’d be a good fit for managing editor:

• I wrote a piece on the origin of biological information for the SciMag (will be published soon)
• I then filmed a lab demo of the team working on these questions (a new format for the magazine)
• I am the society’s first year rep; I have been encouraging fellow first years to become active contributors to the magazine
• My love for biology has prepared me for this role:
  • Interdisciplinarity: good understanding and deep interest in other STEM subjects (biochemistry, biophysics, computational biology, etc)
  • A ‘literary’ science: many of my assignments are essays, I have experience extensively reading the literature and writing. I want to put that experience to good use!

What I’d do as managing editor

• Work with the editor in chief to ncrease the magazine’s output by building a community of enthusiastic writers through drop-in sessions, writing workshops, etc.
• Expand the magazine’s formats by encouraging members to present new ideas: more videos, interviews, even podcasts!

This was the SciMag’s first year and they have already published close to 30 articles and organised many successful events. I feel that the sky is the limit for next year and I want to be a part of it!

I’ve served as the Chemistry editor for UCL Science Magazine during its first year in operation, and it’s been the highlight of my time at UCL. 

I’ve gained a lot of writing experience which I expected would come with the role, however, I’ve also become so much more comfortable reaching out to academics and speaking with students about a wide variety of scientific issues. In order to balance my studies with my commitments to the magazine, I’ve become more organised. Most importantly, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for the level of team work it takes to run a society as successful as ours. 

As managing editor, I want to make the writing process less daunting for potential writers. To achieve this, I want to run frequent writing workshops to support people through the writing process. As a new society, especially a scientific one, it can be very difficult to establish a sense of community so we have to be more visible and proactive in reaching potential members. Thank you!

I care deeply about developing an appreciation of STEM’s interdisciplinary nature in young people. My mother was a Senior Editor for a prominent Irish newspaper so growing up I developed an appreciation and ability for communication and editing. This is evidenced by how I achieved “Highly Commended” for my entry to the University of Cambridge’s Newham College Medicine essay prize.

My suitability to be Managing Editor of SciMag is best represented by how I served my Secondary School as Senior STEM prefect. As part of this, I established and published five editions of a school STEM magazine with the support of a team I led. Beyond editing each article submitted, I would write an introductory piece for each publication and interviewed industry professionals to share their insights with students. My favourite interview was with the founder of Greenlight Planet, a leading global provider of affordable solar energy products for rural consumers.

Studying Medical Sciences and Engineering at UCL as well as Biology, Physics, Maths, and German at A-levels has given me a breadth of understanding across the sciences. This would serve me well as the Managing editor because I would need to support the publications of articles focused on all areas of science.

I pride myself on my proactivity, organisation, and problem-solving skills – all of which are key qualities for this role. Most importantly, however, I am passionate about the incredible nature of science and want to share this excitement.