Encounter with Nora de Leeuw On-Site
Nora de Leeuw: A Versatile Computational Chemist and Academic Leader
Nora de Leeuw, a renowned computational chemist and the executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Leeds, UK, has had a diverse career path before reaching her current position.
De Leeuw's academic and research background in computational chemistry is well-established, earning her the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2009 and the Royal Society of Chemistry's 2023 interdisciplinary prize. However, the exact career trajectory before these positions is not explicitly detailed in available search results.
Before her successful career in academia, De Leeuw worked outside the field, including stints at a big hotel, solicitors' offices, and a business with her then-husband during her PhD. She even tried her hand at hotel and catering business management and initially intended to become a vet.
Despite these detours, De Leeuw's passion for chemistry remained. She studied chemical engineering for a year but found it unrelated to chemistry. Eventually, she returned to chemistry with physics through an Open University degree.
De Leeuw's journey in academia began in earnest when she became a computational chemist. She is recognised for her work in this field and currently serves as the executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Leeds. This role involves overseeing engineering and physical sciences faculties, indicating prior experience in academia both as a researcher and likely in departmental or faculty management.
Outside of academia, De Leeuw finds working in different sectors beneficial due to the different life perspective it offers. She emphasises the importance of hard work in research and believes that chemists are versatile and employable in various fields, playing a crucial role in solving the world's problems, such as energy and pollution.
One particular project that De Leeuw found meaningful was a big program with sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on research capacity building. De Leeuw occasionally wishes she could have been an architect, but her contributions to computational chemistry and academic leadership have made a significant impact in the scientific community.
When not engrossed in her work, De Leeuw enjoys spending time with her Irish draught horse, Berta. Despite the demands of her busy schedule, De Leeuw believes that being inquisitive and capable of working independently are important qualities for a successful PhD student. She prefers working at her desk for concentrated work, embodying the diligence and focus required for her roles as a computational chemist and academic leader.
