The Frederick Soddy Society
Merton's Chemistry Society is named after the Merton chemist, Frederick Soddy, who won a Nobel Prize in 1921 "for his contributions to our knowledge of the chemistry of radioactive substances, and his investigations into the origin and nature of isotopes." All Merton chemists (both MCR and JCR) are automatically members.
For JCR members, the year starts with the annual chemistry tea during Freshers' week, an opportunity to meet other chemists at Merton. This is then followed by a chemistry formal dinner in the middle of Michaelmas term. There is also a chemistry picnic arranged for Trinity Term as a break from exams! These events provide opportunities for chemists across all four years to get to know each other and share their experiences, resulting in a close-knit community of undergraduate chemists at Merton.
All members are invited to the Frederick Soddy Society dinner, which falls in Hilary Term. The annual Frederick Soddy lecture, introduced in 2017, is held before the dinner in the TS Eliot Lecture Theatre and features a prominent chemist talking about their work and career.
2022: Professor Susan Perkin, Junior Research Fellow (2005-8), Merton College.
2021: Dr Xiangyu Jie, Junior Research Fellow in Chemistry, Merton College.
2020: Professor Madhavi Krishnan, Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Oxford, Fellow of Merton College.
2019: Professor Hagan Bayley FRS, Professor of Chemical Biology at the University of Oxford, Fellow of Hertford College.
2018: Professor Tim Softley FRS, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Birmingham; former Merton Fellow and Physical Chemistry Tutor, and Head of Chemistry at Oxford (2011-2015).
2017: Professor Dame Carol Robinson DBE FMedSci FRS, Dr Lee's Professor of Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford.
The inaugural Frederick Soddy lecture was held on Monday 20 February 2017; Professor Robinson spoke about her research on mass spectrometry and her career so far, as well as how women can have successful career and family lives.
The Frederick Soddy Society is Merton’s community of chemistry students. This year began with the annual subject tea, an opportunity to welcome the new chemistry cohort and answer any questions they may have, and a refresher and catch-up for the existing students. The afternoon refreshments were received in the Mure Room and were followed by a walking tour of the key chemistry locations around Oxford, including the practical labs, lecture theatres, libraries and tutorial rooms. A further chemistry gathering was held to conclude Michaelmas term, providing an opportunity to share tips and tricks among year groups and to relax after the end of term.
In Hilary term the annual dinner was hosted with an inspiring talk by Professor Susan Perkin (Junior Research Fellow, 2005-2008) who talked about her career and her research into electrolytes and interfaces. The talk was well received by all chemists and tutors present. Thank you to Merton’s Kitchen and Hall staff for providing the drinks reception and a superb three-course meal to follow. The event was greatly enjoyed by all and it was wonderful to see so many in attendance.
Sara Borghi (2020) commenced Trinity term as this year’s new Frederick Soddy President. The summer picnic celebrating the completion of the academic year was held in Fellows’ Quad and provided a warm farewell before the start of the long vacation.
I’m incredibly grateful to all the Merton chemists. The Frederick Soddy Society is a truly lovely community where lifelong friendships form, and it has been a pleasure to organise events throughout the year. I wish Sara and the rest of Merton’s chemists every success and happiness next year and in the years to come.
Tara Biddle (2019)
Frederick Soddy President 2022-23
With events no longer virtual, it was lovely to reunite with chemists of all years at the Freshers’ Subject Tea. The chance to get to know new faces and catch up with those more familiar proved popular as ever, especially over afternoon refreshments in Chestnut Hall. Questions about the year ahead were asked and answered, followed by a traditional orientation tour of the lecture theatres and labs – key chemistry landmarks! Two more events followed in Michaelmas term, with a Formal providing opportunity for advice and anecdotes (often more specific to the Merton chemistry experience), while a light-hearted, chemistry-related quiz provided many laughs and new memories to round off the calendar year.
The flagship annual dinner occurs in Hilary term, this year beginning with an excellent talk by Dr Xiangyu Jie, hosted by Professor Véronique Gouverneur. Dr Jie’s work on the circular economy of plastics and hydrogen economy was well received, eliciting interesting points from chemists of all experience. The wonderful evening continued, with conversation flowing throughout the drinks reception. A scrumptious three-course meal followed, provided by Merton’s Kitchen and Hall staff to whom we are always grateful. With the pandemic having prevented two annual dinners, previous Mertonian chemists were also invited, reminiscing over good times and sharing their current experiences. It was great to see so many people, with the event running late into the evening.
Trinity term saw Tara Biddle become president of the society, organising two more events. An engaging talk was given midway through term by Dr Jianlu Hu on the activation of stable molecules by microwave-initiated catalytic processes. The annual Trinity picnic provided a welcome catch-up before the long vacation ahead, and a celebration of another year completed.
With the new academic year approaching, I reflect on the warm support and strong friendships between the Merton chemists which have made this presidency such a pleasure, as the Frederick Soddy Society looks forward to more successes ahead.
Tang Ng (2018)
Frederick Soddy Society President 2021-22