CES Dept.

Quality Review 2009

CV submission for CES Technical Staff.

(Please complete in Times New Roman, 12 point)

Section 1: Personal details

1.1 Name: Robert Hutchison

1.2 Qualifications: MA (elearning Design and Development) University of

Limerick. HNC (chemistry) University of Ulster.

1.3 Date of appointment: January 1983.

1.4 Current position/grade: Senior Technical Officer.

1.5: Previous technical/industrial/research experience:

1979 to 1983 Technician, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

1976 to 1979 Assistant Scientific Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food
Chemistry, Newforge Lane, Belfast.
1974 to 1976 Technician, Short Brothers and Harland, Belfast.
1971 to 1974 Technician, Queens University Belfast, Department of Child Health in
the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

Section 2: Skills

2.1 Major skills sets (instrumentation, techniques etc)

Computer applications involving animation, web design, audio and video capture and
manipulation, and learning management systems.
Operation of the equipment and techniques used in Mass, Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance, Fourier Transform Infra-Red, Ultra violet and Atomic Absorption
Spectroscopy,
Operation of the equipment and techniques used in Gas, Ion exchange, Gel, and High
Performance Liquid Chromatography.
Operation of the equipment and techniques used in X-Ray Diffraction.
Operation of the equipment and techniques using analytical and measuring
equipment: Kheldahl, Karl Fischer, Potentiostat, and Bomb Calorimeter.
Operation of the equipment and techniques used in environmental monitoring.
Operation and techniques using general laboratory equipment.
Special procedures involved in sample preparation for chemical analysis.
Prepare and publish operating procedures for all the equipment above.
Prepare risk assessments for all the equipment above.

Section 3: Laboratory & curriculum delivery:

3.1 Please list modules you have been involved over the last 10 years.

Module Module title Years Main technical themes and equipment

1
Code Delivered used
CH4005 Physical Chemistry 4 10 Electrochemistry.
Equipment used: PSU’s, Multimeters,
Lugger Cell, Hull Cell, various
Electrodes, Potentiostat, general Lab
Equipment
CH4303 Analytical Chemistry 10 Spectroscopy.
1 Equipment Used: UV-Vis, IR, AA,
NMR, General Lab Equipment
CH4305 Analytical Chemistry 10 Crystallography.
3 Equipment Used: XRD, SEM,
General Lab Equipment.
HS4003 Occupational Hygiene 3 Environmental Monitoring. Equipment
1 used: Air Sampler, HPLC, AA, Noise
meter, Anemometer, Light meter,
General Lab Equipment
ER4707 Monitoring and 5 Environmental Monitoring. Equipment
Research methods used: Air Sampler, GC, HPLC, AA,
UV-Vis Spectroscopy, General Lab
Equipment
CH4004 Physical Chemistry 3 10 Thermodynamics, Electrochemistry
Equipment Used: General Lab
Equipment
CH4003 Physical Chemistry 2 10 Kinetics.
Equipment used: Viscometers,
General Lab equipment
CH4002 Physical Chemistry 1 10 Thermodynamics and Kinetics:
Equipment Used: General Lab
Equipment
CH4354 Analytical Chemistry 10 Analytical Methods.
for the Environment Equipment Used: HPLC, GC, IR, UV-
Vis, AA, ISE, general Lab Equipment.
CH4304 Analytical Chemistry 10 Chromatography.
2 Equipment Used: HPLC, GC,
Kjeldahl, Karl Fischer, Ion Exchange,
UV-Vis, General Lab Equipment.
CH4054 Introductory Physical 10 Thermodynamics, Kinetics,
Chemistry Electrochemistry.
Equipment Used: Multi-Meters and
General Lab Equipment.

3.2 Involvement in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Projects (types,)

Sought and secured funding for the University on the Comet programme (training
trainers) these projects funded the production of animations and videos to explain how
a gas chromatograph works.
Sought and secured funding for the department to buy a new Ultra-violet
Spectrometer.
I assist all projects using analytical chemical instrumentation.
I advise and analyse all samples requiring X-Ray Diffraction.

2
I delivered course material to secondary school teachers on in service training.
Train and operate and advise uses of the department Freeze drier.

3.3 Involvement in Promotional Activities (Open Days, IUP, School visits etc)

I made a video to promote and explain the Technology Awareness Programme.

I made an interactive CD to promote Materials Ireland.
I developed an instructional website to help give a better understanding chemical
instrumentation.
I design the experiments to promote chemistry and science to students attending the
university promotion events: Open Days, IUP, and school visits and science week
activities.
I supervise students attending Open Days, IUP, and school visits and science week
activities.
I supervise students who come to UL on their schools’ LCVP.
I regularly give presentations to students and teachers.
I design the experiments to promote chemistry and science to students attending
Science Academy.
I design the experiments to promote chemistry and science to students attending
Science Camp.
I assist second level students in preparation for Young Scientists Exhibition.

Section 4 Service, professional development & additional contributions

4.1 Office holder roles in UL.

Role Years held

Founder and executive producer for UL 1995 to 2001
Filmmakers Society.
Committee member of UL Sports and 2004 to present
Social club

4.2 Memberships of UL committees/boards (e.g. student status, library committee,

degree program course boards, etc.)

Role Years held

Joint Secretary with Director of HR of 2003 to 2009
Partnership Committee
Member of taskforce on quality 2003 to 2007
Joint champion with the Dean of 2008 to 2009
Teaching and learning on the taskforce
for communication.

4.3 Membership of external committees/boards/review panels, etc.

(national & international)

Role Years held

Member of the American Chemical 2007 to present
Society
Member of The Institute of Science and 1983 to present

3
Technology

Section 5 Self development

5.1 Details of personal development initiatives undertaken

(e.g. Courses attended/ Training courses, etc.)

GCMS course in association with JVA Ltd. and University College Galway
NMR course and conferences in association with JEOL and Sheffield University
XRD course in conjunction with Philips and Oxford University
HPLC course in conjunction with Waters and University College Cork
GC courses in conjunction with Hewlett Packard, Restek and Dublin City University
Half year course in technical writing at University of Limerick.
Courses in software applications include: Macromedia Fireworks, Dreamweaver,
Flash; Adobe Robohelp, Premier; Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, FrontPage.
JASC Paint Shop Pro; Moodle; Sakai; and National Instruments Labview at
University of Maynooth and University of Limerick
First Aid course and subsequent refresher courses in association with St. Johns
Ambulance and The Irish Red Cross at University of Limerick.
Radiological Safety course at University of Limerick.

5.2 Details of any additional relevant contributions/activities:

I regularly attend meetings and conferences to further my knowledge of elearning.

I regularly try to enhance my software skills by application on an ad hoc basis.
I’m a self taught user of HTML XML JAVA.
I have developed and I maintain 6 different websites
Secretary to the Unite, University of Limerick Branch (trade union), 2002 to 2009.
I am involved in acting, directing and committee roles in many drama societies in
Limerick.