Have you ever wondered what makes your course tutors tick? Inside ICE meets some of the Institute's new faces to find out more about them: from why they're fascinated by their specialist subjects to their hidden talents and even their desert island discs...

Dr Peter Broks

Course: Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma in Science Communication

Subject specialism: Science Communication and the History of Science

What is your academic and professional background?

I started out as a journalist working on a local paper and moved into academia to do a PhD. I had always been interested in the history of science and my work in journalism brought an extra interest in media and the public. It was quite natural that my research should be looking at a history of science in the media. It has been some combination of that ever since and my first full teaching post let me do this within cultural studies.

Why should people study this course?

The world we live in is saturated with science and the media. It is vitally important that we understand how the two interact. There’s so much worry about misinformation in a “post-truth” world, but this course gives us the tools to combat that. 

Who or what has inspired you?

The BBC series ‘The Ascent of Man’, written and presented by Jacob Bronowski. I watched the series as a teenager and when I went to University, I was thrilled that I could study this. I suppose at heart I always wanted to be the next Bronowski! 

What do you love doing outside of your work?

Much of my time is spent looking after animals. I have rescued several cats and have also taken in a stray sheep.

Learn more

Find out more about Dr Peter Broks and the Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma in Science Communication.

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This was originally published in our Long-Vacation - Michaelmas 2021 issue of Inside ICE.