Celebrating International day of Women and Girls in Science, February 11th, Soltec Ltd. Profiles Angel Joseph, a Pharmaceutical Chemist on their team.
Angel Joseph is a passionate advocate for Environmental Protection. As a graduate of Technology University of the Shannon (TUS), formerly Athlone Institute of Technology, and Central University of Tamil Nadu and Deva Matha College, India, Angel leads the Laboratory at Soltec Ireland, Ltd. - Waste Management specialists in Mullingar. Co. Westmeath. In her work, Angel finds herself on the frontline of environmental protection, assessing waste materials that could be developed from recovered, recycled or treated hazardous waste. A native of Kerala in the south west of India, Angel now lives and works in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
What led you to this career?
Well, I love science! You know they say that those who love their work never work a day in their lives? I am one of those lucky ones!
Since I was a little girl, I was curious to experiment and learn about Chemistry. I was lucky to have an amazing Chemistry Teacher in my school, who made even boring lessons interesting and stimulating. She would say ‘Your day starts with chemistry. Everything you see and do is Chemistry’ - and I find myself saying that now too! This is the power of an inspiring teacher.
Chemistry is just so interesting! As my teacher said, everything we are and do stems from Chemistry, and it underpins all the other sciences. Almost everything we use in our daily lives is made from the products of the chemical industry: cars, electronic devices, paints, perfumes, disinfectants, pharmaceuticals and even much of what we wear, or eat.
What brought you to Ireland?
I choose to study in Ireland because it has a more prolific biopharmaceutical sector than any other country. Ireland punches above her weight in this space as the world’s largest net exporter of pharmaceuticals. I knew that studying here would place me at the cutting edge of the industry, and present great career opportunity.
I also loved the cultural diversity of the country. People are friendly, welcoming and curious. Irish people have travelled to other countries in search of opportunity for centuries, and they are interested in my story as someone who has travelled to live and work here. The level of expertise and knowledge is very high amongst my Irish peers. The focus on education is to be admired.
Moreover, Ireland is one of the safest places to live and work as a woman. I have not experienced racism or sexism here - despite being a non-native woman in STEM, which is traditionally a male-dominated space.
Tell us a bit about Soltec - what you do in a typical day?
Soltec was one of the companies I targeted during my final year in college. I wanted to work in an innovative environment and feel that my work was making a difference to the world. This was my first job in the Industry after college, and I love working here. A typical day finds me on-site in the Laboratory, but no two days are alike here and that’s part of the charm!
We manage hazardous waste for clients which means that every waste shipment is assessed, recycled or stored/disposed of safely.
When waste is accepted, it is sampled and tested using several analytical techniques such as GD-FID, Karl Fischer and Density so that we understand what compounds and materials are included in the waste. The assessment phase is critical, because each component may need to be handled in a specific way. During the assessment, we are also seeking methods to recover and recycle the waste into reusable material safely and economically.
One of our innovations is the distillation and filtration of solvents, often used in the paint industry. We have developed unique processes to recover used, hazardous solvent material and purify it so it can be returned to our client and used again. Our distillation facility is the only one in Ireland and we are very proud of this capability.
That brings us on to the subject of Environmental Protection - what difference are you making?
The impact of Climate Change will be personally felt by more and more people as the years go on. We must all be more proactive about it.
Waste management is one of the major issues the world faces. For decades, we’ve been a disposable society based on fast fashion, fast food, single use plastics, creating $1 Trillion dollars’ worth of food waste each year - which is enough to feed every person on the planet many times over!
At Soltec, we advocate for a Circular Economy, which is an economic model that is restorative and regenerative by design. We aim to keep materials and products in-use in the economy and eliminate waste through innovative recycling techniques. We actively look for ways to avoid disposing of materials after use. This kind of innovation is hugely exciting for me as a scientist and for the business community. Our team at Soltec are finding ways to turn Waste from a problem to be solved, into a valuable asset that can be reused. We’re Making Waste Work by recycling it!
As a woman in science, what advice do you have for other women and girls considering this career path?
Science is a part of our life which we can’t and shouldn’t avoid. With or without the recognition they deserve - Women have contributed to science in a variety of ways, many of which are very significant and often dramatic. The scientists who discovered the composition of stars, the composition of the Earth’s core, the cure for leprosy, the creation of penicillin, the structure of DNA, manufacture of insulin, and the “human computer” whose mathematical calculations fuelled the first human space programme - were all women! These outstanding female scientists broke ground and advanced our understanding of the universe we live in.
Women in STEM have a role to play in supporting and encouraging other women to enter the field. The next generation of scientific discovery is probably sitting in a classroom right now and likely to be a young woman.
It’s up to those of us who have gone before to inspire the next generation. Companies like Soltec create opportunities for scientific advancement in industry. They are setting the standard for inclusive, diverse workspaces that welcome and foster talent and innovation.
The future looks bright for Women and Girls in Science! We have a lot to celebrate today!
To learn more about Soltec, click here: www.soltec.ie