Professor Eleanor Schofield

Winner: 2021 Interdisciplinary Prize

Mary Rose Trust

For contributions to understanding degradation processes in archaeological materials, cultural heritage science and conservation.

Celebrate Professor Eleanor Schofield

#RSCPrizes

I consider myself hugely fortunate to be able to apply my particular skillset to such a unique piece of cultural heritage, and get great joy in being able to give that opportunity to other people.

Professor Schofield's work at the Mary Rose Trust involves caring for a unique Tudor collection, which comprises many different materials. Fundamental to that is understanding what the materials are, how they have changed and how any conservation treatment applied to them has worked, or not. It draws on many aspects of science and engineering, and requires Eleanor to partner with other scientists all over the world. What they discover is often not only relevant to the Trust's collection, but to other collections caring for similar items. Eleanor's work also makes sure that the Trust's collection is available for viewing, enjoying, understanding and interpreting for years to come.

Read winner biography

Professor Eleanor Schofield is currently Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Mary Rose Trust. After completing her PhD in Materials Science at Imperial College London in 2006, she completed research posts at Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory and the University of Kent. She joined the Mary Rose Trust in 2012 as the Conservation Manager with a focus on preparing the hull for drying. She then became Head of Conservation and Collections Care in 2016 and became responsible for the conservation of the Mary Rose hull and associated artefacts, the care and management of the collection, and research into novel conservation treatments and characterisation methods. In 2021, Eleanor was appointed the Deputy CEO, retaining previous responsibilities and taking on additional executive tasks.

Eleanor is a Chartered Engineer and Scientist and a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. She holds an honorary lectureship at Imperial College London, an Honorary Professorship at the University of Kent and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Portsmouth.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

My big sister had a chemistry set when we were kids and, honestly, I think it probably first started because whatever she had I wanted!

Who or what has inspired you?

What I have realised more recently is that the inspiration I need and receive has evolved as my career has which, when you stop to think about it, makes total sense. I recognise now as well that the encouragement I used to get from other people, I am now providing for others. Knowing that you are contributing to this bigger circle of development is really rewarding.

What motivates you?

At this point in my career a huge motivator for me is creating opportunities for other people, be that internal staff or collaborators. I consider myself hugely fortunate to be able to apply my particular skillset to such a unique piece of cultural heritage, and get great joy in being able to give that opportunity to other people.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

Be open minded and challenge yourself to think about all the many ways you can apply your skills. There may not be many jobs like mine, but I believe there are many more types of jobs that are relevant. The skills you acquire are usually much more broad than we give ourselves credit for.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on the horizon that you are excited about?

Since 2013 we have been drying the Mary Rose hull. We have collected so much data related to moisture content, physical movement and the change of chemical speciation of compounds in the wood. We are just now getting to the point where we can start to correlate these datasets and, whilst there are some that will be expected, working in this field for as long as I have makes me sure there will also be some surprises!

What is your favourite element?

I am going to choose gold, but it is not for the reason people will think! In my PhD I worked with silver gold alloys, selectively leaching away the silver to create gold porous networks. The electron microscope images I took of these were just beautiful and I still smile when I think about them.