Dr Conor Fitzpatrick
Full STEM ahead As STEM industries continue to thrive, particle physicist and former Campbell College pupil Dr Conor Fitzpatrick welcomed the next generation of STEM innovators to one of the world’s most famous scientific centres, CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research). 23 current Campbell College students and their teachers were given a rare tour of the facility.
D
r Fitzpatrick, who spent his formative
appealed to me and it is such an honour to now
school years at Campbell College,
be a Research Scientist at CERN.”
read Physics at the University of
Edinburgh where he gained a Masters with
The Head of Physics at Campbell, Mrs Christine
honours before going on to study a PhD in
Crozier commented: “Being able to speak with
experimental particle physics. His journey to
Old Campbellians who have thrived in the STEM
become a valued physicist at CERN was one
industry is fascinating.” A Level student Thomas
of excitement, curiosity and perseverance.
Gillan remarked: “Dr Fitzpatrick set the scene
Dr Fitzpatrick commented: “I was always
with an inspiring address about his path through
interested in the STEM subjects from quite
Campbell to CERN. We delved into the world of
a young age – experimenting and taking
dark matter and entered the antimatter factory
things apart to understand how they worked
where work leading to the next possible Noble
fascinated me. It took until my GCSEs at
prize for physics is under way – the creation of
Campbell for me to really think about pursuing
anti-hydrogen!”
a career in this direction thanks to the respected careers advice from several of my
passion for physics and led to me spending
teachers.”
the penultimate summer of my undergraduate
degree at CERN on the Franco-Swiss border.
He continued: “I knew I was an
I found it to be a transformative experience,
experimentalist at heart after completing
working with some incredible people and in
work experience during my school days for
an environment where the research comes
an electronics R&D company. This fuelled my
first. The atmosphere and variety of work
Campbell College Belfast was established in 1894 and is situated in a 100 acre wooded campus in East Belfast. For more information visit, www.campbellcollege.co.uk.