Jonathan Sanderson
Senior Lecturer / Outreach Specialist
Northumbria University
Birth Place, Country:
Hull, UK
Academic Details:
MA (Cambridge University, Natural Sciences (Physics), 1994
Career overview:
Television producer 1994-2006, working mostly on science and engineering series, particularly for family and children’s audiences. From 2006 consultant, project manager and trainer in science communication and public engagement projects, across the UK and internationally. Joined Northumbria in 2014 for the ‘Think Physics’ project, now the NUSTEM group.
Current research/ job focus:
Supporting outreach and engagement work. Particular interests in strategy, and in digital skills development.
Area of expertise:
Communications, media, digital making, informal learning, science communication.
Area of interests:
Learning through informal digital making; ‘digital tinkering’.
Role in SOLARNET/PRE-EST:
Supporting public engagement objectives via training, editorial input, and media development.
Life outside regular work:
I used to fly kites and ride bicycles; now I chase after them, and my sometimes-attached three-year-old.
A dose of motivation: Look for the corners; the boundaries between ideas and subjects where things don’t quite make sense.
What motivated you to choose your field of study/ your professional field?
I started writing comedy in school, carried on through university, and eventually realised I much preferred trying to entertain people with science than doing the actual science. Hence the television work, and everything else I’ve done since.
Social Media pages (e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter):
Twitter: @jjsanderson