National STEM Day- Jess Middlemiss

As we spend time today (8th Nov) celebrating the importance of STEM, we asked our Chief Technology Officer, Jess Middlemiss, what STEM means to her and how it has shaped her roles both during her life pre-Matter, and the pivotal role in plays in the work we do, too:

“In celebration of National STEM Day, I would love to take a moment to reflect on my own career in STEM and the pivotal role that Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths plays in Matter's vision and mission.

I was captivated by STEM subjects from a young age, in no small part thanks to my inspiring and enthusiastic teachers who really brought the curriculum to life and took the time to demonstrate the huge variety of purposes that STEM can be used for.

This passion for STEM led me to pursue Engineering at University and I have pursued my whole career to-date in STEM-focussed companies. I have worked on a huge variety of challenges at many different scales, from scoping repair techniques for aero-engines as a Graduate Engineer to developing filtration and re-use technologies to tackle microplastic pollution in my current role as CTO of Matter. My career has given me experience in Defence, Civil Aviation, Consumer products and medical devices. From collaborating with academics on cutting-edge R&D to trouble-shooting production issues in supplier factories. Finding solutions for reliability issues reported by customers and supporting the personal development of many young and enthusiastic Engineers. The career opportunities that STEM subjects can support are too varied to list. There truly is something for everyone.

When it comes to personal passion, I believe that STEM holds the key to new technologies and science that can help us tackle the Climate Crisis and Global Inequality. All over the world, individuals and organisations are developing creative and innovative solutions to reduce pollution, improve sustainability, tackle social inequality and use Earth's natural resources more responsibly. As CTO of Matter, I feel privileged to work alongside this community of STEM pioneers. Matter puts technology at the forefront of our efforts to reduce microplastic pollution. Our dedicated team of Engineers and Technicians are using their breadth of STEM knowledge to innovate and evolve products and technologies that will have a lasting positive environmental impact. This will be our legacy, and having such a profound purpose makes coming to work each day a pleasure. At its heart, STEM has enabled that.”

-Jess Middlemiss, Chief Technology Officer at Matter.

For more information and resources about STEM, please visit the STEM Learning UK site.

For more information about Matter, click here.