Dr John Proctor from the University of Salford visited Ashton Sixth Form College's Physics students.

Dr Proctor is a Senior Lecturer for the School of Computing, Science & Engineering at the University of Salford. He specialises in high pressure research, amongst other areas. 

The visit was organised by the Head of Physics and allowed students in their final year of their studies to learn about a topic that extends beyond the A-Level curriculum. Dr John Proctor spoke about various research he carries out using diamond anvil cells, which are one of the most common devices to produce high pressure environments. Students were able to see firsthand some of the equipment used in scientific research such as the mechanisms and pieces of diamond that have been used to conduct various experiments. 

Following the lecture-style session, students were able to ask Dr John Proctor about his research, the modules he teaches and university-style teaching in general. Students were engaged in the topic asking about some of the uses of diamond anvils which includes the possibility of turning hydrogen in to a metal or gaining a greater understanding of the complexity of liquids - an area Dr Proctor is passionate about. 

Visits such as this allow students to think beyond their classroom-based learning and focus on their future careers. Students are able to learn about the research focus that is present at universities across the country and encourages them to think about whether they would like to focus on scientific research in the future.