SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Over the next few months, we’ll be highlighting the varied roles and work of technicians across SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½.

In the first Technician Spotlight of this new series, we speak with Jane Cooper, Senior Technician and Laboratory Outreach Officer in the laboratories – and winner of the Outstanding Technician prize at the 2025 SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Technical Excellence awards.

What’s involved in your work at Harper?

As a nutrition technician I prepare and demonstrate in the nutrition undergraduate and post graduate classes. Alongside this, I also support many HRP students, post graduate and post docs with all aspects of their research work.

Over the summer alongside other members of the team I coordinate two-week research projects for year 12 students from local schools. Students spend at least two weeks undertaking a small research project which they write up as a scientific report and give a spoken presentation at a celebration event.  After working with Crest and Nuffield we decided to launch our own in house research projects -HARP.

Previously, I facilitated a varied cross-campus work experience for year 10 students.

Additionally, I help promote technicians in the workplace as part of the editorial team for an in-house publication entitled Technically Speaking.

What path led to your current role?

I graduated with a degree in agricultural botany then came to SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ on a one-year research assistant position in 1988.

This cereal research position was extended for four years which enabled me to complete a MPhil and undertake some lecturing.

On completion of this project, I moved to be part a research team looking at nitrogen leaching from manures which resulted in a .

Following a career break I worked for NIAB as a field trial officer responsible for cereal pesticide applications and recommended list grass trials before returning to Harper, in my current role.

In your role, how do you make a difference?

Completing outreach activities with school pupils is rewarding and hopefully makes a difference to their involvement with science. I try to make the two-week mini research projects interesting and fun as well as promoting the Harper courses to the students.

Harper Adams has been able to recruit five students from the two-week research projects onto the undergraduate degrees and another student returned to the University to complete a Masters project after doing a degree elsewhere.