Dr. Susan Burrows
- Associate professor, teaching focussed
- 1st year Senior Tutor
Background
I graduated from the University of Leeds in 1988 with a degree in Textile Chemistry, and from University of Warwick in 1995 with a PhD in Materials Physics. Research interests have included glasses and glass-ceramics, sol-gel and thermography. I briefly worked in the diamond group at Warwick, using a high pressure high temperature press to look at diffusion in diamond and have carried out research in the Ultrasonics group, using laser generated ultrasound to propagate Lamb waves for use in non-destructive evaluation.
Senior Tutor role
I am the department's senior tutor for all first year students. The senior tutor is an experienced personal tutor who can advise undergraduates and tutors who may encounter complex issues. The role includes management of mitigating circumstances, reasonable adjustments and absence monitoring.
Teaching
I direct the delivery of the undergraduate teaching labs, covering first year, second year and the MPhys labs, supporting modules PX151, PX152, PX271, PX283, PX428, PX442. I am also involved in delivering the Communicating Science module, PX376.
My interest in music is utilised through lecturing in the science of acoustic instruments, part of the Science of Music interdisciplinary module run by the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning, IL116. This module is not running for 2026/27
Research
My areas of research have included high temperature ultrasound; this can involve either generating/detecting ultrasound using piezoelectric sensors with a high Curie point, or using a watercooled EMAT (electromagnetic transducer) either on its own or with a laser for ultrasound generation (laser-EMAT). These techniques can be used to look at phase transitions in materials.
My other main area of research has been glass and glass-ceramics. An industrially funded project involved looking at leaching of nuclear waste glasses in different ground waters, to gain an understanding of the corrosion processes and to look at the compositional and structural changes which may occur.
Other
I am an active member in the Inclusion Group in the department which looks at equality, diversity and good working practices and have previously lead Athena SWAN and Juno submissions. The department currently holds a Physics Inclusion award from the Institute of Physics and an Athena SWAN Silver award; more details on these awards can be found here and information about the 'Women and gender minorities in Physics' group can be found hereLink opens in a new window
Write To:
Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL
Contact Details:
Office: P568
Telephone:
+44 (0) 2476550124
E-Mail:
s.e.burrows@warwick.ac.uk