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Dr Lewis Baker

Teaching Fellow
PhD, MSc, MPhys, BSc, PGCE, FHEA, QTS
+44 (0)1483 684086
Google Scholar
07 BB 04
Open door policy; Microsoft Teams; Email

Academic and research departments

Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering.

Biography

Areas of specialism

Ultrafast photochemistry; Electronic structure theory; Education

University roles and responsibilities

  • Examinations Officer for EP&S and Mathematics Foundation Year programmes
  • Module Leader, ENG0013 - Prinicples of Engineering and Physical Science
  • Module Leader, ENG0015 - Physics A
  • Academic Integrity Officer - EP&S and Mathematics Foundation Year programmes

    Affiliations and memberships

    Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
    Awarded 2019

    My teaching

    My publications

    Publications

    BAKER LEWIS, (2019)A simple and affordable experiment to determine Reynolds number, In: Physics education54(6)63004 IOP Publishing
    DOI: 10.1088/1361-6552/ab430a
    In this work, we present a simple and affordable experiment to determine the Reynolds number for water flowing through a cylindrical aperture. Commercially available equipment exists but often at high cost. Instead, the use of simple laboratory equipment (stopwatches, measuring cylinders and plastic bottles) allows an entire class to complete the experiment simultaneously. By measuring the mean bulk flow rates and calculating a value for the mean bulk speed of the fluid the Reynolds number (Re) can be determined. Using this experimental equipment we observed both laminar and turbulent flow, as confirmed through our calculated values of Re  =  1100 300 and Re  =  9400 700 respectively. Finally, we offer practical advice for carrying out these experiments as well as suggesting suitable further activities to make this activity accessible to various levels of study.
    BAKER LEWIS, Avoiding the De ifcit Model and De fining Student Success: Perspectives from a New Foundation Year Contex, In: Journal of the Foundation Year Network2 (2019)pp. 41-52 UK Foundation Year Network
    This paper discusses the establishment of two new foundation year programmes at the University of Surrey; one in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the other in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Specifically, it explores how the programmes have been constructed and how programme teams have attempted to avoid the ‘deficit model’ by adopting a student-centred approach that focuses on the development of successful students when considering staffing expertise and curriculum design. This is followed by an exploration of staff and student perspectives on what constitutes a successful foundation year student. Finally, the paper comments on how success will be measured in the future, suggesting that, whilst specific metrics might serve as indicators of success, no single metric is likely to capture the complicated nature of what success is and what it looks like for the individuals we teach. Overall, the paper suggests that the question, ‘What is a successful foundation year student?’ should be considered carefully in the process of designing and developing foundation year programmes.
    Baker Lewis A, Staniforth Michael, Flourat Amandine L, Allais Florent, Stavros Vasilios G (2020)Conservation of ultrafast photoprotective mechanisms with increasing molecular complexity in sinapoyl malate derivatives, In: Chemphyschem21(17)pp. 2006-2011
    DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202000429
    Sinapoyl malate is a natural plant sunscreen molecule which protects leaves from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Here, the ultrafast dynamics of three sinapoyl malate derivatives, sinapoyl L‐dimethyl malate, sinapoyl L‐diethyl malate and sinapoyl L‐di‐t‐butyl malate, have been studied using transient electronic absorption spectroscopy, in a dioxane and methanol solvent environment to investigate how well preserved these dynamics remain with increasing molecular complexity. In all cases it was found that, upon photoexcitation, deactivation occurs via a trans‐cis isomerisation pathway within ∼20–30 ps. This cis‐photoproduct, formed during photodeactivation, is stable and longed‐lived for all molecules in both solvents. The incredible levels of conservation of the isomerisation pathway with increased molecular complexity demonstrate the efficacy of these molecules as ultraviolet photoprotectors, even in strongly perturbing solvents. As such, we suggest these molecules might be well‐suited for augmentations to further improve their photoprotective efficacy or chemical compatibility with other components of sunscreen mixtures, whilst conserving their underlying photodynamic properties. UV‐visible pump‐probe spectroscopy is used to understand the photodeactivation mechanism in a series of sinapoyl malate derivatives. In sinapoyl malate, this photodeactivation occurs via a trans‐cis isomeration pathway within ∼20–30 ps. This pathway appears remarkably well‐conserved even in the most augmented system studied, sinapoyl L‐di‐t‐butyl malate. As such, these molecules might be well‐suited for further augmentation to improve their efficacy or chemical compatibility within sunscreen mixtures.
    BAKER LEWIS (2020)Releasing students from the cognitive straitjacket of visual-auditory kinaesthetic learning styles, In: Impact3(10)pp. 57-60 Chartered College of Teaching

    Additional publications