Prof Carlton Wood

Head of School Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences

School of Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences

c.k.wood@open.ac.uk

02030760240

Biography

I have been in higher education in the UK since 1987 and have been employed within the Open University, UK since 2005. I have held senior management positions within the faculties of science and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). In science I was Associate Dean for Student Support (from 2012-16) and this came with responsibility for assessment and I was instrumental in positioning the science curriculum as an on-line offering and for promoting on-line assessment through interactive computer marked assignments. I had responsibility for approving and signing off all tuition and assessment strategies. In the STEM faculty I was the Associate Dean for Student Support (2016-2021) with responsibility for assessment matters within the faculty.

Across the University I chair the Assessment Exceptions Group that makes decisions on matters pertaining to exemptions to University policy on assessment matters. My expertise in this last role has resulted in me chairing the University’s Assessment Policy Review Group, which identifies policy gaps and produces new policy. I am also Co-Director of the University’s Assessment Programme.

I have scholarship interests within three main areas, firstly how students are best supported as they enter the Open University and move through onto Stage 1 modules, secondly in the area of effective student support and thirdly around assessment and in particular on-line assessment.

My academic background started off within the area of plant science having a BSc in Agricultural Botany and a PhD in Plant Physiology/Biochemistry. My early publications were within this field and having moved to the Open university I published a book “Why People Need Plants in conjunction with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to support an OU course in this area. Since being at the OU my academic interests are in the area of environmental biology and sustainability.

Projects

Preparing for Mars Sample Return: Training the next generation in precise, spatially resolved, oxygen isotope analysis

Samples of Martian origin will be returned to Earth via JAXA’s MMX mission in about six years from now (2029), with Mars surface-collected materials returned to Earth by the NASA/ESA MSR collaboration in about ten years’ time (2033). The timescale involved, particularly for participation in MMX, are tight and action is needed now to ensure that the UK science community is ready to play a full role in the analysis of these precious materials. Appropriate action is required on a number of fronts. We need to be ready in terms of having suitably trained scientists with a relevant expertise in cutting edge analysis techniques relevant to the characterization of Martian samples. We need to maintain and enhance the capabilities of our world-leading analytical facilities that are essential to the analysis of Martian samples. These facilities will provide the scientific leverage required to be part of any initial analysis initiative. And critically, we need to be able to demonstrate to our partner space agencies that we have the appropriate clean handling facilities and preparation techniques relevant to the manipulation of pristine returned samples. This proposal sets out in detail a framework for addressing these issues by providing a PhD opportunity to undertake a cutting-edge oxygen isotope study by laser assisted- fluorination of Martian meteorite samples. The samples that will be analyzed are closely aligned to the composition of the materials already collected and cached by the Perseverance Rover. Oxygen isotope analysis by laser fluorination is a key Martian analysis technique in which the UK is the world-leader. The scientific outputs from this study are critical to understanding the evolution and interactions between the Martian hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere. This work needs to be completed in advance of initial sample return in order to maximize the scientific outputs once the main phase of characterization work commences. This study will not only train a new Mars sample specialist, but will help to sustain and develop our leadership role in Mars critical laser fluorination analysis. In addition, this will provide benefits for the wider UK extraterrestrial analysis community through rapid allocation of returned Mars material, as was the case for asteroidal particles returned by the JAXA Hayabusa2 mission. We will also be obtaining an early allocation in the upcoming NASA OSIRIS-REx initial analysis phase (October 2023). As a consequence of our involvement in these missions, we have developed a range of clean sample manipulation techniques. These will be further developed during the course of this study. The technical expertise and hardware products developed during this project will be disseminated to other groups within the UK analysis community. By making this specialist expertise more widely available we will provide a competitive advantage to other UK-based researchers seeking to bid for pristine returned samples.