Biography

Dr Sharon George is a senior lecturer, Course Director MSc in Environmental Sustainability & Green Technology, and a researcher in Keele’s Institute for Sustainable Futures. She holds a PhD in chemistry and is a specialist in sustainable development, technology development and deployment. Collaborators include local government authorities, businesses, entrepreneurs and the public on engagement projects involving technology and behaviour change. Current research includes: Technology feasibility studies, LCBEP – EU funded project implementing low carbon technologies into local UK businesses and SEND (£15M) the largest single, integrated electricity, gas and heat smart energy network demonstrator in Europe. She has worked extensively on technology development with academia and businesses including the lead PI role on Innovate UK projects on barriers to EV technology, Inductive Charging for Electric Vehicles and solar cooling. She is the lead for a successful GCRF funded collaboration with key partners in Bangladesh. Current research on resource and distributed energy technology focusses internationally.

Research and scholarship

My research area began in high temperature materials chemistry, particularly corrosion and gas, liquid and solid interfaces with a focus on corrosion of refractory materials in furnaces. My PhD project focussed on the theromochemical corrosion mechanisms of cruciform alumina-zirconia-silica refractories.

I have since developed that interest to include:

  • distributed power generation using renewable energy
  • sustainable municipal resources management
  • circular design

I also have an ongoing interest in barriers to commercialisation of technology and entrepreneurship and have carried out a study into the barriers to female entrepreneurship in the West Midlands.

Teaching

Postgraduate

  • ESC - 40038 Introduction to Sustainable Technologies (module leader) 
  • ESC - 40048 Research and Business Skills, Project and Portfolio Management (module leader)
  • ESC - 40030 Case Studies in Sustainability (module leader)
  • ESC - 40031 Clean and Green Technologies I - Power from Above the Earth (module leader)
  • ESC - 40032 Clean and Green Technologies II - Power from Beneath the Earth
  • ESC - 40047 Green IT
  • ESC - 40029 Dissertation Project (project supervisor)
  • ESC - 40060 Climate Change Science
  • Bangor and North Wales field course (staff lead organiser)

Undergraduate

  • ESC - 20065 Entrepreneurship (module leader)
  • ESC - 10056 Entrepreneurship (module leader)
  • ESC - 00007 Entrepreneurship (module leader)
  • ESC - 20051 Work Placement Module
  • ESC-30047 Dissertation (project supervisor)
  • ESC- 30050 Dissertation (project supervisor)
  • Lockyer J., George S., (2010) What Women Want: Barriers to Female Entrepreneurship in the West Midlands, In: ISBE 33rd Annual Conference, Looking to the Future: Economic and Social Regeneration through Entrepreneurial Activity, London 2-4th November 2010 (in press)
  • George, S.D., Cronje, M., Farn, S.M., (2006) Modelling High Temperature Refractory Structures for the Glass Furnace, Advances in Science and Technology, Vol.45, pp. 2308-2315
  • Farn, S., (2004), Thermochemical Corrosion of Alumina-Zirconia-Silica Refractories for Glass Furnace Regenerators, PhD, Keele University
  • Baxendale, S., Farn, S., (2002) Glass Making Refractories – Importance of Corrosion Assessment, Refractories Engineer, pp. 15-18

Selected Publications

  • George SM, Haycock PW, Ormerod RM. 2018. The mechanism of corrosion of Aluminium Zirconium Silicate (AZS) material in the float glass furnace regenerator. JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, 2202-2209, vol. 38(4). link> doi> full text>
  • Mercer TG, Kythreotis AP, Robinson ZP, Stolte T, George SM, Haywood SK. 2017. The use of educational game design and play in higher education to influence sustainable behaviour. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION, 359-384, vol. 18(3). link> doi> full text>
  • George SM. 2017. Postgraduate Taught Students can do Posters too: Enhancing Postgraduate Taught Student Communication Skills through Interdisciplinary Peer Networking. Journal of Academic Development and Education. full text>
  • Lockyer, J and George SM. 2012. What women want: barriers to female entrepreneurship in the West Midlands. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 179-195, vol. 4(2). doi> link>
  • Khalifa Y, George S, Catney P. 2022. Securing sustainability and access to energy in low- and middle-income countries: opportunities for the ‘Hayah Karima’ programme in Egypt. link> link> full text>

Full Publications Listshow

Journal Articles

  • Fan Z, Cao J, Jamal T, Fogwill C, Samende C, Robinson Z, Polack F, Ormerod M, George S, Peacock A, Healey D. 2022. The role of 'living laboratories' in accelerating the energy system decarbonization. ENERGY REPORTS, 11858-11864, vol. 8. link> doi> full text>
  • Mercer TG, Kythreotis AP, Harwood J, Robinson ZP, George SM, Sands D, Brown JM, Sims T. 2022. The benefits of virtual fieldtrips for future-proofing geography teaching and learning. JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY IN HIGHER EDUCATION. link> doi> full text>
  • George SM, Haycock PW, Ormerod RM. 2018. The mechanism of corrosion of Aluminium Zirconium Silicate (AZS) material in the float glass furnace regenerator. JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, 2202-2209, vol. 38(4). link> doi> full text>
  • Mercer TG, Kythreotis AP, Robinson ZP, Stolte T, George SM, Haywood SK. 2017. The use of educational game design and play in higher education to influence sustainable behaviour. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION, 359-384, vol. 18(3). link> doi> full text>
  • George SM. 2017. Postgraduate Taught Students can do Posters too: Enhancing Postgraduate Taught Student Communication Skills through Interdisciplinary Peer Networking. Journal of Academic Development and Education. full text>
  • Lockyer, J and George SM. 2012. What women want: barriers to female entrepreneurship in the West Midlands. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 179-195, vol. 4(2). doi> link>

Chapters

  • Mercer TG, Kythreotis AP, Kelly H, Robinson ZP, George S. 2022. Future-Proofing Geography Teaching and Learning Using Remote Learning and Co-Creation Approaches. In Didactic Strategies and Resources for Innovative Geography Teaching. (11 vols.). IGI Global. link> doi> link>
  • George S. 2020. Plastics we cannot live without. In Plastic Waste and Recycling Environmental Impact, Societal Issues, Prevention, and Solutions. Academic Press. full text>

Other

  • Khalifa Y, George S, Catney P. 2022. Securing sustainability and access to energy in low- and middle-income countries: opportunities for the ‘Hayah Karima’ programme in Egypt. link> link> full text>
  • Khalifa Y, George S, Catney P. A holistic framework for reshaping urban energy infrastructure in Global South cities, a case study of the Greater Cairo Region, Egypt. link> full text>

Refill and Reuse: Can it Work?

Every minute, one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into our oceans. We’ve all heard the scary facts about plastic. But what can we practically do about it? Dr Sharon George, Course Director for MSc Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology at Keele University; Natalie Fee, Environmental Campaigner and Founder of City to Sea; Prof Karl Williams, Director of the Centre for Waste Management from The University of Central Lancashire discuss consumer behaviour, and whether refilling and reusing can prevent plastic pollution.

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Keele University
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