Day in the Life: Sean Adams, scientific glass blower

There is no question Sean Adams has made his mark on UVic: much of the world-renowned scientific research conducted on campus over the last two decades was produced with the help of instruments he created.

Adams is a scientific glass blower in the Faculty of Science. He creates highly specialized glassworks for use in scientific experiments—the sorts of one-off things you’d never be able get from a commercial or industrial glass producer.

“Researchers here are often creating new science for which equipment does not yet exist,” he explains. “They come to me with very specific needs and I work with them to design or modify equipment for their specific purposes.”

In addition, Adams does some repairs for Facilities Management and has helped craft art pieces for the Faculty of Fine Arts. Sean is a bit of an artist himself. If you look closely, amidst the intricate glass cooling systems for chemicals, glass bulbs, tubing, and other apparatus, you will find a tiny glass dragon, a finger, and even a klein bottle (a bottle with a single infinitely continuous surface) all made by Adams. “Having kids has kept me from working on art projects for the last few years,” he laughs. “I’m starting to think about getting back into it now that they’re getting a little older.”

A family history of supporting research

Sean grew up in Oakville, Ontario. His father was an electronics technician at the University of Toronto and Sean would regularly spend school holidays and after-school hours with him in his shop. Adams fondly recalls chasing his father through the corridors of university buildings and conducting mini science experiments with dry ice as his father worked.

“The work my father did was interesting, but electronics was never my passion,” he recalls. Once in the early ’80s his dad brought home a state-of-the-art computer from the Chemical Engineering Department. “This thing was really cutting edge at the time,” he remembers. “I just thought, ‘who cares?’”

Fred Lesley’s scientific glass shop across the hall from his father’s workshop proved more alluring for Adams. “Most people are only exposed to glass in its hardened form,” he explains. “The first time you see glass in its heated form it’s quite surprising. It turns into this viscous, syrupy goop. As a kid I had a lot of fun watching Fred work with that stuff.”

At a very young age, his interest in the artistry of glass blowing was born. Towards the end of high school, when his parents started asking about his plans for the future, scientific glass blowing seemed a logical choice. It was a perfect marriage between Sean’s loves for mechanics and art and offered a secure-looking career path.

The scientific glass blowing community in Canada is very small. After college, through word of mouth Sean learned that the scientific glass blower at UVic was retiring. The position was advertised across Canada and only four applications were received. “Two of the other applicants weren’t qualified and the other now does this job for the University of Calgary,” explains Adams.

When he got the job at the age of 25, despite family, friends, and a life in Ontario, he didn’t look back. More than 21 years later, he still thinks he made the right choice. According to Adams, “there is no better place to live than Victoria.”

Watching the university grow

Adams will jokingly take you to the spot on the floor where his chair has worn a hole in the shop floor. “I’ve been working right here in this same shop for 21 years,” says Sean. “I’ve watched this UVic grow up around me, from a local, Island university to more of an international institution.”

As the institution grew, Sean has also enjoyed watching countless students embark on successful careers. Sean can point out the photo of the Department of Chemistry’s graduating class from his first year at the University of Victoria. Now, the Elliott Building’s main floor hallway is lined with photos of classes he has watched graduate. “I’ve had grad students approach me to say they remember visiting the shop as part of Science Venture when they were seven years old. Undergrads I once knew are now profs here in the Chemistry Department. It’s thrilling to be a part of it.”