.work-in-physics {
  margin-top: 20px;
  padding: 0 140px;

  &:before {
    content: "Work in Physics";
    #fonts > .sans(3.2rem, 3.2rem);
    font-weight: 900;
    color: @physics-color-primary;
    background: #232e66;
    padding: 10px 20px;
  }

  div[data-type="title"] {
    margin: 10px 0 20px 0;
    padding: 10px 20px;
    #fonts > .sans(2rem, 2.4rem);
    color: white;
    font-weight: 300;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    letter-spacing: 2px;
    text-align: center;
    background: @physics-background-secondary;

    &:before {content: "\2014  ";} //em dash space

    &:after {content: "  \2014";} // space em dash

  }

  figure {
    width: 100%;
    margin: 0;
    img {
      width: 100%;
    }
  }

  div[data-type="title"] + figure + p {
    .tutor-reading-first-letter();
  }
  
}

.work-in-physics {
  margin-top: 20px;
  padding: 0 140px;

  &:before {
    content: "Work in Physics";
    #fonts > .sans(3.2rem, 3.2rem);
    font-weight: 900;
    color: @physics-color-primary;
    background: #232e66;
    padding: 10px 20px;
  }

  div[data-type="title"] {
    margin: 10px 0 20px 0;
    padding: 10px 20px;
    #fonts > .sans(2rem, 2.4rem);
    color: white;
    font-weight: 300;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    letter-spacing: 2px;
    text-align: center;
    background: @physics-background-secondary;

    &:before {content: "\2014  ";} //em dash space

    &:after {content: "  \2014";} // space em dash

  }

  figure {
    width: 100%;
    margin: 0;
    img {
      width: 100%;
    }
  }
  > p:first-of-type {
    .tutor-reading-first-letter();
  }
  
}

Use first-of-type vs sibling selectors
Use first-of-type vs sibling selectors
