10 Minute Interview

10 Minute Interview – Earth Science Communicator

Laura Roberts-Artal January 17, 2014

Dan and I are both advocates for the communication of science,via all possible means, and that is why this week’s interview is close to our hearts.

Sarah Day’s role at the Geological Society of London focuses on conveying the importance of the study of the science behind how our planet works. I met Sarah about a year ago, when I invited her to give a talk here at Liverpool. It was a hugely successful talk which covered how geology has been communicated through the ages. Sarah made some good points in her talk. Firstly, Earth Sciences are GREAT for science communication because we can take people out into the field and show them why it is an exciting science. However, the ‘story’ (or scientific findings) are often doctored (by scientists and the media alike), so that they have greater impact, and sell more. In her talk, Sarah showed that this is not new and when it comes to communicating geology, has been going on since the industrial ages. My particular highlight was finding out that for a period from the mid 18th to the 19th century, geology was considered the coolest science!

Vital Statistics

You are: Sarah Day
You work at: The Geological Society of London
Your role is: Earth Science Communicator

Q1) What are you currently working on?

All sorts of things! We’ve just finished Earth Science Week in the UK, which I hope we can grow into to a much larger event. It’s been a lot of fun finding out about the geology people are coming across in their everyday lives. We held a series of walking tours of geology in London which were a real eye opener!

Q2) What is a typical day like for you?

Unless I’m out and about at a school visit or science festival, I’m likely to be spending the first hour or so checking up on our social media accounts and responding to enquiries received via twitter/email/blog/facebook – some of which require more research than others. After that, it depends what projects are happening – I might be writing a press release, calling a scientist to interview them about their work or proof reading articles for our blog or website. When we hold events here, I’m likely to be found pestering scientists with a microphone for an interview! And during any of that, the phone could ring with a media enquiry that needs answering five minutes ago…

Q3) Does your job allow you to have any academic outputs?

One of the reasons I went into science communication was because I love finding out about science, but don’t think I have the necessary qualities to do it myself! Instead, I get to spend time with people from a huge range of disciplines and find out what they’re up to, which I love. If I did venture into academia, it would be more focused on ‘science studies’ – the history and philosophy of science and its communication – but for now I’m happy cheering researchers on from the sidelines!

Q4) What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I love it when a news story you’ve worked hard on does really well – geology can be quite a difficult sell to mainstream media (unless it involves dinosaurs.) A couple of years ago we held a meeting about The Anthropocene – a proposed new geological epoch, which made the cover of the Economist. I also really enjoyed writing a response to Iain Duncan Smith’s jibe about geologists being less useful than shelf stackers – if only more public figures would have a go at geology so we can make the news defending our members…

Having said all that, I think my proudest moment is still the press release based on some archive material, ‘Charles Darwin was crazy about dinosaurs’, which found its way onto various news sites missing the last two words….

Q5) To what locations has your research taken you and why?

One of my first projects was to take part in a meeting of the European Association of Geological Societies in Romania – luckily for me, the theme that year was ‘tourism’, so I got to see some amazing geological sites. I really enjoy delivering school workshops – it’s amazing how excited a group of children can get about rocks! – and taking part in science festivals. The furthest those have taken me is Orkney, which has a brilliant science festival every September, I recommend a trip!

Q6) Do you have one piece of advice for anyone wanting to have a career similar to yours?

Networking doesn’t have to be a dirty word – it really helps to get to know others involved in science communication, either in person or on Twitter. There are some great conferences, some of which have bursaries for people starting out, and an increasing number of free events. And whatever you end up doing, my number one rule is: no one is an expert on everything. Ask scientists the questions you think your audience will want to know the answer to and never, ever, feel stupid for doing it.

Q7) If you could invent an element, what would it be called and what would it do?

ItsJustARock-ium. (Still working on that name…) Somehow, this would create the ability in everyone to recognise that no, that interesting looking rock you found is not a meteorite. Or a dinosaur egg. Or radioactive. It’s just a rock. Please stop emailing me.

Sarah is a science communicator and author. After studying for an MA in the History and Philosophy of Science, she moved to London to study Science Communication at Imperial College. When not communicating geology/telling people their rocks aren’t meteorites, she writes fiction and occasional articles for Guardian’s Comment is Free and The Vagenda. You can find her on twitter @geowriter.

10 Minute Interview – Promoting Earthquake Education amongst Persian Communities

Laura Roberts-Artal November 8, 2013

During the summer I took part in a fantastic public engagement activity, I’m a Scientist, Get me Out of Here! It’s an X-factor style competition where school students get to meet and interact with scientists. The students are the judges and vote for their favourite scientist to win a cash prize to communicate their work with the public. Sadly, I didn’t win the cash prize, but during the competition, I had to tell the school children what I wanted to do with the cash, should I win. I decided I wanted to donate some of the money to an organisation that raised the awareness of natural hazards in vulnerable communities. I got in touch with Geology for Global Development founder, Joel Gill and asked him if he might be able to point me in the direction of an organisation I might be able to collaborate with.

That’s how I came across Solmaz Mohadjer, founder of ParsQuake: an organisation that works towards promoting earthquake education amongst Persian communities. High strain rates accumulate in the Central Asian region, where the Indian and Eurasian Plate collide. Communities in this region are poorly prepared when it comes to how to protect them selves if a large earthquake were to occur. PasQuake works towards educating the communities that live in the area by raising peoples’ knowledge about natural phenomena as a step towards risk reduction.

Vital Statistics

Image courtesy of Solmaz Mohadjer.

You are: Solmaz Mohadjer
You work at: University of Tübingen
Your role is: First year PhD student

Q1) What are you currently working on?

I am currently learning to process and examine high resolution remote-sensing imagery from the Pamir region to more accurately locate, map, and categorize previously recognized (but poorly located) faults that are believed to be active.

Q2) What is a typical day like for you?

The truth is that often there is no typical day, and that’s probably a good thing. I try to start my day with a yoga and meditation session, and then treat myself to a good breakfast that can fuel my body and brain for the following activities (listed in no particular order): get the hang of the complicated (or awful as Mark Twain explains) German language, learning about the dynamics of tectonic and surface processes by attending courses at no charge (the awesomeness of attending a German university), obtaining, processing and examining satellite-imagery, looking for geomorphic markers, and discussing them with colleagues. I try to read a lot and learn at least one thing worth learning every day.

Q3) Could you provide a brief insight into the main findings of your research?

My colleagues and I have published a number of papers. Our most recent paper highlights GPS velocity measurements from the Pamir and Hindu Kush regions. These measurements are used to place bounds on present-day slip rates of several major faults and larger scale deformation. This information is useful for identifying or better quantifying regions of high strain with potential for large earthquakes. Other equally important outputs include communication of research results with those who need them the most. We have developed and implemented geohazards training workshops and seminars for school communities and various disaster risk reduction organizations working in the region.

Q4) What has been the highlight of your career so far?

My interest in studying natural hazards goes back to two events: flying over Mount Augustine to measure sulphur dioxide emitted from the volcano a week before it erupted, and backpacking in the Jammu and Kashmir region of India talking to Tibetan refugees about regional earthquake hazards a few days before the devastating 2005 Kashmir earthquake. I became motivated to study natural hazards and to share what I learn with at-risk communities. In 2011, I founded ParsQuake (www.parsquake.org) with a mission to raise levels of earthquake awareness, education, and preparedness of at-risk communities worldwide.

Solmaz during a public engagement activity at a school in Gujarat, India. School children are tought to build and test a wall model on a shake table as part of a earthquake education workshop. Image courtesy of Solmaz Mohadjer.

Solmaz during a public engagement activity at a school in Gujarat, India. School children are taught to build and test a wall model on a shake table as part of an earthquake education workshop.
Image courtesy of Solmaz Mohadjer.

Q5) To what locations has your research taken you and why?

Since the start of my PhD program (May 2013), I have visited the Lauterbrunnen valley in Switzerland to assist with operating a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) laser scanner for collecting data that could help with locating and monitoring rock falls as well as understanding some of the triggering mechanisms. Prior to my PhD program, I worked as a geologist and a geohazard educator for various governmental and non-governmental organizations including humanitarian agencies in China, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, India, and Haiti.

Q6) Do you have one piece of advice for anyone wanting to have a career similar to yours?

Share your scientific data openly, freely, and creatively. One way to do this is to connect with organizations that can help you disseminate your findings with appropriate users in effective ways.

Q7) If you could invent an element, what would it be called and what would it do?

Contentium – A highly stable element that makes people more content and less bitter regardless of their circumstances.

Solmaz is a PhD student at the University of Tübingen in Germany where she applies remote sensing techniques to study the neotectonics and geodynamics of intracontinental mountain systems of Central Asia. Her research interests include tectonics, crustal deformation, and quantification of mountain hazards. In addition to her research, she conducts geohazards education courses and professional development workshops for K-12 school communities and governmental and non-governmental organizations around the world to reduce disaster risk and increase resilience to natural hazards.

10 Minute Interview – Volcanic Lightning, amongst other things!

Laura Roberts-Artal October 14, 2013

It has been a while since our last 10 Minute Interview, we thought it was time to post another.

They are proving to be some our most successful posts. Sourcing people to take part hasn’t been too difficult (yet!) but if you think you might like to contribute, Dan & I are always looking for people to speak to, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you think you might want to help us!

Image courtesy of Sandra Karl

So, this weeks interviewee is Sandra Karl, for Leeds University. I met Sandra a few years ago, at the BGA conference (see my post about the conference). At this year’s conference we had a lot of talk about, as we are at very similar stages in our PhD (the very scary final year) and have both been thinking about career options etc… If you remember from my post about BGA, Sandra gave one of my favourite talks and her research interestingly combines volcanology and seismology.

Vital Statistics

You are: Sandra Karl
You work at: School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
Your role is: final year PhD student

Q1) What are you currently working on?

My PhD investigates one specific type of volcano seismic signals, called long period seismicity. After doing a lot of work with numerically modelled data I have most recently started to look at real seismograms, in the nature of a case study based on Soufriere Hills Volcano in Montserrat, West Indies. I try to analyse the waveform shapes and amplitudes as well as apply moment tensor inversion and location techniques to the data to gain information on the depth and location the earthquakes were generated, as well as the physical mechanisms within the volcanic edifice that yield the seismic signals under investigation.

Q2) What is a typical day like for you?

After checking my emails and dealing with urgent matters right away I usually set up a to-do list for the day (yes, I am German and can’t get through a day without a list!). The rest of the day I then usually spend on active research and some thesis writing. During term time student contact hours loosen up my day a bit which is great! I get to do demonstrating on various geophysics modules such as Time Series Analysis and Fundamentals of Geophysics.

And of course, because my job title is after all still PhD STUDENT more than one day a week ends with a brief visit to the pub with some of my PhD fellows!

Q3) Could you provide a brief insight into the main findings of your recent paper/research?

I am currently writing a paper about the main findings of my PhD. We aim to show that the commonly used point source assumption for seismic sources in tectonic settings cannot always be adapted into volcanic settings. In particular, the physical process underlying volcanic LP events is the rupture of a spatially extended source, the magma column in the conduit.

Q4) What has been the highlight of your career so far?

While at the IAVCEI 2013 conference in Japan earlier this year I, for the first time in my life, saw a pyroclastic current and volcanic lightning in the eruption cloud of the erupting Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima.

Events like this really remind me why I chose to become a Volcanologist!

Q5) To what locations has your research taken you and why?

Since starting my PhD I have been travelling a lot, for many different reasons. Oral or poster presentations at international conferences have taken me to: San Francisco (USA), Vienna (Austria), Colima (Mexico), Kagoshima (Japan), Bristol (GB), Oxford (GB), Cambridge (GB), and Durham (GB). As a demonstrator on student field courses I have visited Lanzarote and Pembroke (Wales). And to undertake field work for my or a colleagues projects I also went to Turkey and Montserrat.

Q6) Do you have one piece of advice for anyone wanting to have a career similar to yours?

Before accepting a position make sure that you are entirely certain what the project you will work on includes! In order to be successful in a PhD and stay motivated and enthusiastic you have to love what you are doing, and commit to it on a daily basis. Over the years I have met many PhD students who started a PhD because they ‘were offered’ one, and found themselves looking out for other options after a very short time.

Q7) If you could invent an element, what would it be called and what would it do?

Snadrium – The Snadrium would start to glow one day before a volcano is about to erupt! This would make eruption forecasting much easier, and could save many lives!

Sandra completed her undergraduate degree and M.Sc at the LMU in Munich, Germany. While a student there, she visited Colima in Mexico as a volunteer working at the Volcan de Colima, which made her decision do pursue a PhD in Volcanology very easy! Sandra then came to the UK as a PhD candidate in 2010. Volcanoes are not only her job but also her passion, and her goal is it to climb a volcano on every continent of the Earth one day.
Outside Volcanology, she does a lot of running and other sports to stay sane!

10 Minute Interview – Life as a Museum Curator

Laura Roberts-Artal September 27, 2013

Fridays are hard enough, so we thought we’d help you get through the day with a really interesting 10 minute interview, all you need now is a spare 10 minutes and your favourite hot drink!

This week, we speak to Gillian McCay, assistant curator at the Cockburn Geological Museum at the University of Edinburgh. The museum is a fascinating place to visit, holding over 130,000 specimens as well as other materials. Gillian is proof that an Earth Science background can take you down many employment routes and she is definitely one of those unsung heroes of geology; keeping geological treasures safe and cataloged for future generations of Earth Scientists.

Vital Statistics

You are: Gillian McCay (PhD) (I don’t call myself Dr… it sounds funny)
You work at: School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh
Your role is: Assistant Curator at Cockburn Geological Museum and Teaching Technician

Q1) What are you currently working on?

Several things! During term time I am always busy making sure that the labs and equipment are ready for practical classes – the summer is over and teaching has started! On the Museum side of things I am currently working towards an exhibition based on the theme of a Victorian Cabinet of Curiosities to be held in the University of Edinburgh’s Main Library. This space regularly has exhibits of around 20 – 50 objects… this exhibition will have close to 150 objects – the biggest display the University Collections have shown! – with around 40 specimens from the collection I care for.

Q2) What is a typical day like for you?

My day is really variable depending on the time of year. I ALWAYS start by turning on all the cabinet lights in the display cases and checking that nothing is amiss with the objects on show. During term time I then have a tour of the labs to make sure everything is in order there as far as equipment and specimens for teaching go – this can take anything from 10 mins to 40 mins depending on materials required for that day. After that, if everything is going to plan, I will try and get on with some museum projects such as cataloguing some of our collection (the catalogue of our historical collection currently only covers about 6000 of our 60,000 plus objects), doing environmental checks in our storage areas or doing some admin for our museum accreditation.

Q3) Does your job allow you to have any academic outputs?

My job doesn’t currently demand that I produce academic papers, but I am interested in developing the skills to publish in Curation Journals such as Geological Curator. I am currently getting a lot of Charles Lyell’s personal papers digitised and hope that these could be the basis of a really interesting project.

Q4) What has been the highlight of your career so far? As an early stage researcher where do you see yourself in a few years time?

I have had a few amazing things happen since I started my job last year. I held a small object handling session for a delegation from the European Space Agency, which was great fun. I have also had the shock of finding specimens collected by Charles Darwin during his time on the Beagle that had gotten ‘lost’ in the collection here! As a permanent member of staff I could still be here 10 years from now and although moving to a bigger collection would be interesting I feel quiet attached to the objects I care for in the Cockburn Museum.

Q5) To what locations has your research taken you and why?

Currently my Job mostly takes me to Museum Store Rooms, so it’s not that exotic… but some of the things you get to see are amazing!!!

Q6) Do you have one piece of advice for anyone wanting to have a career similar to yours?

Get hands on experience… I was lucky and fell into museum/collection work, but if you want to get into it, it’s mega competitive. Some people volunteer for years before finding a paid position so it’s a massive bonus if you can start early and get involved with university collections during your degree.

Q7) If you could invent an element, what would it be called and what would it do?

Time-travellum (Tt) – it would power the time machine I would build so I could go back and see amazing geological events.

Gillian is originally from Northern Ireland but moved to Scotland as a fresh faced undergrad studying geoscience in St Andrews and later moving to Edinburgh to do a PhD. Although she still thinks of herself as a Field Geologist, these days she mostly chases “free living” rock specimens round the School of GeoSciences Grant Institute making sure they get back to their homes in the cabinets. Gillian enjoys visitors and encourages curious artists and members of the public to come and visit the rocks she cares for.