PhD student studying solar astrophysics at Trinity College Dublin
Claire Raftery - studying for a PhD in Solar Astrophysics
What were the main ‘career decision’ milestones in your life so far?
My decision to take applied maths in secondary school was an important one. Not only did it set me up to choose a career in physics, but as the only girl in the class, it showed me that gender does not matter in this field.
Choosing to study astrophysics at the end of my second year in university was the other major milestone. I decided to follow this path because it was an interesting way of applying everyday science in an extraordinary way.
I can remember making the decision – I was outside the planetarium in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC and decided that this was a really interesting take on “regular” physics!
By taking physics with astrophysics, I was allowing myself the freedom to follow a career in either subject.
Who are the people who most influenced your career direction?
My parents gave me the freedom to follow whatever path I chose. They never put any pressure on me to go in any particular direction but encouraged and supported me in any decision I made.
My maths/physics/applied maths teacher – Mr Phil Stack – had a large impact on my decision. He taught these three subjects during my Leaving Cert years.
The continuity between the three courses made me realise the importance of not isolating one subject and the importance of studying the big picture. This is something I have carried with me right the way through university.
What are the main challenges in your job?
The main challenge is combining many different aspects of physics (atomic physics, hydrodynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics etc) in a coherent manner in order to explain the phenomenon I am studying.
Other daily challenges include keeping up with the literature, debugging code and understanding the technicalities of instrumental effects. I struggle with time management.
There are many different aspects of this job – data analysis, paper writing, paper reading, proposal writing. They all need to be done and it is easy to get stuck on one or two and ignore the others.
What’s cool?
I get to study the Sun! I think that is very cool. The ball of plasma that we take for granted is, in fact, a highly variable and dynamic system and the fact that we can see the different phenomena at work (solar flares, CMEs, auroral activity) is fascinating.
To see the EUV (extreme ultraviolet) Sun for the first time will take your breath away. The other obvious cool aspect to my work is that I get to work at NASA for about four months of the year. This means spending time in Washington DC working with the experts in my field of research.
What’s not so cool?
Writing scientific journal articles. I was never very good at languages in school and was not really aware of the importance of paper writing when I decided to follow this path. But in this society it is “publish or perish”.
What particular skills do you bring to your workplace?
I am a good team player. It is important to be able to share problems and solutions with others in the group, in order to progress in your work. It is very difficult to succeed on your own with no guidance or advice.
At the same time, it is vital to be able to work through problems on your own. At the end of the day, you are the one that will need to understand every aspect of your work.
I am good at networking and at selling myself and my work to others in order to progress in the field. Lastly, I am good at interpreting physics.
In this field, all you have to work with is what observations can show you. It is my job to take the observations and combine them with theory to try to explain “why” we are seeing what we see.
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
English, Irish, French, maths, geography, music, physics and applied maths. Maths, applied maths and physics were the three subjects that set me up for my career.
I also took two years of chemistry in university that helped me to better understand the atomic physics I am currently employing.
What is your education to date?
I have my Leaving Certificate, a Bachelor of Arts Moderatorship degree in natural sciences – Physics with astrophysics from Trinity College Dublin.
I am currently working towards a diploma in statistics (not necessary, just useful) and a PhD in Solar Astrophysics.
What has been the most rewarding event in your career so far?
Receiving the Catherine Macaulay Award for leadership in my final year of secondary school.
What personal qualities do you have that helps you in your career?
I am highly motivated and I do not like to be idle. I like to push myself to the limit and to prove that I can achieve. I am patient and punctual and though I can be scattered, I am generally quite organized when it comes to work.
What is your dream job?
I would love to be an astronaut. That really is physics at work!
What advice would you give to someone considering this job?
Stick with it. It is a bumpy ride but everyone has their good and bad days and in the end, the pay-off is worth it. To actually get the job, make sure you work hard (you do not need to be number one in the class or have straight As – though they do help).
To ‘fit’ this job, you have to be good at working in a team and on your own. You need to be able to talk about your work with others and then put your head down and work out problems by yourself.
The goal of this job is to become an expert in your chosen field and the only way to do that is by failing and trying again, so patience is very important.
What are the three most important personal characteristics required for the job?
Patience, determination and a desire to look beyond the obvious.
What kinds of work experience would provide a good background for this position?
Anything involving computers. Research experience in a lab.
