Stuart Green - Earth observation specialist

What were the main “career decision” milestones in your life so far?

As a primary degree I studied geophysics, graduating in 1992. I had given little thought to further study, but an economic downturn made me reconsider.

The Erasmus programme was offering excellent bursaries to study for an MSc in remote sensing in Dundee University, and without doubt this was the major career milestone.

It not only introduced me to my area of work but the programme also allowed for travel within the EU, which was how I came to study in UCD for the second half of my Masters.

After the MSc I decided to stay in Ireland and was offered a technician post in the lab where I had completed my MSC, the applied physics lab in UCD under Eoin O’Mongain.

After a couple of years on rolling short-term contracts, an opportunity for a PhD came up in the lab, which I took.

Describe a typical day

At any time I may have four or five projects “live” – some instigated and led by me (for instance a creating a map of hedgerows for the whole country), some where I’m a partner (using airborne lasers, LIDAR, to measure forests) and others where I am merely providing information or input (mapping farmland habitats).

It’s best to concentrate on one project in a day, but phone calls, emails, reports etc can quickly take over if you are not careful. But you can always switch to another if you get stuck, deadline permitting!

What are the main tasks and responsibilities?

My main task is to research the use of remote sensing and Earth observation technologies in agriculture in Ireland. Most work is based on the computer with a little field work.

What particular skills do you bring to your workplace?

As in most scientific enterprises, you need to combine good technical skills with curiosity and ingenuity. I think I’m good at problem solving: coming up with elegant and not so elegant solutions to issues.

What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?

I took a wide range of subjects at secondary school: physics, chemistry and maths but also English, history, classical studies (ancient Rome and Greece) and art.

What is your education to date?

• A-level maths, physics and chemistry
• BSc in Geophysics
• MSc in remote sensing

What aspects of your education have proven most important for your job?

Undoubtedly maths is very important in this type of science career. It carries through to many different areas.

What have been the most rewarding events in your career so far?

For my PhD I flew all over Ireland in a single-engine Cessna.

Working in the lab I took part in research cruises in the Aegean and working for Teagasc I helped create the National Indicative Soil Map. This is now used as a fundamental dataset by literally hundreds of researchers, engineers and government agencies.

What advice would you give someone considering this job?

Be willing to learn on the job. Remote sensing can only be really successful when the researcher understands the system and the physics but also understands something of the target.

So even though my background and training is in “physics” I’ve had to pick up lots of information on forestry, ecology, soil science and others.

What are the three most important personal characteristics required for the job?

Curiosity, adaptability and a good “spatial awareness” – you need to get used seeing unusual things in unusual contexts!

What kinds of work experience would provide a good background for this position?

Computer labs, design studios and digital media will all give a sense of handing and using images on a computer. Architects and civil engineering firms will give an idea on maps and spatial awareness. Try using Google Earth for a specific goal, such as introducing Google Earth and Google Maps into a community organisation or charity.

What were the main ‘career decision’ milestones in your life so far?

Karen Bacon - Studying for a multidisciplinary PhD in palaeobotany

The first was when I decided to study science instead of history (my other real interest) in college.

The second was when I decided to leave geology and return to botany for my honours degree. I decided that I wanted to be more involved in biology rather than basing my future career entirely on geology.

The third major career decision was when I decided to leave my job as an abstractor with HW Wilson and return to UCD to study for a PhD in palaeobotany (the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts).

Who most influenced your career direction?

I’m not too sure about that. I had a really good science teacher for my Junior Cert and then I had some fantastic lecturers in UCD. My family has always been very supportive too.

Does your job allow you to have a lifestyle you are happy with?

Well, right now I am doing my PhD, so a lot of my time is spent working, but I really enjoy what I’m doing and I have been lucky getting to travel to conferences and other colleges for research experience, so I don’t mind the packed schedule.

Describe a typical day

As a PhD student, I do not really have a typical day.

In term, I spend a two afternoons a week demonstrating to undergraduates in laboratory classes. The rest of my time is split between reading and working in the lab.

Out of term, I spend most of my time trying to do as much lab work and reading as possible.

What are the main tasks and responsibilities?

My main role is research, but I also demonstrate to undergraduates and am responsible for grading laboratory sessions for my groups of students.

What are the main challenges?

Managing my time between lab work, reading, demonstrating and commuting can be difficult but gets easier with practice.

What’s cool?

Working with fossil plants that lived over 200 million years ago.

What particular skills do you bring to your workplace?

My joint background in botany and geology helped me to switch between disciplines and to think about the broader significance of palaeobotany. I developed both lab and field skills in my degrees and it’s great to be able to put these skills into practice.

What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?

My best subjects in school were English, history and biology. Apart from the compulsory subjects, I took biology, chemistry, history and German for the Leaving Certificate.

I didn’t like chemistry at all, but it was useful to have a background understanding of chemistry for studying biology and geology later in college.

I enjoyed biology at school but I don’t think that the course, as it was when I sat my Leaving Certificate, really helped prepare me for college-level science.

Having the two science subjects was certainly helpful for studying science in college and I also found that the essay writing involved in history and English was very helpful because science did involve a lot of writing in the later years of my degree.

What is your education to date?

I did my Leaving Certificate in 2000. I graduated with a general degree in geology in 2003 from UCD and with a first class honours degree in botany in 2005 from UCD.

I began my PhD in UCD in October 2007.

What aspects of your education have proven most important for your job?

My joint background in geology and botany has provided me with a broad range of knowledge that has been very helpful in beginning a PhD in palaeobotany.

My science degree also included maths, physics and zoology and I think that this general science background provided me with a good understanding of how different areas of science are important to each other.

I think that paleontology and evolution were the two most relevant subject areas that I studied during my degrees for the area that I am currently working in, although I also really enjoyed mycology and anything related to ecology.

What have been the most rewarding events in your career so far?

Getting my first in botany and deciding to go back to academia to pursue a PhD.

What personal qualities do you have that helps you in your career?

Enthusiasm and passion for my subject area.

What is your dream job?

Anything that involves travel and working outdoors, particularly anything that involved mountain climbing.

What advice would you give to someone considering this job?

You need to be passionate about the science that you are considering as a career.

If you don’t love what you are doing and if you don’t like the lab or the field, then a PhD in science will not be enjoyable.

What are the three most important personal characteristics required for the job?

Love of the subject, persistence, patience.

What kinds of work experience would provide a good background for this position?

Summer work in college laboratories in the early stages of a science degree can really help you decide if research is something you would like to do for a career.

I did two summer bursaries during my time as an undergraduate, and both gave me a feel for actually doing science and really encouraged me to want to do a PhD.