How Jacqueline switched from tube train driver to top scientist

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A Brighton graduate who started work life as a tube train driver has been made a Fellow of one of the world’s most prestigious science programmes.

Jacqueline Campbell graduated with an Earth and Ocean Sciences degree from the University of Brighton’s School of Environment and Technology in 2016 and later won a PhD studentship at UCL where she is studying planetary science.

She has now been appointed one of just 22 Fellows on the Schmidt Science Fellows programme which aims “to give the world’s best aspiring scientific minds a broader perspective, the ability to engage in an interdisciplinary way, and the opportunity to make a lasting impact in society”. It encourages emerging scientists to develop novel solutions to society’s challenges and to become “scientific and societal thought leaders and accelerate ground-breaking discoveries”. Read More →

Karolina with MP Greg Clark

Climate change will flush more plastics into the sea

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Global warming and the resulting increase in flooding is expected to send more microplastic pollution into the sea, according to research at the University of Brighton.

Rivers deliver more microplastics into the oceans than any other source and Karolina Skalska, PhD researcher in the University’s Centre for Aquatic Environments, is investigating which flow rates will produce the most pollution.

She said: “It is very important that we understand this process as it is predicted that, due to climate change, we can expect floods of greater frequency and magnitude. This could result in a large increase to the amount of microplastics that enter the seas and pose a risk to the already vulnerable ecosystems.”

Karolina’s research was presented to MPs at the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for Britain finals at Westminster, a contest which aims to “raise the profile of Britain’s early-stage researchers”. Read More →

Female graduate sitting on step holding sign saying 'I'm in Power'

Greetings from Helsinki! – Kiira Kalmi

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“After gaining valuable work experience at another Finnish energy company, I started working as a project coordinator in Licensing and Safety Assurance Unit at Fennovoima (a Finnish nuclear energy company based in Helsinki) last year. Funny enough, I was very anti-nuclear during my first years of studies. My opinion started slowly changing when I learned more about our current energy sources and how the demand for greener energy options will rapidly increase in the future.

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Graduate stories – Esme Whitehouse

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Graduating from Geology BSc(Hons), Esme won the Rory Mortimore Geology Prize as the student with the best overall performance across the university’s geology courses.

  • What made you choose Brighton and this course?

I have loved Geology since I took it as a GCSE so I didn’t struggle to make a choice when it came to picking a degree course. I chose Brighton through clearing.

  • How did you feel when you were first accepted to Brighton, and how has the reality compared to what you imagined?

I was very glad to have a place to study Geology but I was obviously nervous about moving to university. It didn’t take long for me to realise I had nothing to be nervous about, it’s too much fun! Read More →

Geology student rocks the judges

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University of Brighton student Mary Harrow has received national recognition for her hard work and commitment to geology studies.

The second-year Geology BSc(Hons) student was one of only ten university students from around the country to receive an Institute of Quarrying (IQ) National Students Award.

The geologists-of-the-future were nominated by their universities for their “continuous hard work and passion towards their course, as well as demonstrating strong potential for a successful career in the mineral extractives industry”.

Winners received certificates acknowledging their achievement plus two years free student membership of IQ. Read More →

From Brighton to Arctic Sweden

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The Environmental Sciences BSc(Hons) course at Brighton attracted me because of its modular flexibility and scope. When I applied in 2014, I did not feel a strong pull in the direction of a particular field within the geosciences, but I wanted an overview understanding of the environment and how it is being influenced by humans. BSc Env Sci promised exactly that.

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Looking forward to a summer of research

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I’m undertaking a six-week funded internship as part of the Santander Summer Research Scheme as a 2nd year Environmental Sciences undergraduate student at the University of Brighton. I entered university with a clear idea of what I’d like to achieve; which in the long term is to do impactful research especially relating to rivers and water issues. The advertisement for the summer research position immediately caught my attention as a fantastic opportunity to gain experience as a researcher working alongside the skilled and experienced staff from the universities Centre for Aquatic Environments. Not only does the position offer me invaluable experience which will aid in my long-term goal of undertaking a PhD, but it also expands on what I’ve been taught so far in my undergraduate modules. I felt entirely grateful and privileged to be offered the position following the application and interview process. In part I was relieved in receiving the offer as this will undoubtedly be a great step forward to furthering my academic career. Read More →

RGS-IBG Postgraduate Forum Midterm Conference April 2019

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I am a doctoral candidate at the School of Environment and Technology (SET). My doctoral research project is supervised by Dr Paul Gilchrist, Dr Mary Gearey and Professor Andrew Church who are all part of the Centre for Spatial, Environmental and Cultural Politics (SECP) and the Centre for Aquatic Environments research groups, which I am also affiliated with.

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Publish your work through our e-journal

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Our Geography, Geology and Environmental Sciences students have the opportunity to publish assignments or their dissertation on eGG, the e-journal for undergraduate research in Environment(e), Geography (G) and Geology(G) in our school.

We have just published first-class research from recent graduate Edward Daws on glacial retreat in the Chamonix Valley, French Alps which you can see here.

Find out more about eGG, here and how to get work published through the author guidlines, here.