Ryan Scott Geophysics, 2016
PhD, September 2016
Doing a PhD at NOCS and being able to network with the staff there provides a lot of great opportunities.
PhD title:
My project is part of the NEXUSS CDT and is entitled "Can underwater gliders quantify horizontal mixing in the west Antarctic?"
Why did you choose to take up a PhD at Southampton? Was it a good choice?
I decided to take up a PhD at Southampton because the project itself was the best one for me! There is no good applying for a project if you aren't really interested in it! The opportunities that doing a PhD at Southampton brings (see below) were a bonus... it was a good choice!
What is the best thing about doing a PhD at Southampton?
There are quite a few PhD students at NOCS and everyone is really friendly! Doing a PhD at NOCS and being able to network with the staff there provides a lot of great opportunities (e.g., potential fieldwork opportunities and access to high quality course modules).
What has been your standout highlight of the course so far?
I would say that the highlight of my PhD so far is travelling to Falmouth, Massachusetts, where I attended a glider pilot training course with Teledyne Webb Research. A more general PhD highlight would be the Research Horizons Conference. All of the first year students present a talk related to their project, and it was great to see what everyone was actually up to!
What do you want to do in the future?
I'm a little unsure at the moment if I'm honest... I hope to do something relevant to my PhD, perhaps a post-doc, or possibly in a research industry role if one arises. I know that the SPITFIRE and NEXUSS PhD programmes provide opportunities to do placements, so that is something I'll be looking to do, to help me make my mind up!
What advice would you give to students hoping to follow in your footsteps?
I would say if you are interested in doing a PhD and have found some that you think you'd like to do, then contact the lead supervisor and ask for some more information (e.g., some relevant papers etc...). Showing a keen interest will prove vital when it comes to being selected for an interview!