Chris Finlay
Graduated in 2005

Why did you decide to study at Leeds?
Excellent reputation of the geophysics research group and interesting proposed
PhD topic.

How do you think a PhD degree has helped you?
Doing a PhD taught me to think independently and critically. It has allowed me to obtain a job as a research scientist and given me the chance to continue to work on a subject that interests me.

What was your career path to your current job?

• School: Lisburn, Northern Ireland
• Undergraduate Education: Physics Degree (MPhys) at University of Oxford
• Postgraduate Education: PhD in Geophysics at University of Leeds
• Employment: Research Fellow, University of Leeds Sept '05- March '06
• Post-doctoral Researcher, ETH Zurich, Switzerland March '06 to present

What are the challenges and rewards of your current job?
Challenges: Applying numerical modelling and statistical analysis tools to explain observations of Earth's properties and to aid understanding complex mechanisms at work.

I get to work on a subject that continues to fascinate me (Earth's magnetic field) applying the tools I learnt during my PhD to current research problems. I also enjoy the chance to travel regularly to international conferences to discuss with colleagues, and to work in a beautiful and exciting country (Switzerland).

What direction do you want your career to go in the future?
I would like to continue as a research scientist for the next few years, and perhaps eventually become a university lecturer.