Phil Livermore
Graduated in 2004

Why did you decide to study at Leeds?
In my last year as a undergraduate student in Oxford, I studied a geophysics course that got me interested in pursuing a related PhD. After speaking to various people, I narrowed down the choice to projects in Reading, Cambridge and Leeds. The Leeds project was interesting and I was swayed also by the Yorkshire Dales being on the doorstep.

How do you think a PhD degree has helped you develop?
I think one of the biggest things a PhD teaches you is independence, not only of thought but also in terms of organising your own time and being responsible for your own original work. Of course, your supervisor is on hand to help, but ultimately the responsibility rests with you. In addition, you also start to see the working scientific world and live through some cutting edge discoveries, rather than simply reading about them in textbooks.

Please give a brief profile of your career path to your current job:
4 year Mmath degree at Oxford, PhD in SEE Leeds, Postdoc at Department of Applied Mathematics, Leeds.

What are the challenges and rewards of your current job?
The major academic challenge that I face is to understand physical phenomena in scientific language. This is a tough job, but when you make a break through (however small) it is very rewarding – particularly because you know that noone else has thought of this before.

What direction do you want your career to go in the future?
I'd like to pursue a career in academia; in fact, I am moving soon to San Diego to pursue an exciting research project.

Webmasters Note: Phil commenced as a NERC Fellow in the School of Earth and Environment in 2009