I know, I know... I've been completely useless at writing a blog this year; failing at my New Year's resolution to write on here more. I endeavour to try to find more time to keep this updated. In the meantime, here's a quick catch-up of my life since January:
Undertook my masters project in biophotonics at the University of St Andrews - "A compact violet diode laser system for the optoinjection and transfection of mammalian cells" - under the supervision of Professor Kishan Dholakia.
Spent 10 weeks shut away in a laser lab working on said project. Initially, designing and building the laser system and then aiming it at Chinese hamster ovary cells.
Completed (ish) my project and handed it in (I should try to find a way of uploading it online...).
Moved back home for a bit and went to New York for a holiday with my family (took plenty of photographs of food, of course).
Graduated from The University of St Andrews with a Master in Physics (Honours) First Class.
Traveled for a month with one of my friends from my internship at Fermilab. Visited Mexico City, Guanajuato, Teotihuacan, Cancun, Amsterdam, London and Edinburgh.
Moved to London, where I am currently attending 4 weeks of technical training for my new job as an investment banker.
Long story short: having far too much fun in London (minus trying to start studying for the dreaded JSDA exams) and will be moving to Tokyo in a couple of weeks to start my new life over there. I'm pleased to have a visit from my family to look forward to first, though. Can't wait for afternoon tea in Sketch and bbq ribs from Joe Allans :)
Showing posts with label physics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label physics. Show all posts
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Minor Planet 23248 Batchelor
So, long story short, I have a near-earth asteroid named after me. It’s pretty much the second-coolest thing I own (apologies, but first place has to go to my new handbag) and makes for a pretty interesting talking point in job interviews. Anyway, I mentioned before that talked about this to my mentor and his colleague. Well it transpires that Alan (the colleague) was so intrigued as to whether or not I would ever be able to see my asteroid, that he went away and looked it up. And then he delved a little deeper and worked out when and where it will be visible from Earth. And then he realised that this corresponded perfectly with a telescope time slot and location that he will be using at the end of the month. So, THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE IMAGES OF MY ASTEROID FOR ME!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!?!
I still haven’t quite got over how amazing this is! I just thought that I would never actually ever get to see my asteroid (it’s much too dim to see with the naked eye, binoculars or even most small telescopes at night) and now, the people from Fermilab and a professor from some university are going to use up their valuable observing time to takes photos of it for me! If the images are good enough, we should be able to perform photometric analysis on them to determine exactly what my minor planet is composed of. Wow. I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that it’s a clear sky at the observatory that night!
I still haven’t quite got over how amazing this is! I just thought that I would never actually ever get to see my asteroid (it’s much too dim to see with the naked eye, binoculars or even most small telescopes at night) and now, the people from Fermilab and a professor from some university are going to use up their valuable observing time to takes photos of it for me! If the images are good enough, we should be able to perform photometric analysis on them to determine exactly what my minor planet is composed of. Wow. I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that it’s a clear sky at the observatory that night!
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Science For Careers: Report Published
My group's report went live today! The interactive BIS website has an embedded version which you can read online, although if you have a slow internet connection, this page takes ridiculously long to load. The pdf file of the report can be viewed directly here (1MB pdf file) and the Group Chair Diana Garnham's letter to BIS about the report can be seen here (13.6 KB pdf file).
Just in case you were wondering, my box is on p12 and also in the appendix on p41 (that one is my original version, before Cate added my comment about getting emails...). Check it out!
EDIT: Diana discusses the key points from our report here, as well as mentioning the prospect of a "Hidden Science - Hidden Scientists" event, scheduled for this summer, when scientists can come 'out the closet'. With any luck that event will happen, even with the change of government, as the idea sounded really good in our last meeting.
Just in case you were wondering, my box is on p12 and also in the appendix on p41 (that one is my original version, before Cate added my comment about getting emails...). Check it out!
EDIT: Diana discusses the key points from our report here, as well as mentioning the prospect of a "Hidden Science - Hidden Scientists" event, scheduled for this summer, when scientists can come 'out the closet'. With any luck that event will happen, even with the change of government, as the idea sounded really good in our last meeting.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Where's Holly?
I’ve been getting it in the neck from my family as to why I’ve not been keeping up with this blog and, to be honest, I don’t really know why I never kept up posting after coming back to Scotland. So, lets get back into the swing of things and start writing about what I’ve been getting up to – there’s no time like the present (and I am bored revising for exams…).
Upon returning home from Japan, I had just under two weeks to relax and get over my jet-lag before going back to university for the fourth year of my physics degree. During Freshers’ Week, I popped over to Glasgow one evening for a gathering of all the SaltireFoundation interns. It was really nice to swap stories with everyone.
This year, I signed up for evening classes in Japanese (I’ve just finished the first semester’s worth) as I really hope to go back to Japan one day soon, and having a better grasp of the language would certainly help!
Starting in the final week of September, I have been flying down to London to attend bi-monthly meetings as a member of the Science For Careers Expert Group. We meet to discuss the future of education, careers advice and careers available in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects and then pass our results/findings onto Lord Mandelson for government to act on accordingly. The group (which is chaired by Diana Garnham and funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) wrote a draft report on what we’d been getting up to at the end of December. I’ve got another meeting in a few weeks, so it will be interesting to hear how well it went down…
In November, I almost went to Paris for an Intel ISEF affiliated event but, unfortunately, the week before I was due to go, Intel got fined in excess of £1 billion, which meant they couldn’t afford to send me. Boo hoo. Hopefully I might get to go next year if they aren’t too poor.
I spent most of December filling in ridiculous numbers of application forms and updating my CV to try to bag myself an internship for summer 2010. Currently, I’ve applied for two completely different fields:
1) Particle Physics Research
I thought I’d try my hand at applying to CERN and Fermilab again this year, in the hope that they might say yes if I keep pestering them. On the other hand, if they keep saying no, I’ll take the hint…
2) Finance
I undertook the mammoth task of completing the online application forms for analyst (sales and trading with maybe a bit of structuring thrown in) positions with RBS, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan at their London or New York offices. I’ve got my assessment centre for RBS in London at the end of the month, so wish me luck! After speaking to the careers advisor in St Andrews, I also had my CV passed on to the London office of Promontory Finance, with the aim of working in Risk Management. I heard back from them this morning and, quite amazingly, they have offered me a summer internship! I’ve made plans to go to their office and say ‘hi’ whilst I’m down in London to find out what exactly working with them would entail.
In between all this gallivanting, I have, of course, been studying and trying to end up with a physics degree. I’ve just finished my first semester of fourth year classes (scary stuff, I know…) and am in the middle of revising for my exams that are on Thursday, Saturday and Monday. This semester hasn’t been as enjoyable as previous years’, and I can’t quite put my finger on why… It could be that it was a bit of a come-down getting back to studying after being in Tokyo, or the fact that the labs aren’t as interesting, or that some bits of my modules (non-linear optics & optoelectronics, laser physics, atomic physics) were a bit of a drag, or possibly all of the above. Regardless, I’ll stick it out and see what happens.
And there you have it; a whistle-stop tour of the last 4(ish) months of my life.
Upon returning home from Japan, I had just under two weeks to relax and get over my jet-lag before going back to university for the fourth year of my physics degree. During Freshers’ Week, I popped over to Glasgow one evening for a gathering of all the SaltireFoundation interns. It was really nice to swap stories with everyone.
This year, I signed up for evening classes in Japanese (I’ve just finished the first semester’s worth) as I really hope to go back to Japan one day soon, and having a better grasp of the language would certainly help!
Starting in the final week of September, I have been flying down to London to attend bi-monthly meetings as a member of the Science For Careers Expert Group. We meet to discuss the future of education, careers advice and careers available in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects and then pass our results/findings onto Lord Mandelson for government to act on accordingly. The group (which is chaired by Diana Garnham and funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) wrote a draft report on what we’d been getting up to at the end of December. I’ve got another meeting in a few weeks, so it will be interesting to hear how well it went down…
In November, I almost went to Paris for an Intel ISEF affiliated event but, unfortunately, the week before I was due to go, Intel got fined in excess of £1 billion, which meant they couldn’t afford to send me. Boo hoo. Hopefully I might get to go next year if they aren’t too poor.
I spent most of December filling in ridiculous numbers of application forms and updating my CV to try to bag myself an internship for summer 2010. Currently, I’ve applied for two completely different fields:
1) Particle Physics Research
I thought I’d try my hand at applying to CERN and Fermilab again this year, in the hope that they might say yes if I keep pestering them. On the other hand, if they keep saying no, I’ll take the hint…
2) Finance
I undertook the mammoth task of completing the online application forms for analyst (sales and trading with maybe a bit of structuring thrown in) positions with RBS, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan at their London or New York offices. I’ve got my assessment centre for RBS in London at the end of the month, so wish me luck! After speaking to the careers advisor in St Andrews, I also had my CV passed on to the London office of Promontory Finance, with the aim of working in Risk Management. I heard back from them this morning and, quite amazingly, they have offered me a summer internship! I’ve made plans to go to their office and say ‘hi’ whilst I’m down in London to find out what exactly working with them would entail.
In between all this gallivanting, I have, of course, been studying and trying to end up with a physics degree. I’ve just finished my first semester of fourth year classes (scary stuff, I know…) and am in the middle of revising for my exams that are on Thursday, Saturday and Monday. This semester hasn’t been as enjoyable as previous years’, and I can’t quite put my finger on why… It could be that it was a bit of a come-down getting back to studying after being in Tokyo, or the fact that the labs aren’t as interesting, or that some bits of my modules (non-linear optics & optoelectronics, laser physics, atomic physics) were a bit of a drag, or possibly all of the above. Regardless, I’ll stick it out and see what happens.
And there you have it; a whistle-stop tour of the last 4(ish) months of my life.
Thursday, 5 March 2009
X-Rays and Neutrinos
Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy studying physics until I take a step back and look at what I do each day.
Today I took an x-ray of a crystal (on dental x-ray film) to work out what it was. From the image of the diffraction of the x-rays, we worked out that it was a big chunk of table salt. My lab partner didn't let me lick it... Although my friend did check out the x-ray diffraction of a malteaser.
I then came home, made soup, ate soup, filled in an internship application and finished my presentation on neutrino oscillations. Well, that's a bit of a lie as I've almost finished the PowerPoint but haven't actually rehearsed it or learnt it. And I have to give it at 2 o'clock tomorrow. I think I'll just wing it and see how it goes - that's what I tend to end up doing anyway.
Today I took an x-ray of a crystal (on dental x-ray film) to work out what it was. From the image of the diffraction of the x-rays, we worked out that it was a big chunk of table salt. My lab partner didn't let me lick it... Although my friend did check out the x-ray diffraction of a malteaser.
I then came home, made soup, ate soup, filled in an internship application and finished my presentation on neutrino oscillations. Well, that's a bit of a lie as I've almost finished the PowerPoint but haven't actually rehearsed it or learnt it. And I have to give it at 2 o'clock tomorrow. I think I'll just wing it and see how it goes - that's what I tend to end up doing anyway.
Monday, 2 March 2009
The Story So Far
Okay, I'm meant to be working so am looking for distractions. I therefore thought it would be a good idea to give a (very brief!) summary of my life so far. I really should have started a blog 2 years ago...
Born in Edinburgh.
Went to school in Edinburgh (I'm a Mary Erskine girl, whether I like it or not).
Wanted to be a fashion designer.
Then wanted to study project design.
Changed my mind again and went with physics.
Did a physics project over the summer holidays at University of Edinburgh (in between fifth and sixth year).
Got paid by Nuffield Foundation to investigate cosmic rays for six weeks.
Exhibited my project at the National CREST Fair (now the Big Bang Fair).
Represented the UK with my project at the Intel ISEF in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Ended up with minor planet named after me and an internship with Agilent Technologies.
Went to Budapest for the day with Intel to discuss "women in science".
Went to last year's CREST Fair to say hi.
Spoke at "Science, Innovation and Enterprise" conference in Glasgow, discussing the future of science education in Scotland.
Part of panel with Lord Drayson and PM at "Building the Britain of the Future" expo in Westminster - again talking about science education and start of "Science: [So What?]" campaign.
Now studying physics at University of St Andrews because Oxford said no (which, in retrospect, I'm very glad about).
Phew.
Born in Edinburgh.
Went to school in Edinburgh (I'm a Mary Erskine girl, whether I like it or not).
Wanted to be a fashion designer.
Then wanted to study project design.
Changed my mind again and went with physics.
Did a physics project over the summer holidays at University of Edinburgh (in between fifth and sixth year).
Got paid by Nuffield Foundation to investigate cosmic rays for six weeks.
Exhibited my project at the National CREST Fair (now the Big Bang Fair).
Represented the UK with my project at the Intel ISEF in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Ended up with minor planet named after me and an internship with Agilent Technologies.
Went to Budapest for the day with Intel to discuss "women in science".
Went to last year's CREST Fair to say hi.
Spoke at "Science, Innovation and Enterprise" conference in Glasgow, discussing the future of science education in Scotland.
Part of panel with Lord Drayson and PM at "Building the Britain of the Future" expo in Westminster - again talking about science education and start of "Science: [So What?]" campaign.
Now studying physics at University of St Andrews because Oxford said no (which, in retrospect, I'm very glad about).
Phew.
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