Profile
Karen Bacon
Bye everyone! Thanks for all of the great questions :)
My CV
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Education:
I did my undergraduate degree from 2000-2005 (geology and botany) and my PhD 2007-2012 all at University College Dublin, Ireland
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Qualifications:
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in geology and in botany and I have a PhD in palaeobotany
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Work History:
I have worked in the University of Leeds, UK, University College Dublin and Kings College London. Last September I moved from the University of Leeds to the National University of Ireland, Galway.
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Current Job:
Lecturer in Plant Ecology
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About Me:
I am a plant scientist and interested in plant ecology and palaeoecology (fossil plants). I enjoy reading and movies and love being outside.
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Read more
I am a palaeobotanist. This means that I work with fossil plants, usually that grew millions of years ago. I also work with plants that are alive today and I conduct experiments on living plants to try to interpret changes that we see in fossil plants. I put the living plants into different experimental treatments, for example with higher carbon dioxide or temperature than today, and see what happens to the plants. Then I look at the fossils and see if the same thing can be seen in the fossils. I also work on how plants respond to natural pollutants such as volcanic gases and changes in light quality.
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My Typical Day:
This varies depending on the time of year. Right now, we are running exams (online for the first time – so that is challenging) so my day focuses on preparing exams, making sure the exam runs smoothly and answering my students’ questions, and then grading the exams. There is lots of things to do in the background too. During teaching term, a typical day will involve preparing lectures, lab classes and feld trips, talking to students, supervising students doing projects with me and answering lots of emails. I will also be writing papers and analysing data. In the summer, I would usually be preparing to run experiments or set up field studies.
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Read more
There is really no such thing as a typical day for an academic scientist. For most of the last two weeks I was teaching on fieldtrips in North Yorkshire, before that I was in Colorado for a big conference and for the next few weeks I’ll be spending more time in the office and lab.
When I’m in my office I am usually reading scientific papers and analysing data or writing a paper. This is where scientists write about their experiments and then try to publish their findings for other scientists to read about – it’s a hugely important part of our job. I also write my lectures in my office and prepare for classes, another hugely important part of the job. Writing lectures takes a lot of time too, so when I’m lecturing, I spend lots of time in my office.
At the moment, I am trying to finish up an experiment where I see how plants use carbon differently when they are grown in different atmospheres, so I am also in the lab grinding up leaves into tiny parts so that they can be put into a machine that will then work out how much carbon is in each leaf.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Curious, enthuastic, adventurous
What did you want to be after you left school?
A scientist or a journalist
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Very rarely but I was sometimes a bit cheecky
Who is your favourite singer or band?
I don't have one
What's your favourite food?
Chips
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Healthy, happy and having fun
Tell us a joke.
Why do microbiologists feel at home everywhere ? They are familiar with many cultures.
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