the-BA : Colourful careers

Which of these words do you wish applied to your job: creative, challenging, exciting, unusual or stimulating? If the answer is all five, then a career in science or the social sciences could be what you are looking for – and National Science Week could be just the time for you to explore the options available to you.

‘My urge to be a marine biologist probably began as a toddler on bucket-and-spade trips to the beach,’ says Dr Jason Hall-Spencer, a marine biologist at the University of Plymouth. ‘Childhood explorations for crabs under boulders were followed by fishing trips but what really sealed my choice of career was learning to SCUBA dive in my teens. I was instantly hooked on the beauty and diversity of marine life around my home town of Plymouth.

‘Even today the more I learn about marine science, the more interesting it becomes, and in my job no two days are the same. There are ample opportunities for travel, experimentation and adventure coupled with the realisation that we still only know a tiny fraction of what remains to be discovered. What spurs me on at present is that I am now able to have a positive influence on international policies to do with the sensible use and protection of ocean resources.’

For Dr Sarah Dunkin, a space scientist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford, it was the allure of space which drew her towards science.

‘When I was young, I used to love looking at the stars in the night sky and dreamt of one day going into space to explore the universe,’ says Dr Dunkin. ‘It was my dream to become involved in space science and all of my career choices were based around achieving that aim. I've been very fortunate to achieve that goal, not by being an astronaut myself, but through studying data and images being returned by spacecraft that do the exploring for us.

‘Working in science is far more diverse than I ever thought, and it is difficult to imagine ever being bored in this job. My own career is continually evolving, and it is this that maintains my appetite for the kind of work that I do.’

Emily Finch, a criminologist at the Norwich Law School, had intended to become a barrister when she began her studies. ‘During my studies, I became fascinated with the relationship between law and society,’ she says. ‘My PhD looked at the way in which social problems are constructed and become the subject of legislative intervention. It also looked at whether the law is effective in resolving complex emotional disputes between individuals.’

Since then, Emily’s research has focused on the way in which society interacts with the law, including the way that juries are influenced in rape trials as well as recent work on credit card fraud and identity theft.

‘As my career has developed, I have become increasingly interested in a range of social science disciplines that explore the way in which people respond to the law, such as sociology, psychology and anthropology. I feel fortunate in being able to work in an area which fascinates me and provides great motivation.’

Jason, Sarah and Emily have all been recipients of BA Award Lectures, presented by the BA in recognition for their outstanding communication skills.

‘I hope that National Science Week will encourage more young people to consider studying study the sciences, including social sciences such as economics and sociology, and engineering,’ says Frances Cairncross, President of the BA, which coordinates National Science Week. ‘These are not easy subjects, but they are deeply rewarding and always interesting. They have a great contribution to make to our understanding of our planet. They lead to careers that can offer extensive travel and the chance to work with very interesting people.’

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