Kat Lacey
Swansea University, SPECIFIC - College of Engineering
Materials Engineering
How did you get to your current position?
By chance! I had previously worked as a lab technician in the geography department at Swansea University for a few years, then after funding had run out I took on an admin job to continue my employment at the university while I looked for something that inspired me.
I saw a job advert for a lab tech in the engineering departmentworking with a renewable technology research group, and since this was of interest to me due to my environmental background I decided to go and meet the team in my lunch break.
I was so impressed with how friendly and interested they were that I applied straight away, was interviewed a couple of weeks later and got the job!
A couple of years into my job I was then offered the opportunity to work on a part-time PhDon solar energy technology. This was something I couldn’t possibly say no to –studying a PhD has strongly appealed in the past and this was the perfect situation for me alongside a fully paid job in the field I now wanted to stay in.
Who inspired you to a career in research in STEM?
My parents. Both had an interest in science, they watched lots of documentaries with us and always hadplenty of books around that would interest me and my brother. I used to often pick up scientific fact books up and read through them. Parents: don’t underestimate the power of giving your kids access to these things early on! There are so manyresourcesavailable to both kids and adults now with knowledge being so accessible, and so many funways to introduce STEM subjects to them.
What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?
My job works in tandem with my research, so I get to simultaneously support an ever-growing research group who build the future with renewable technology, as well as contributing to the pool of knowledge myself by working on my PhD topic. For me this is absolutely the best of both worlds.
If you could change one thing in the scientific culture right now, what would it be?
The belief that scientific research is a single track career. You don’t have to be in academia if you start a research degree –the skills you learn and the topics you study can apply to so many different careers in industry and research. If becoming an academic is your goal, then go for it!But if you’re interested in doing a research degree and feel you’d like to do something different with your career, then you should absolutely still go for it.
Can you share more about yourself, what do you do outside your research, eg hobbies/other?
In my spare time I love to go in the sea no matter the time of year and go on coastal walks –the benefits of living in a city next to the sea! I also do a lot of crafting such as sewing and knitting, particularly this year whilst working at home a lot, this has been a good way to keep some work-life balance.
Anything else?
For anyone interested in getting into scientific research but has any uncertainties or hasn’t been able to get into a funded course, I cannot emphasise enough the opportunities you could get from volunteering! If it’s at a university, speak to the department you’re interested inworking with. Find out what they do and who works in the subject area you’re keen to be involved with. If it’s in industry, speak to the company. If you have a genuine interest then this is a great way to get your foot in the door. It will give you valuable experience and keep you in the loop if any jobs or funding become available. I got started at Swansea University this way, doing one day a week at the university processing samples in a lab while doing a full-time job elsewhere to get some income. Six months later I was offered a paid job as a lab technician and have been at the university ever since!