Profile
Nick Homer
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About Me:
I live in Edinburgh and enjoy running or exploring the Scottish Highlands during my free time.
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I grew up in Devon in the south west of England.
In my spare time, I enjoy exploring Scotland by hiking in the mountains, jogging through a new area, or paddleboarding on a loch.
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My pronouns are:
he/him
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My Work:
I research how the world’s ice sheets are changing due to climate change. I do this by looking at satellite imagery taken from space.
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I use computer algorithms to help computers to “see” what is going on in satellite imagery in the same way that humans can. This means we can more quickly and accurately measure change to the ice sheets in different satellite images.
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My Typical Day:
I get into the office for 9:30, where I spend most of the day coding on my computer. I usually take a long lunch break with my office mates.
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No two days are the same! There’s lots of variation between computer programming, teaching, writing papers and, meetings with the rest of my research group.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I’d use the money to buy high-resolution satellite imagery to use for outreach activities, such as the satellite image “spot-the-difference” activity that we have developed at SatSchool
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Education:
I went to school at my local comprehensive school in Dawlish, Devon, where I did my GCSEs. I then moved to sixth form in Torquay to do my A-levels, before doing my undergraduate degree in Geography at the University of Edinburgh. My Master’s degree is from the University of Cambridge and I’m now back at the University of Edinburgh studying for my PhD.
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Qualifications:
9 GCSEs, 3 A-levels, 1 undergraduate degree (Geography BSc) and 1 Master’s Degree (Polar Science MPhil).
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Work History:
I worked as a barista in a cafe whilst at university.
After graduating I worked in the renewable energy sector, where I worked for a not-for-profit business and a start-up company. Both of these jobs required a lot of data analysis, but also working with other people talking to other people in the industry.
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Current Job:
PhD researcher in satellite remote sensing
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Employer:
The University of Edinburgh
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Outdoorsy coding glaciologist
What did you want to be after you left school?
I didn't know (and still don't...)
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes for talking too much in class
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Maybe a teacher
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Taylor Swift (obviously!)
What's your favourite food?
Fajitas
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
(1) To be healthy and happy, (2) to be able to solve the climate crisis and (3) to be able to fly
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