Environmental Safety Scientist at Unilever

What is your current job or area of study? Please give a brief description of what this entails

My current job is as an Environmental Safety Scientist at Unilever. I lead the Environmental Fate lab at Unilever's Safety, Environmental & Regulatory Science (SERS) centre, where we focus on the biodegradability and persistence of chemicals. I also work as part of the environmental safety team, where we develop novel approaches to understand the environmental safety of our ingredients, without animal testing.

Why did you choose your degree subject and why did you choose Warwick?

I chose to do Biological Sciences at Warwick because of the broad base of knowledge offered and chose to stay and complete my MSc in Environmental Biosciences in a changing climate because I became interested in ecology and the environment, and the course was particularly timely and relevant. Throughout these degrees, I found a passion for environmental microbiology, through lectures and particularly my lab project opportunities in both my MSc and BSc, which led me to my PhD project.

Tell us about your favourite memory of your degree

The best thing about my degree was the opportunity for lab-based research. The skills I learnt were incredibly useful and well-rounded, and it is where I discovered my passion for research, which has carried forward into my current role.

How did you fill your time outside of your studies?

I worked as a student ambassador in the School of Life Sciences alongside all three of my degrees at Warwick, but there were also plenty of other things in the local area to fill my time with, outside of my studies. During my time at Warwick, I tried loads of new things, like organising a conference, running the SSLC social media, and volunteer tree-cutting!

Tell us about what happened after graduation. How did you get to your current role?

I was open to any role that fit my interests, and was lucky that this opportunity came up before I had graduated, so I was able to apply while finishing my degree and start right after.

How did your time at Warwick prepare you for life after university? Did you learn any valuable skills? How were you supported?

In addition to amazing lab research skills, I was encouraged and helped to improve my public speaking, posters and presentations, and literature research.

What are your top tips for someone considering a degree at Warwick?

Go for a visit on an open day, to see the campus and talk to some of the current students about their experiences.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you would have had when starting your degree?

Really make the most out of the opportunities that come your way, try new things just for the fun of it, and make the most of the campus and towns nearby too.