Alumni: Lorna Hobart

What attracted you to Warwick?

Working as a qualified gardener, I was (and still am!) obsessed with plants and ecology, and I became increasingly interested in what I called the 'ugly' side of gardening, i.e. the pests, diseases and weeds all at war in the environment, and generally all the things which can hijack our dreams of healthy and productive spaces! I wondered a lot at how these problems stack up for growers, and in habitat conservation contexts, where climate change, urbanisation, and shifting ecological dynamics are worsening pest and abiotic pressures.

I wondered how these issues impact our societies – now, historically, and in the long-term. I became really passionate about this question: How will we manage plant health challenges within changing landscapes, and how could solutions bring about benefits to our societies?

Plant science and horticulture/agriculture have been undervalued and taken for granted for decades, and as a result there's a diminishing availability of opportunities to study these topics in depth in taught contexts. This is something I felt (and still feel!) really concerned about, and I felt compelled to take responsibility for my own learning while I had the opportunity.

The course at Warwick appeared like a holy grail, as it is one of very few left in the country which teaches significant content on plant pathology, soil science and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and these were the core areas I wanted to focus on. The course also taught them in a way which was grounded in the real world - with visits to farms, lots of contact with industry professionals, and loads of case studies. For me I get the biggest kick out of translational research and bringing functional solutions to pressing land management problems, so this was something I sought and valued in the course.

I didn't have a formal science background, so the fact that these topics were taught as a conversion opportunity made the course incredibly accessible, and I learnt skills beyond what I could have previously imagined myself capable of.

I feel really lucky to have done this course, and I would encourage anyone open to considering a career in plant biology, food and/or environment to go for an MSc at Warwick – food security is an overlooked and fascinating area of fundamental importance, that will inevitably be forced to grow an even wider variety of stimulating and rewarding opportunities in the future because we depend on the environment for everything, and we all have to work harder to secure ways of sustainably balancing production with conservation and land resilience.

What was the most valuable part of your experience at Warwick?

Naturally I was worried what it would be like returning to university after over a decade, and how I would cope with a science degree (my undergrad was in the humanities). However, for a start I had underestimated how much my horticultural background had taught me, and it was extremely exciting to build on this practical knowledge and be able to have lots of my questions and curiosities answered through rich and varied lecture content. But you don’t have to have a lot of existing knowledge – whatever your background, if you have an interest, then you'll love the opportunity to sit and immerse yourself in 2 terms of lectures taught by world-class researchers.
I felt so lucky and had the best time getting to dive into different topics with our varied assignments. Each assignment focused on growing different skills, and by the end of the course I found myself able to give presentations, read highly technical papers and weird blobby graphs much more confidently than before, and to analyse large data-sets and write reports (all those scary science things, that were actually really fun!).

In addition to this, it has been so rewarding to have the opportunity to meet like-minded students in my cohort who all share the same interests and passion for food security and environmental health. We all came from different backgrounds and brought different perspectives. Not only did we support and challenge one another to grow during our courses, but we also had so much fun - such as camping at Groundswell, and having lunches together between lectures/study sessions! We have maintained a network of friendship and support as we go forward in our careers, which is invaluable.

How did your research project develop your skills and shape your career direction?

For me I chose to do my project at the Warwick Crop Centre, and I felt so lucky to be able to work with an outstanding team of staff and PhD students who supported me to develop laboratory skills in mycology and also to set up and monitor glasshouse experiments.

I got to grow (and infect) my ownBrassicaplants (which both pleased and displeased the gardener in me), and experiment with biocontrols, and it was really fun to get into the rhythm of the experiments and read lots of interesting academic papers alongside this, which helped to consolidate and grow knowledge I'd developed during the first two terms. It was such a privilege to spend time doing this and to be able to put it all together into a paper-style thesis, rounding off an understanding of the full scientific process - from conception and planning, to experiment set-up, through to data collection and finally analysis & write-up.

There are very few opportunities to study plant pathology in the UK, and mycology is a field where skills/knowledge are at risk of being lost. I can't tell you how happy I was to be able to spend a whole term studying plant pathology and learning from experts in the field - this was such a dream. I smile inside whenever I think of it, and I look forward to building on these skills in my plant health career, and hopefully promoting to others the fascinating and dramatic world of plants and microbes!

What advice would you give to prospective students considering the course?

Go towards the interest- and don't delay. You're needed now! Whether that be a small spark of curiosity, or a burning need to study the subject, there is enough in these MSc courses to hold your interest and to make that spark grow into something unique that you alone can bring to the challenges we are facing this century. The courses offered by Warwick give a comprehensive overview of what these challenges are, and invite you to be proactive in addressing them with the skills and perspectives that you have to offer.

If you care about the future, about wildlife and the environment, about food production, about public health, politics, and the rest - these courses equip you with how to promote and help find solutions to the issues that worry you. You can't fix the challenges, and don't have to know specifically where you intend to go next, you just have to trust that this will take your life in a direction towards meaningful action and collaboration - the rest is beyond your control.

Any doubts that say you can't do this, or that it might not be for you - remember that university is a place of possibilities, and the University of Warwick is exceptional at helping you nurture your voice and go towards your specific interests. If you pursue the opportunity with the determination to succeed, then you will, because the support is there. Remember that there may be funding opportunities to make it possible where finances are a barrier for you. Go towards the opportunity while it is there, personalise it to your niche, and help to keep these opportunities there for others in the future.