Profile
Evelyn Greeves
My CV
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Education:
2003-2010: Shincliffe C of E Primary School
2010-2015: Durham Johnston Comprehensive School (where I did my GCSEs)
2015-2017: Durham Johnston Sixth Form (where I did A-levels)
2017-2021: University of York -
Qualifications:
I did my GCSEs in 2015, including triple science, Latin, Geography and Computer Science.
I did A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and Maths, and an AS-level in English Literature.
I’m currently doing a degree in Biology 👩🔬 -
Work History:
This is my first real job! At university I work as a student ambassador, helping show people around the campus. And when I was a teenager I earned some money doing babysitting and tutoring, which I really enjoyed.
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Current Job:
I work in the Scientific Computing Department at STFC. My job is “Communications & Impact”, which means I tell people about the work we do and why it’s important.
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About Me:
I’m a friendly, happy, confident 21 year old who lives in Oxford and loves knitting, dogs and science.
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Read more
I’m a student at the University of York but right now I’m doing a placement year at a big research council in Didcot, Oxfordshire. I live in Oxford with my partner, Becca, and our housemate.
I love dogs, science and spending time with my friends! I relax by knitting cosy jumpers or by looking after our garden. In my free time I help at a Cub Scout group and I used to sing in a choir. My pronouns are she/her.
Here’s a photo of me and Becca on holiday in Malta last year:
We can’t wait to “grow up” and buy a house together so we can get a pet dog!
Before lockdown I also really enjoyed seeing my friends and doing things like going for walks, going to the pub and even sometimes going to dances called ceilidhs, which are really fun. Now I can’t do those things which is really sad – how are you coping with not seeing your friends? Let me know so I can try some new ideas out!
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Read more
I work in the Scientific Computing department at STFC, a research council. Lots of scientists visit STFC and use our big machines to study what things are made of. This produces data (pictures and numbers) which can be difficult to understand. In my department, we help the scientists understand their data using computers.
My job is to tell people about the different ways we help scientists. For example, we store their data on computers and help them find it when they need it. We also have big computers that can help them make sense of it. We keep the computers in a special room called the “machine room”.
One of our big computers is called JASMIN, an environmental science computer. JASMIN stores lots of big datasets about things like the climate, weather and other things related to the Earth. Scientists use JASMIN to get this data and then do complicated maths to help them understand what it means.
The photo underneath is of me in the machine room, looking at JASMIN:
We also write software to helps scientists understand their data. This involves lots of coding and testing to make sure it works. For example, we write software that helps scientists who study biological molecules like proteins understand their experiments. People are using this software right now to understand more about the coronavirus and how we could stop it using medicines.
In my job I get to do lots of fun stuff to tell people about what we do. I write articles for our website and for other staff to read. I also design leaflets and posters about our work, which are handed out at big events. One of my favourite things to do is to use social media (Twitter) to get more people excited about our work. I get to do some really fun stuff on Twitter, like use emojis 😝 and #hashtags. I also get to use lots of photos, including old photos from our archive. One time I even got current staff to recreate old photos, like the ones below!
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My Typical Day:
I spend most of my day sat at my desk, writing about how my friends use computers to help scientists. I also meet with other people to ask them about their work or to plan new projects together. Every day I find out about a new, exciting piece of science.
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Here’s what my day looked like before the Covid-19 pandemic meant I had to start working from home!
08:45 I arrive at work and go to my desk. Here’s me sat at my desk:
09:00 I help our Public Engagement team run an event for primary school children visiting our site. It’s hard work but really fun, and I love telling the pupils about our science.
12:15 Lunchtime! I meet my friends in the canteen and we chat and laugh together.
13:00 I take a nap in a quiet room. I have a condition called Narcolepsy, which makes me very tired, and it’s important that I take a nap every day to help me stay awake all afternoon.
13:30 I meet with someone in my department to chat about their work. They tell me about a big computer called JASMIN, which stores data for scientists who study the environment. Here’s JASMIN:
14:00 I start writing an article about JASMIN for our website.
16:00 I meet my friend for coffee. We talk about the work we’re doing and how we could work together on a new project.
17:00 Hometime! I meet my friends at the car and we listen to music all the way home.
Luckily I can do lots of my work from home, so right now my day doesn’t look too different. The main difference is that I work in the living room instead of at a desk! However, I really miss chatting with my friends every day and doing fun public engagement activities.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would make some cool, fun to read posters and booklets to tell school pupils (like you!) about how my friends at work use computers to help scientists.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Creative, thoughtful, driven.
What did you want to be after you left school?
A biologist! But I wasn't really sure (and don't tell anyone... but I'm still not 100% sure!)
Were you ever in trouble at school?
No, I was a bit of a goody-two-shoes 😇
Who is your favourite singer or band?
I love the band Electric Light Orchestra - they're from my dad's era and I grew up listening to all their songs.
What's your favourite food?
My favourite meal is vegetarian sausages and mash, my favourite food overall is chocolate 😋 ESPECIALLY if you combine chocolate with cake, doughnuts or other yummy things!
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
1. Find a technology to stop/reverse global warming 2. Ability to teleport, so I can go on nice holidays without feeling bad about flying. Plus I could see my family and friends more! 3. Get a nice house with a big garden by the sea - with enough space for a dog!
Tell us a joke.
Q. How do you make an octopus laugh? A. Give it ten-tickles!
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