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Department of Earth Sciences

 

Greg Palmer

MSci 2017

Public Engagement Coordinator—Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (as of May 2020)


Greg Palmer Interview from libraryhelp on Vimeo.


Interview Transcript:

What did you want to study when you applied to university?
Well, in school I really enjoyed Sciences. I liked physics, so I wanted to do some physical sciences, but I didn't know what I wanted to specialise in. So, I applied to Natural Sciences course at Cambridge, but also some joint honours courses elsewhere.

What options did you choose and why?
So, as a physical natural scientist I took maths and physics options, but then I also took materials science and earth sciences— I picked those two because they're a bit more practical. They had some more real-world applications and I wanted to give them a try. I liked things like geography in school; something like engineering was quite appealing too.

Why did you stay in Earth Sciences?
I really enjoyed the practical element: field trips; lab work; the fact that you could go on a field trip, and look at the world around you, and learn something about it, and how it was formed, and what might happen in the future.

How has your Earth Sciences degree shaped your career?
While I was studying, I really enjoyed learning about the world around us and how life evolved—that kind of thing. I was really interested in how you engage people with the history of our planet and what might happen in the future, so I sort of segued into science communication and engagement as a career after I graduated.

I graduated three years ago. I now work in science communication and engagement at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.