Profile
Stuart Jenkins
My CV
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Education:
I went to a state-funded secondary school near Birmingham in the UK.
I did my undergraduate degree in Physics at Oxford University between 2014 and 2018.
I am now studying a PhD in Oxford University (2018-2022).
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Qualifications:
GCSEs: Maths, English Language, English Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Art, History, German.
A-Levels: Maths, Physics, Chemistry (AS levels: Biology and Further Maths)
Masters in Physics (1st)
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Work History:
I went straight through school to university and then into a PhD. While I’ve done my phd I’ve been employed by many groups wanting particular things I am good at, but they’re all related to my day job!
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Current Job:
Climate scientist studying for a PhD in AOPP, Dept. of Physics, University of Oxford.
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About Me:
I live and work in Oxford, and am a member of Wadham College. I am from Birmingham, proudly state-school educated, and an enthusiastic (if not talented!) runner, painter and guitarist.
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Read more
I am from Birmingham, where I grew up with my brother and sister (I’m a triplet).
I now live and work in Oxford, and am a member of Wadham College. I actually started at Wadham as an undergraduate in 2014, where I studied Physics. I completed my Masters in 2018, and started a PhD programme working in the science of climate change.
In my spare time I like to think of myself as a runner, painter and guitarist. I am getting better at the first, and was definitely previously better at the latter two!
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I work in climate science, although I hate that phrase. Labelling it ‘climate science’ makes it different from other science, and easier to attack. In reality I’m a physicist who works on the physics of the climate system.
In particular, I work on non-CO2 contributions to climate change. Carbon dioxide (or CO2 as I call it — the most famous of the pollutants contributing to climate change) is reasonably well understood nowadays. There is much more uncertainty in the contributions from other pollutants; such as methane, N2O, and aerosols such as SO2 and black carbon.
My work is using a mixture of big computer simulations and satellite observations to unravel the contributions from non-CO2 contributions to climate change to date, in particular looking at the tiny particulate matter in the atmosphere (aerosols).
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My Typical Day:
I usually spend my day coding. I do this to try and write simple models which I think can help me better understand the climate. If I’m not coding, I am usually writing a paper or a presentation about some results I found the week before! Writing takes a long time, but I find it really rewarding.
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Read more
I usually spend my day coding. I do this to try and write simple models which I think can help me better understand the climate. Models are useful because they allow us to understand WHY a part of the climate behaves the way it does. We need models to help us understand the world around us.
If I’m not coding, I am usually writing a paper or a presentation about some results I found the week before! I do this because the whole aim of science it to explain the world around us, and predict similar situations in the future. Writing up work helps communicate what I find to other scientists, so they can work on the next problem!
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Inquisitive, logical, normal
What did you want to be after you left school?
I had no idea. I just knew I liked physics enough to pursue it.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not really, I kept my head low.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Oasis
What's your favourite food?
Pizza
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To stop worrying about the work I do, To enjoy what I have, To travel more
Tell us a joke.
Did you hear about the mathematician who's afraid of negative numbers? He'll stop at nothing to avoid them.
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