Career Case Studies
What can a career in polar or environmental science look like? How can a PhD help you get there? On this page we are sharing the stories of some of our former PhD researchers, finding out more about their PhD experiences and what they have achieved since completing their studies with CPOM.
Amy's story
Dr Amy Swiggs completed her PhD with CPOM and Northumbria University in 2025 and has recently joined the European Space Agency as a Research Fellow.
“I am a Research Fellow at the European Space Agency, working in the Science Hub at the Centre for Earth Observation in Italy, researching Antarctic and Arctic sea ice using satellite data. I also help to coordinate and implement European Space Agency polar projects and initiatives.
In my PhD, I researched Arctic sea ice, with a focus on trying to improve the techniques we use to monitor sea ice change from satellites. I was extremely lucky to have several fieldwork opportunities during my PhD and those are some of my most memorable moments; a particular highlight was seeing polar bears while on a ship-based field campaign in the Arctic.
I was fortunate to do a research visit at the European Space Agency for 3 months during my PhD, and it was such a fantastic experience that I knew if a research position came up, I wanted to apply. When a position was posted in the final year of my PhD, I was nervous about applying but with support from my supervisors, fortunately I was successful!
My PhD was all about building confidence, resilience, and a network. A PhD can be tough and it’s important to develop the resilience to keep pushing on despite the setbacks. Having a network of people you can go to for advice, scientific collaboration, and an aperitivo at conferences is also so important!
If you’re thinking of pursuing a polar science PhD, don’t be afraid to get in touch with current or previous students in your target research group to see what kind of PhD experience they had – were they encouraged to attend conferences? Did they have fieldwork opportunities? How often did they have supervisor or group meetings? Having a good working dynamic with your PhD supervisors and research group is so important, and who better to ask than the people currently working in that group!”
Tom's story
Tom Slater joined CPOM in 2015 at the University of Leeds. Tom primarily uses satellites to study the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, with a focus on satellite radar altimetry, which measures changes in ice height over time. He is also interested in quantifying the ice sheet contribution to the global sea level and understanding the human impacts of sea level rise.
Tom completed his PhD in 2019 at the University of Leeds. His PhD focused on Land Ice altimetry. For his research into measuring the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets and their contributions to rising sea levels Tom was awarded the 2019 Piers Seller Prize for exceptional PhD research.
In this video he talks about how he discovered his passion for polar science, and how it happened a bit later for him than for some students.
Rosie's story
Dr Rosemary Willatt is the Climate Lead and a Lecturer at UCL Department of Earth Sciences and CPOM’s PI for Sea Ice EO. She joined CPOM in 2007 where she completed her PhD, then worked in a range of jobs in environmental sustainability. She returned to academia as a Research Fellow in 2019, then Assistant Professor and CPOM Director of Partnerships at University of Northumbria in 2023. Rosie’s primary area of interest is in remote sensing of sea ice, and she analyses satellite data and conducts experiments in the polar regions and indoor and outdoor ice laboratories, measuring snow and ice properties and deploying surface-based radars.
This video was first published on the CPOM website (cpom.org.uk)
In this video we spoke to CPOM’s PI for Sea Ice Earth Observation, Dr. Rosemary Willatt (UCL) about how she first became interested in observing the cryosphere from space.
Tom's story
Dr Tom Mitcham is a glaciologist, with primary research interests in the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets, investigated using numerical ice sheet models and satellite remote sensing data. His work contributes to the UK’s national capability in ice sheet modelling and to the UKESM’s TerraFIRMA project, exploring the potential for rapid changes and tipping points in the dynamics of the Earth’s ice sheets. Tom has also taught on a range of undergraduate and master’s units in the School of Geographical Sciences at the University of Bristol.
In this video we spoke to Tom about how he first became interested in ice sheet modelling and how excited he is to be at the forefront of this exciting area of climate science.
Natasha's story
Dr Natasha Lee completed her PhD with CPOM and Northumbria University/University of Newcastle in 2025.
I work for the Government of Jersey as an Assistant Climate Change Engagement and Solid Waste Officer. There are two parts to my job. The first is climate change education based where I support learning in schools and life-long learning. I produce educational materials on climate change and organise public and school engagement events. The second part of my role is supporting a strategic review of all waste produced in the jurisdiction. This links well to the climate change role as 14% of Jerseys domestic emissions are from the incineration of refuse waste and both require behavioural changes to improve.
My PhD focussed on the impact of climate change on Icelandic proglacial lakes and glaciers. There were so many amazing opportunities that I got to experience during my PhD such as a field course in Norway and conferences across Europe. But the most memorable part of this would have been the drone based field campaign we completed in Iceland in 2024.
Although I haven’t continued into an academic career, there are many transferable skills. The critical analysis and ability to communicate scientific concepts are vital. I have the ability to manage high work loads and project manage multiple events to deadlines. The budget management skills have also been extremely useful. However, I think the most valuable skill I developed was perseverance.
My PhD journey has developed me personally much more than I could have imagined. I have been lucky enough to make some amazing friends and have amazing opportunities. If you are considering a polar PhD my piece of advice would be to surround yourself with honest but supportive people and embrace the additional opportunities as it is a tough journey but you can develop in unexpected ways.