Maria
PhD, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
I’m doing a PhD in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, based in the Roger Perry Laboratory. My research area is resource recovery from faecal sludge pyrolysis.
My undergraduate degree was in Civil Engineering, but towards the end, I realised I was more interested in the environmental side. This led me to do a Master’s in Environmental Engineering at Imperial a few years ago.
Soon into my Master’s studies I realised I was interested in recycling waste, and turning something useless into something useful. That was my first inspiration.
I’m currently working with waste and wastewater because I think it’s very interesting to take value out of something that everyone thinks is just something to be discarded.
I’m also working with developing countries using waste from on-site non-sewered sanitation facilities, not like the toilet system we have in the UK.
A big motivation for me is the knowledge that almost half the world’s population still doesn’t have access to safely managed sanitation. It was during my Master’s at Imperial that the realisation hit me, of just how small percentage of the world I actually knew. It made me want to try and do something for other people through my research; to improve the reality of those impacted by poor sanitation.
Choosing Imperial
I knew about Imperial as a few friends and professors from my university in Greece had studied here. When I looked into it properly, I was really happy to see how diverse it is and how you can meet people from all over the world.
Now I’ve been here a few years, that’s actually one of the things I love the most about Imperial.
I’ve met so many interesting people from different backgrounds, and everyone I’ve met here is so passionate about what they do.
Moving to London
Another reason I chose Imperial was the fact that I already spoke the language, which definitely made things easier when I moved to the UK.
My undergraduate university was in the city I grew up in, so moving for my Master’s was the first time I moved away from home, on top of moving to a different country. But there were systems in place to help new students, things like registering with a GP nearby. I got settled properly when I met people from my year and made friends.
I’d been to London before I came here to study and I really liked it. I really love dance and ballet, so it’s a great place for me to go and see shows.
There are just so many things you can do and see, it is never-ending! My favourite thing to do is walk along the South Bank and see ballet at the Royal Opera House.
Making the most of opportunities
I used the Careers Service when I was doing my Master’s because I knew I wanted to get a job in industry once I’d graduated. They helped me a lot, firstly in understanding that you have to start applying early! When I started my MSc, I was under the impression I could wait until I’d finished before starting to apply, but graduate schemes work very differently. The Imperial Careers Service really helped guide me through the process and I had a job in place for when I finished my Master’s.
I started my PhD during the coronavirus pandemic, so I found the Graduate School courses very helpful as they helped get the ball rolling on a few things for my research.
The courses are built in a way to give you practical skills for your research, no matter the subject area. There are things like programming and statistics, but also general professional effectiveness tools like time management, managing your relationship with your supervisor and working as part of a research group.
Before my PhD I was working as a consultant, so I’ve had similar training in terms of project management, but that was for more of a commercial setting. So it was really useful to have this training from a research perspective.
When I heard they were looking for student programme partners, I applied because I thought I’d be able to help give feedback and make the courses as useful for students as possible. I’ve found it rewarding being part of the programme and it’s also a great break from everyday PhD work. It’s easy to get very focused on one thing and spend all your time in the lab. The Graduate School courses help you keep in touch with the bigger picture of your PhD, because there are also courses in things like setting goals, how to frame your research and preparing for your thesis.
Looking to the future
I’m not sure yet what I want to do when I finish my PhD. I really love doing research, so I’m thinking of potentially staying in academia. I’m also interested in continuing my work with developing countries, so collaborating with research charities or something related to International Development is something I want to pursue. Whether it’s academic or more industrial, I’d like to continue doing research in one way or another.
The best advice I’ve had is when you’re at a place like Imperial, don’t be afraid to speak to people and ask them about their work. People want to talk about their research and what they’re doing, so I just started emailing people I thought were inspiring to ask them more about what they do. Make sure you make the most of the amazing people you can meet and be inspired by!
Coming to Imperial has been such an amazing experience in shaping me both as a person and as a scientist. My advice to incoming students is to make the most of what Imperial has to offer you in terms of your education, but also to make the most of the social opportunities and being in London. Don’t spend all your time in the library, enjoy it as well.
Invest in your future self
Join a global top 10 university, unique in the UK for its specialist focus. Our postgraduate courses open doors to the latest thinking in engineering, science, medicine, business and technology.
Built with Shorthand