Olivia Keenan MPhys Physics with Astronomy, 2013

SEPnet Director of Outreach and Public Engagement

I remember coming to the open day and getting a good vibe from the campus. Everyone in the Physics and Astronomy department was really friendly and I was shown around by a current student who was really chatty and sociable.

During my extended project work in 3rd and 4th year I felt very happy to talk to professors, to ask for advice and support when I needed it. It’s a very warm and friendly department, and I felt fully respected by the staff and fellow students.

Choosing Southampton

The astronomy field trip to Tenerife was definitely a big sell for me. When I went on the trip in my second year, it was really cool to have total design control over my project and to gain experience in the professional observatory.

Being part of a community

I really liked being part of Physoc. It’s a really sociable society and they organise a wide range of events. It makes you feel part of a community, as the society has links with PhD students and the academic staff as well as undergraduate students,

During my extended project work in 3rd and 4th year I felt very happy to talk to professors, to ask for advice and support when I needed it. It’s a very warm and friendly department, and I felt fully respected by the staff and fellow students.

Growing as a person

Through my degree I gained confidence, both to talk in front of people in lots of different situations, and in myself – you can have set backs in your degree, but keep going. During my final year project my supervisor was very supportive and this gave me the confidence and self-belief that I could do a PhD.

There were lots of opportunities open to me at Southampton too. I took part in outreach activities, which has been very important in my current job working in outreach and public engagement with SEPnet.

I also did a SEPnet summer placement in industry, working at an InfraRed camera facility, doing the characterisation work of the detectors. That was really interesting and helped me to develop different skills.

I also tried my hand at kayaking, Muay Thai and netball whilst studying.

My advice to current and prospective students:

Enjoy it! Get involved with Physoc early on as it’s a good way to get to know people on your course and these are the people who will give you support throughout your degree.

Take any opportunity that appeals to you – say yes to things that pop up in your inbox, just get involved, try it out and see if it suits you.

I chose a career that played to my strengths because I learned what I liked doing from experiencing Outreach at Southampton (I helped set up the accelerate particle physics roadshow at Southampton and organised visits to a homeschool group for Physoc outreach), doing my SEPnet placement and organising conferences and events.