Stacie Powell MPhys Physics and Astronomy, 2009

I really enjoyed maths and technology at school and wanted to apply it to the questions, ‘where did the world come from?’ and ‘what will the world be like in future?

The wide range of options at Southampton allowed me to explore the subject and discover the frontiers of physics.

It was inspiring to get the opportunity to research as a professional at one of the top research institutes in the world, the Centre for Astrophysics at Harvard University.

In addition, during my undergraduate degree, the excellent support of the physics department helped me to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for Great Britain, where I became a double Olympic finalist on the 10m platform.

This propelled my career and motivated me to undertake my PhD at the University of Cambridge. My research involves looking for clues on how the Sun and planets were formed in other young stars. The beauty of research is the excitement of finding something new that no one in the entire world has discovered before.