Profile

I am a masters student at University College Dublin (UCD), studying MSc Space Science & Technology. I completed my Bachelors of Science (Hons) Physics with Energy and Environment at the Technological University of Dublin (TUD)/Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).

I live in Kildare, originally from Dublin. Some of my favorite food is Italian, Indian, and Mc Donalds 🙂

I carried out my leaving certificate and junior certificate at the Holy Family Secondary School for Girls, Newbridge, Co.Kildare. My leaving certificate subjects where physics, chemistry, geography and applied math.

When I was 14 years old I sent a letter to NASA saying that I wanted to work in the Space Industry when I grow up, and I received a letter back from NASA telling me about there careers, and the application process of becoming an Astronaut. So I highly recommend contacting space agencies, especially the European Space Agency and NASA.

Some of my favorite shows are “The Universe” documentaries which use to be on the History channel. I actually look at YouTube a lot, such you-tubers I watch are “Tibees” who is an Australian physicist.  Another show I loved is the BBC show “Astronauts: Do you have what it takes”, and was very fortunate to have meet the winner and a runner up at a “Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) at Oxford University in March 2018. But the one live stream you most watch is “SpaceX” rocket launches, which are AMAZING!!!!!!! I have been watching SpaceX since Elon Musk announced the company back in 2002 when I was 7 years old, and I have been watching them ever since, I have to say it is even cooler when you are working in the space industry because it causes a great hype. 🙂

I have taken part in a lot of public speaking events, as I am a student ambassador at University College Dublin (UCD), and a Science Leader for the college of science at UCD. When I was carrying out my Bachelors of Science at the Technological University of Dublin (TUD)/Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), I was also a student ambassador doing a lot of public speaking. But this started back for me in secondary school where I was a member of a Law Team, and Meitheal Youth Leadership Training (A group which taken care of students transferring from primary school to secondary school), and then being Senior Prefect (Head Girls).

I do a bit of volunteering from helping at the Institute of Physics stand at the BT young scientist, and the coolest projects internationals at the RDS, and Inspirefest.

Once you are between the ages of 15-25, you can take part in the Gaisce President award’s, which you do community involvement, personal skills, physical recreation, and an adventure journey. I did this and got the Bronze Gaisce President award’s and found it an overall amazing experience.

At third level education I have been fortunate to take part in several internships, in the area of physics education, plasma physics at TUD, particle physics at the University of Glasgow, to work with CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) detectors. I then got the opportunity to work in the area of solar physics at Trinity College Dublin where I had the opportunity to work on I-LOFAR (Irish Low Frequency Array) radio telescope on the grounds of Birr Castle, in Birr Co.Offaly, which I then got to operate I-LOFAR for my thesis, where I observed a supernova remanent (Cas A) which is 11,000 light years away, Radio Galaxy (Cygnus A) which is 3200 light years away, and a Black Hole (Cygnus X-3) which is 3200 light years away.

Myself sitting on top of a High Band antenna at I-LOFAR.

Last summer I worked at InnaLabs which is part of Ireland Space Industry, where I worked on Gyroscopes.

During September 2018 I had the opportunity to attend the European Space Agency in Belgium where I had Spacecraft Operations Training, which was AMAZING!!!!

Usually it is an early start around 9am, where we will prepare for the day ahead, such as what materials we will need to construct the Tupper Sat, and what software needs to be written for which sensor we may have on board, and also the electronics to connect the sensors to the computer, which in this case is a raspberry pi.

The goal of our mission is to measure how CO2 levels increase or decrease as a function of altitude. The levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are at an all time high, and are continuing to rise at an alarming rate due to human reliance on fossil fuels.

This is a 3D model of our tupper sat before construction began 🙂

I work on the electronics on board the Tupper Sat. These sensors are a temperature and pressure sensor. This means I am responsible for the sensors working. I get to work in the lab but also a workshop where I can make my own parts for the satellite.

Here are the sensors on board, this includes a temperature sensor, and pressure sensor.

I want to contribute the €500 prize money to my secondary school to contribute to science workshops that can be given to there secondary school students. I hope it may encourage students from the school to consider the BT young scientist competition, and even to do a project at the Coolest Projects International held in the RDS.