Jane Chewings, MSc

What’s the work that you do?

I’m a Senior Technical Officer in Geography, Environment & Earth Sciences. I manage a suite of sample preparation laboratories for research in geosciences, physical geography, environmental science, and related disciplines. My role is broad in scope, meaning I’m a “Jill of all-trades”. It includes a mix of technical oversight, training, teaching, research support, health, safety and compliance, repairs, maintenance, admin, and personnel management. Periodically, I also contract as a Hot Water Driller to our Antarctic Research Centre’s Science Drilling Office. The SDO design and operate bespoke systems for scientific drilling and coring used in polar research, mainly in the Antarctic.

What keeps you going?

I get heaps of enjoyment from teaching students laboratory methods and helping them achieve their research goals, which are diverse and many! They inspire me every day. In my Antarctic work, I enjoy being able to blend my scientific and technical knowledge and to contribute to ambitious, globally relevant research. I also like a technical challenge, like hot water drilling through 600 m of ice shelf. Working deep-field, almost as far south as you can get, is demanding but also an adventure, and an experience I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to have.

What’s your message to the world?

Polar science can’t happen without logistical experts, tradespeople, pilots, ships’ crews, base staff, communications folk, and many other non-science personnel who may never set foot on continent. Without these people, scientific fieldwork in the most inhospitable place on the planet can’t happen. So, for every hard-won data point informing the world about what is happening at the poles, I’d like to thank these people. I also encourage as many women as possible to demand their place in polar programmes. More women equal better culture, better science, and better solutions. Polar women rock.