MSci Natural Sciences (Geosciences), University of Cambridge
PhD, Geophysics and Satellite Geodesy, University of Leeds
Topic Lead for Multi-Hazard Systems at the British Geological Survey
Looking back, it’s interesting how key turning points in my life (so far!) were associated with help and guidance from other people. I was extremely lucky to have had fantastic teachers at my sixth form college in Birmingham (Cadbury College – by the chocolate factory) who fostered my enthusiasm for science and maths.
I was the first person in my family to go to university; my parents grew up during turbulent times in Bangladesh and didn’t even finish their primary school education. So they could offer little support and guidance to help me navigate the many decisions associated with university. But I’ll be forever grateful for the teachers at Cadbury (Dr Smith, Ms Moss, Ms Moneypenny, Mr Batten, Mr Laird, Mr Burnett – to name a few), who helped me through this process and gave all the right advice at the right time. It was with their support that I applied to study Natural Sciences at Cambridge.
Even though I went to university to study astrophysics, I quickly discovered – again with the help of another person, Dr Arwen Deuss – that the Earth is infinitely more interesting than I had ever considered before. Earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics became my new passion – and yes, as interesting as they are, geology isn’t just about rocks and fossils! The geoscience course taught me about the dynamic nature of the planet we live on, and the methods we use to disentangle its rich and often violent history.
After my undergraduate degree I completed a PhD in geophysics (thanks Prof Tim Wright!), researching how satellite data could be used to understand earthquakes in Turkey.
It was around this time that I started appreciating the true impact of natural hazards on people and their livelihoods. In 2021, disasters worldwide were responsible for over 10,000 fatalities and caused $343 billion economic damage.
In my current job at the British Geological Survey, I try to disentangle the signatures of earthquakes and other natural hazards to understand the risks to cities in low-income countries. I hope that my work will enable these communities to become more resilient to future disasters. I really love my job because it feels like the right balance of doing scientific research for the joy of discovery but with a clear benefit to society.
I am acutely aware that I am among the lucky few who is happy and content with my career, despite the challenges of family (patriarchy, ignorance… Asian families, you know what I mean; don’t even mention the pressure to get married!), and class – coming from a very working class family it’s amazing how difficult it is to feel like you ‘fit in’, even now as a bona fide grown up!
I’ve spent far too much precious time trying to make myself fit into the environments I inhabit. Don’t bother! Your working class/racial/ethnic background is yours to own. Don’t let it constrain your choices. Celebrate yourself first. I promise the most important people in your life/workplace will appreciate you for who you are, not who you are pretending to be.
I’m always open, keen in fact, to chat science or about my experience growing up. Feel free to message me on Twitter (@ekh_sci), LinkedIn or old-fashioned email: ekhuss[at].bgs.ac.uk