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Catherine Mcquillan

    • About Me:

      I am an environmental consultant (Geologist by training). I may also be called a geoscientist, geo-environmental engineer, environmental scientist. I work out of Belfast, having previously worked in our Bristol and Hemel Hempstead offices.

       

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      I am lucky that Geoscience is my job, my hobby, special interest. I’m never bored with the project sites I work on. Without geodiversity there is no biodiversity. Everything is built on geology ! I am also Neurodiverse.

    • My pronouns are:

      She/her

    • My Work:

      I work on developing areas of land for building on. These may become houses, wind farms, quarries, factories in the future. I look at the soils, rocks, groundwater, rivers and atmosphere and how they interact, to see if there are going to by any problems for the people and the environment.

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      We need development but we also need to protect the environment, plants and animals that are already there. The geology beneath the ground impacts how soft/hard the ground is and what kind of water there is.
      I work with ecologists (plant and animal specialists), civil and structural engineers, acoustic technicians (people who specialise is noise) to ensure there is no harm.

    • My Typical Day:

      I work from the office 2 days a week, usually 1 day on site and the rest from my home office, from around 9am. I usually stop working at 5pm (and off course several breaks and a lunch in between)

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      I start with checking my emails to see if there is anything urgent I need to do. I then look at lots of maps, geology (soils and rocks have difference chemicals and properties), old historical maps which may show quarries or coal mining workings and then lots of data bases. I then go to site to take some photos, check what is on the map or bring in equipment such as diggers and drilling rigs to get samples below the ground of the soil. rock and groundwater.

      I use water cycle, carbon cycle, ecosystem knowledge. I do also use pythagoras theorem, need to know about cos sin & tan,  work out the areas of cylinders etc so alot that I learned in school in science and math’s I use daily.

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      I would by lots of fossils and crystals from all over the world.

    Candidate CV questions (extra)

    • Education:

      I went to a High School, St Marks, Warrenpoint, then Sacred Heart Grammar in Newry.

       

    • Qualifications:

      I gained 8GCSES (A* to B). I then had to move to a grammar school to do A Levels which were Geography, Biology and Chemistry.

      I then went of to University in England. There are different pathways now with BTECs and apprenticeships available.

      I’m now a Chartered scientist and Chartered water and environmental manager (BSc  Geology with Physical Geography, Masters in environmental geology. I have also completed courses in Environmental toxicology and pollution monitoring and coal mining).

      There are lots of different pathways.

    • Work History:

      Supermarket assistant when I was in high school. I worked there for over 5 years whilst I did my ALevels and then part time during the summer whilst i was a unit.

      I was lucky then I got a Job straight from Uni as i had to a placement and the placement company kept me on.  I tried to do a career change a few years ago into waste water(sewers) but after a year I found it too hard and smelly so i came back to environmental consulting.

      I have also recently found out I am neurodiverse.

    • Current Job:

      Geosciences consultant/ geo-environmental engineer

    • Employer:

      RSK

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        I love geoscience

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        Volcanologist. I wanted to run of and study volcanoes but i changed by mind in University, decided it was too dangerous and i would have to move to another country

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        No.

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        i thought about becoming a mortician, which was i chose Biology and chemistry at A level

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        Avicii

        What's your favourite food?

        Pizza and broccoli

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        Constant good sleep, a million pounds, meet Elon Musk

        Tell us a joke.

        Are you looking for rock jokes? Let’s see what we can dig up

Questions answered by Catherine

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