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Ask me anything: Carole Mundell

Physics World May 2020

Physics World

 
Careers Physics World  May 2020

Ask me anything: Carole Mundell

Carole Mundell is professor of extragalactic astronomy and head of astrophysics at the University of Bath, UK. In October 2018 she was appointed as the chief scientific adviser to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK. Mundell began her research career as a radio astronomer at Jodrell Bank Observatory, before going on to use a number of international ground- and space-based facilities, with the goal of improving our understanding of black holes and their environments. In 2016 Mundell won the Woman of the Year Award at the FDM Everywoman in Technology Awards.

What skills do you use every day in your job?

I think the key quality that I use in both my academic role and as chief scientific adviser is curiosity. That may sound a bit imprecise, but actually being able to question, challenge the status quo, and not being afraid to contest assumptions I think is really important. And my curiosity really comes from my background as a physicist.

 

What do you like best and least about your job?

What I like best about my job is the people, and the fact that wherever I go and whatever I do, I see that science makes a difference – whether it’s inspiring young children, or scientific breakthroughs that really help human health, or applications that improve people’s lives and livelihoods and make the world a better place. When I give public lectures on astrophysics, I always get amazing questions from the youngest children. You can see their curiosity sparked and their passion for understanding how things work. I think that always progressing that knowledge is one of the best parts of my job. This kind of curiosity and connection is very human, and so it doesn’t matter what country I’m in – it’s a consistent factor.

Although I consider it a privilege to travel for my job, I do miss my family when I am away from home – this is something that many people experience in their careers. I think it’s natural in today’s world, and it’s not specific to my job, or even just science. But now with modern technology, it’s so much easier than it would have been for previous generations. I still write a handwritten letter to my children whenever I travel, but obviously we’ve got Skype and FaceTime and any of the technical devices that we can connect to, so that does make it easier to be away from home.

People are afraid of getting things wrong. I think that limits our ability to be creative and innovative

What do you know today that you wish you knew when you were starting out in your career?

I wish that I had been more confident and relaxed about taking risks and trying new things. Sometimes people worry about that – asking questions and making mistakes. I see this particularly in academia, where a combination of competition, individualism and insecurity, plus the measurement and reward culture, can create an unhelpful atmosphere of perfectionism and judgement. This makes people risk-averse and afraid of being seen to get things wrong. I think that is unfortunate as it limits our ability to be creative and innovative and actually to make new discoveries. Instead, I say – have a go at it, have an experience and if it doesn’t work out how you expected, learn from it. You’ll be a better scientist and enjoy your work more. In turn, be the positive, encouraging voice in the room and you might be pleasantly surprised by how others respond. I enjoyed my time as PhD student because I had the right combination of support and encouragement from my supervisor and other senior scientists, as well as some space to try things out for myself. That is important as you develop your independence – and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

It’s also good to take new opportunities when they arise – even if beyond your comfort zone –  they will stand you I good stead in the future in ways you cannot plan. Some years ago, I was fortunate to be selected to attend the BBC Women Experts training course. It was fascinating and I met incredible women from a range of backgrounds. It gave me the confidence to accept media engagements that I would otherwise likely have turned down. That has been valuable in helping shape my ability to  communicate with diverse audiences.