Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES)
Geotechnical Engineer
Andrew Fletcher
MSc Geological and Environmental Hazards
I am a Senior Geotechnical Engineer working for Senergy Survey and GeoEngineering, a division of the global energy services company, Senergy, one of the UK’s fastest growing small companies.
Working for an integrated offshore shallow geoscience consultancy (geology, geophysics and geotechnics) involves a variety of technical and non-technical skills. We work directly for oil, gas or renewable energy companies looking to develop offshore facilities to harvest energy resources. I deal with the full life cycle of projects from resource exploration and appraisal, to site characterisation, engineering design and decommissioning.
My engineering geology experience is underpinned by the Soil and Rock Mechanics module on the MSc course I completed at Portsmouth. I built on this knowledge whilst working as a Geotechnical Engineer for Fugro GeoConsulting, a major multi-disciplinary contractor, for 4 years and working as a contractor for 6 months in Monaco for SBM, a major floating platform and production services company, before moving to Senergy.
Having come from a soil contracting (site investigation) company I have the on-site experience that consultancies look for in engineers and engineering geologists and I have since worked on site acting as the client representative overseeing site investigations for FPSO’s (Floating, Production, Storage & Offloading vessel) and Jack-ups in the North Sea.
The UK and northern European offshore wind farm industry is currently in a period of rapid growth and positions at my level are plentiful; likewise the South American and Australian energy industries are buoyant and there are many career opportunities available overseas.
Catastrophe Modelling Analyst
Dana Foley
MSc Geological and Environmental Hazards
I have recently joined Hiscox as a Catastrophe Modelling Analyst. I work with property underwriters, actuaries, mathematicians, meteorologists, and other geologists to determine how properties will be affected by earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. There is a lot of emphasis on research and development of our understanding of risks, where natural hazards play a big role (earthquake and hurricane primarily). Certainly the MSc modules in seismology, volcanology, and hazard management are being put to use in my new role.
The MSc at Portsmouth was a great programme and I highly recommend it. I thoroughly enjoyed the programme and found it quite challenging. The field trips were tremendous experiences which I continue to refer to today. I found the teaching staff knowledgeable and very encouraging. Furthermore, their collective door was always open in case I had questions, comments, or just wanted to discuss some ideas. Based on my experience, I can say that if you are willing to put in a lot of hard work then you will get an enormous amount of benefit out of the course.
Coastal Modeller
Gareth Carter
MSc Geological and Environmental Hazards
I started work for a marine consultancy (Intertek Metoc) a week after completing the MSc course. I am currently employed as a Coastal Modeller, as they were particularly attracted to my CV with regards to the numerical modelling work I had undertaken at Portsmouth University. In addition, they were very interested in my thesis, which focused on coastal slope stability (both onshore and offshore). I aim to become more involved with the offshore geotechnical department over the coming months, as I am mainly involved in hydrological/hydrodynamic modelling to date.
I have always had a keen interest in geological hazards, in particular issues relating to slope stability (both onshore and offshore). The course and module descriptions on the University website were very detailed, and appealed to my academic interests. The fact that the course is accredited by the Geological Society was important, as it speaks volumes about the quality and reputation of the course as a whole, and how it is viewed in the professional world
The modules covered a wide variety of geological hazards, and support from external sources (e.g. the Environment Agency) was an appealing factor as I viewed this as a chance to discuss the course and its merits with people from relevant industries. Obviously, the fieldwork was a great highlight, with the Cotswolds and Naples being both academically challenging, whilst also a lot of fun! Modules of particular note were Geohazard Management and Remediation where we spoke with Environment Agency personnel about flood management, Numerical Hazard Modelling and Simulation and Seismology/Volcanology….read full student profile.
Catastrophe Response Analyst
Fred Fishleigh
MSc Geological and Environmental Hazards
Having gained a Geography BSc at University College London (UCL) I decided to take the MSc Geological and Environmental Hazards at Portsmouth University to further pursue my interest in natural hazards and help begin a career in catastrophe modelling. I have since accepted the role of Catastrophe Response Analyst at RMS (Risk Management Solutions) in London.
The main responsibility of the role is to support RMS’ real-time catastrophe response operations, aimed at providing their clients with up to date damage and impact assessments whenever a major hurricane, earthquake, flood or other catastrophic event occurs. A major aspect of the role will be being able to produce written event summaries to tight daily deadlines that appeal to a wide-based readership. The position will also involve providing detailed impact analyses of affected regions, comprising of querying statistical databases of the building stock, producing maps and generating loss estimates using RMS catastrophe models.
I believe that experience in quantitative, statistical analysis, GIS, and hazard modelling gained at Portsmouth helped me meet the required skills and ultimately assisted me getting the job. I can highly recommend the MSc Programme at Portsmouth University. For someone interested in natural hazards the modules are really stimulating and provide you with valued skills. The lecturers are very approachable which significantly adds to the experience and their help and advice is always forthcoming. For someone looking to enter the catastrophe modelling industry I can only further endorse this course.
Environmental Consultant
Peter Liam O'Flaherty
MSc Geological and Environmental Hazards
I have recently accepted the position of environmental consultant working for RAB Consultants. RAB consultants are a fast growing small company based in the UK specialising in flood risk and incident management. The principal activities of the role are flood risk assessment, emergency exercise planning & delivery, and technical support. These activities require topographic survey, hydrological and hydraulic onsite analysis, and statistical analysis in addition to advanced skills in literature reviews.
During the MSc course, a suite of knowledge, skills, and software were introduced by experts in a logical fashion with a strong focus on enhancing employability in the geological and environmental hazard risk field. The development of skills using satellite imagery, topographic interpretation, and hazard modelling were supplemented by practical use of GIS processing and programming software including ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, and VBA (Visual Basic). This skill set is highly desirable to potential employers.
My thesis used experience gained during the course in GIS, hazard modelling, and the application of SUDS (sustainable urban drainage systems) in flood prone areas. The focus of my thesis was on fluvial flood modelling in an urban setting and was produced in collaboration with Ambiental LTD; a flood risk consultancy based in Brighton.
From the start of the course I was given a personal tutor who was extremely supportive and dedicated to ensuring that I produced a high quality thesis tailored to my chosen career path. In addition to advising suitable studies that would be of interest to a potential employer he also aided my search for a potential company to collaborate with on my project. In addition to my tutor, I found that all members of staff were extremely welcoming and always available to give advice. This ensured that I received maximum benefit from the course.
The flood risk industry is rapidly expanding both in the UK and overseas markets including Europe, USA and Australia. Career opportunities at my level are therefore abundant. I would thoroughly recommend the MSc Geological and Environmental Hazards course as a very useful gateway into the industry.
Frank O'Connell
Upon completion of an undergraduate degree in Earth Science from University College Cork (Ireland) I was keen to further my knowledge in the field of natural hazards. I applied for the MSc Geological & Environmental Hazards degree after it was recommended to me by a senior lecturer at UCC due to my fascination with aspects of geosciences which affect people on an everyday basis. Over the course of the 12 months I developed a specific interest in flooding, particularly in its modelling and management.
After finishing the MSc degree in the University of Portsmouth I started work at JBA Consulting, an environmental engineering and risk company who carry out work for both public and private sectors in many fields including Flood Risk Assessment, Coastal Risk Management, Property Protection Surveys, River Restoration Management, Emergency Management and multiple others . I am currently working as a Flood Risk Consultant in the company, with the main aspects of my work being concerned with the simulation of flood events using in-house modelling software. I am also involved in post-processing work on the outputs that the software provides, creating detailed and comprehensive flood hazard maps.
As a course accredited by the Geological Society the MSc is very well known in the professional world, along with being highly regarded in industry. JBA were especially interested in my MSc thesis, which dealt with surface water flood modelling in Portsmouth using software written and developed by staff in the department of Earth & Environmental Sciences. The modules which chiefly appealed to me and led me to my eventual line of work included Geohazard Data Modelling, Geoscience Risk Analysis and Geohazard Management & Remediation (the latter of which cemented my aspirations to work in the field of flood risk and management, and included practical learning sessions with Environment Agency staff members). A personal highlight for me was the fieldwork (of which there was a lot) which both brought us to exceptionally interesting locations and also demonstrated theory being put to the test in the field.
The MSc at the University of Portsmouth was excellent, and I would highly recommend it to anybody considering a career in any type of natural hazards. The staff and facilities in the Department were absolutely outstanding, with a heavy emphasis being placed on practical learning which can be used in both industry and academia. All of the lecturers always made the time to help if you had any queries or were having difficulty with anything at all. If you are interested in pursuing a career in natural hazard management and remediation, I cannot recommend this course enough.
