Where are you from?  I grew up about 10 miles outside the small university town of Aberystwyth, Wales.

(High fives for anyone who can pronounce that name correctly!)

How long have you lived in the area?  I moved here in January 2018 to start a postdoctoral researcher position at UNC.

What are three words your friends would use to describe you?  Driven, silly, and err…..tall?

Why do you run?  My research involves working around and on top of active volcanoes. If one decides to erupt, I need to be able to get out of there fast!

Why did you decide to join the Station Pub Run?  Having just crossed the Atlantic from my home country, I needed to find ways to meet new people. The pub seemed like an ideal place to start.

What is your favorite thing about the Station Pub Run?  The lack of seriousness. It’s so nice to catch up with friends over a well-earned beer after a run.

Describe the most recent (appropriate 🙂 ) photo you took with your phone:  I have an amusing photo of my cousins dog, who live in San Antonio, Texas. A super close up of his nose and face while he was paying attention to a treat behind me!

What is the best piece of advice you ever received, and who gave it to you?  I’ve received a lot of great advice, but my parents teaching me to be patient is probably the best. ‘Patience is a virtue’, or ‘Good things come to those who wait’ is what they would say. In hindsight, this is actually terrible advice for running.

If you could have any talent or skill in the entire world, without needing to practice and money was no limitation, what would it be?  The ability to understand and fluently speak any language I want. It’s so frustrating not being able to speak the local language wherever I go travelling.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know:  When I was 17, I spent three weeks working in a glacier research station in the far north of Sweden. I met the crown princess of Sweden when she decided to do a flying visit to the site!

What is something you have done recently, or are about to do, that you are proud of?  At the time of writing, I’m about to submit a revised manuscript about my work at Santiaguito volcano in Guatemala. If all goes well, it will be accepted for publication!

Please share your favorite quote or slogan:  I have this on the wall next to my office desk:

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you just don’t give up.” – Stephen Hawking