EP 77: Faith February- PhD Candidate in Oceonography

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 77!

Faith February, a South African based in Capetown, South Africa, is my guest today. In this episode, we learn that her father helped her develop a passion and talent for mathematics at a young age. She went on to pursue a degree in mathematics and computer science as her majors at university. However, she realized that computer science was not what she wanted to study and changed her majors to mathematics and physics. Faith explains that while finishing her master's degree, she applied for a job at the Institute of Maritime Technology, which works with the South African Navy. She worked there for 16 years in various roles, including cadet, scientist, senior scientist, and chief scientist. Faith describes how working in a male-dominated industry presented unique challenges, particularly as the sole female employee, and how she stood up for herself and took charge of her career. 

 Her efforts were rewarded when she was chosen to participate in an international project collaboration. After working on the project for 10 months and collecting large amounts of data, she decided that more work was needed and, after 16 years, she decided to pursue her PhD. Currently,  she is a Ph.D. student in Oceanography at the University of Cape Town. Her study looks into the effects of atmospheric aerosols on climate change. She describes the study and its significance. Finally, Faith discusses the changes that occurred when she transitioned from working to being a full-time student and her work-life balance as she holds multiple roles.

Tune in as we hear about this and so much more!

Twitter:@FebruaryFaith
Facebook: @fjfebruary
LinkedIn: Faith February 
Instagram: @faithjfebs