Lucia is a postdoctoral research associate from Slovakia that is working closely with Jim on the CODA project. She is spunky and passionate and understands quantum physics well enough to explain the Higgs Boson Particle to non-scientists, which is an impressive feat!
Background
1. Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
Bratislavia, Slovakia. Now – Seattle, WA
2. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Astronomer, writer, painter, then I read a biography about a poet who travelled the world and tried many different jobs and I really wanted to be that person.
3. Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them – breed, name, age, personality quirks…
I can’t because I don’t stay in one place long enough. But I have a toy polar bear called Brum who often travels with me – even to the Arctic!
4. Who is someone you admire and why?
I don’t have a role model by I admire people who have achieved much and remained humble.
5. Write a haiku to describe your work (3 lines with 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively)
Wonderland of ice
Here I sit with northern lights
Watching websites load
A few Science questions
1. What is your title? What would you say you do here?
My official titles are visiting scientist and a postdoctoral research associate (research appointments can be complicated). My main role here is to analyze the data we collect and use them to improve our numerical models.
2. What motivated you to choose this particular field?
I have PhD in theoretical physics but became drawn to environmental sciences. I feel lucky for the opportunity to work in several exciting fields in my career.
3. How many years have you been studying or working in this field?
Depends on the field:
Physics 10 years
Oceanography & climate: 4 years
Waves & ice: 2 years
Obsessed with oceans: 30 years+ :)
4. What’s the best part of your work?
I get to talk about the oceans and nature all day with people who are equally passionate, what’s not to love?
5. What are the main challenges you face in your work?
Moving and traveling to different places is both exciting and challenging. I had to become an expert at immigration and tax laws of many countries :)
6. What is one aspect of your work that you think the public should know more about?
Most people don’t think about oceans too much, they affect all of us, no matter where we live. I wish more people recognized that and tried to protect them.
7. If you could know the definitive answer to one question in your field, what would that question be?
Why is there more matter than antimatter? Oops, wrong field.
How will the oceans and coast lines change in the next 50 years?
8. What are 3 things you learned on the CODA expedition last year?
1. If you add lime and tequila to frazil sea ice you could get a decent margarita (I can imagine) *editor’s note: this, of course, is only theoretical… no booze on this cruise!
2. Americans love their bacon everywhere – including cupcakes
3. Ron explaining the interaction between grain size and oxygen availability in sea bed sediments
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