What does the life of an academic look like? As students, we see them in lectures and tutorials, we receive the occasional message through Blackboard, or we sometimes visit their offices and see papers and books piled high upon their desks. To find out more, The Gaudie sat down with Dr Grant Campbell, Research Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences. A native to the Northeast, Grant recalls his decade-long journey through higher education:
“I went to Ellon Academy between 2003 and 2009, before coming to the University of Aberdeen to study an undergraduate degree in Geography. Although I see myself as a soil scientist, my background in soils research was influenced by my geography degree, allowing me to enjoy a variety of courses that complimented my academic interests.
“After graduating in 2013, I worked at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, becoming involved in a range of agricultural and environmental research associated with Scotland’s soils. In late 2014, I was offered the opportunity to do a joint studentship PhD with the James Hutton Institute and Cranfield University, looking at digital soil mapping using soil properties across Scotland and England and Wales.
“Whilst working towards my PhD, I found that I was constantly thinking about my work. Whether it was before bed, or out for a walk, PhD research can be very consuming. However, I will always be forever grateful for the opportunity to earn my PhD and to continue developing my skills whilst being at the Hutton and Cranfield.
“I completed my PhD research in 2018 and graduated the following summer. After this, I briefly worked in marine science before the coronavirus pandemic. This gave me some time to re-evaluate what future direction I wanted to take.
“In 2023, I returned to the University of Aberdeen working in the Environmental Modelling Group led by Professor Pete Smith and colleagues. Thankfully, I’ve been here ever since and I’m really enjoying the research that I continue to be involved with. I hope that continues for a while!”
Grant is a passionate advocate for the Northeast and wants students to get more involved in the history and culture of Aberdeen.
He said: “I don’t think we give Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire the credit it deserves sometimes. Yes, there are faults, but we have some fantastic history throughout the city, we have the brilliant Aberdeen art gallery and many other cultural centres, as well as a selection of fantastic beaches all nearby. I think it’s great for students’ mental health to get out and explore what this city and the surrounding area has to offer. It’s very fulfilling to learn about where you’re studying, more than just what happens in lectures and tutorials.
“By being more open minded about what both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have to offer, we could promote the area much better so more people can enjoy living up here in the Northeast.
“With the University of Aberdeen offering more courses and opportunities for fieldwork in the city and local countryside, students can and should experience more about the area and learn something meaningful also.”
Grant has openly discussed his experiences with neurodiversity and is keen to see the University maintain the support they offer to new students.
“I have a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome and the university made sure there were lots of things in place notably notetaking, extra time, and other provisions whilst I was studying my undergraduate degree at the time. The measures that both myself and the university took made me settle into student life well. As a neurodivergent person, when I was younger, I didn’t think I would get the opportunity to study at university. However, looking back now, I had such a great experience. I will always be really grateful for it.
“All universities should do what they can to help students settle in, irrespective of their background. Now that I am working as a post-doctoral researcher, I feel it is important for me to share my experiences with the next generation of students coming through. Maybe people can take some inspiration from my own journey, who knows!
“We are learning more and more about neurodiversity and there is a much wider awareness now. There can also be differing perceptions of neurodiversity too, so it is important that each individual school within the university has their own robust approach in effectively realising everyone’s needs and maximising their potential.”
Grant is deeply passionate about his science and believes it’s his responsibility to inspire the next wave of students.
“Having done some lectures and tutorials, I think it’s all about having a good relationship between students and staff. Giving students respect and making them feel connected is very beneficial in the classroom environment. It’s important to do the best for your students but also to make sure they are giving something back to you.
“I feel I am a very positive person; I’ve always tried to be enthusiastic about student life because I knew how great it was for me to be a student here. If you’re positive about classes and research, students will feed off that and develop their own enthusiasm.
“For me, lectures and tutorials are all about setting the stage and selling your research interests to your students. I believe in highlighting the global and local challenges that students may face in their daily lives. Climate change is a specific example. Critically though, I am also excited to investigate potential short- and long-term solutions to those challenges. The energy I often bring to my lectures and tutorials is because I’m passionate about my own research and want to ensure students understand the value of what we may be discussing.”
For Grant, working at the University of Aberdeen is seldom typical, and he revels in the many activities that occur.
“The thing I love about my job is how there’s always something different going on. In a single week, I could be doing anything from reviewing a paper, completing GIS (Geographic Information Systems) work, some statistical analysis, data entry work, writing my own papers, preparing funding applications and much more. There’s never a dull moment, but I would not have it any other way.
“Right now, I am working on a project in Sub–Saharan Africa, looking at how under-utilised plant species could help improve soil health. This work should be influential to farmers across the region, but specifically in Ethiopia where our research is focussed.
“So far, throughout my postdoctoral journey, I’ve been lucky to travel to Spain, Portugal, France and Hungary for conferences and project meetings. It’s a privilege to work for an institution that recognises and celebrates my work, whilst giving me the freedom and trust to further develop my skills. I feel I’ve still got a lot to give, and I’m excited about how new technologies will influence and shape soil sciences in the future.
“Our school is researching many global challenges from food security, environmental degradation and climate change. To have the opportunity to work alongside others in my school and beyond is an incredible privilege. I’m thoroughly enjoying the process, and I hope many students strive for a career similar to mine.”
Connections within The School of Biological Sciences are gearing up for a research trip to Sub-Saharan Africa and Grant is ready for the challenge.
“We are returning to Ethiopia early in the New Year for a second trip to study soil characteristics and suggest approaches which can help improve farming conditions. We visited Ethiopia in March this year and it was an incredible experience to travel with the team and experience a culture so different to Scotland.
“There was so much preparation to keep the team safe, but we were able to successfully conduct our research as well as experience the Ethiopian culture and wildlife in our downtime.
“Having been to Ethiopia previously, I feel ready and quite excited. We’re a close-knit team and we’ll hopefully enjoy and maximise every moment of it.”
