Cross-continental coastal research: Waikato graduate Shari Gallop is now a research fellow at the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton in England.
For Shari Gallop, studying Earth and biological sciences at the University of Waikato provided the perfect stepping stone into a career researching coastal processes.
Shari (Nga Puhi, Tuwharetoa and Ngati Maru) completed a Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Master of Science (MSc) with honours at Waikato University, which fuelled her interest in academia and led to a PhD scholarship to study environmental engineering at the University of Western Australia, in Perth.
The former Edgecumbe College student is now a research fellow at the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton in England.
Research freedom
“My research fellowship is unusual in that I’m not restricted to a specific project, which means I have freedom to research what interests me most - which is great,” says Shari.
She is currently working on a variety of projects, including looking at the loss of wave energy over the Great Barrier Reef using satellite altimetry, understanding impacts of groups of storms on beaches in the UK, and rip current behaviour from video images in the UK, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
“I also supervise postgraduate and undergraduate research projects, and teach. I particularly enjoy the practical side of my work, such as field trips and getting to know the students.”
Successful research collaboration
During her fellowship, Shari has had many opportunities to travel all over the world to destinations such as China, Sri Lanka, India, Europe and Hawaii, where she has developed lasting relationships which have led to successful research collaborations.
Shari says she chose Waikato University for its great reputation in science and because she liked Hamilton city’s atmosphere.
“Waikato is an awesome place to study and since moving overseas, I have learnt just what a great international reputation Waikato has. I never intended to do a PhD, but I enjoyed studying Earth sciences and biological sciences at Waikato so much that it inspired me to carry on. This had a lot to do with the excellent course content, and the enthusiasm of the lecturers and tutors.”