“Don’t be shy!”

This was a top tip from University of Auckland Associate Professor Mila Adam, who braved some wild weather to speak to us at Wednesday’s Career Bites session. Mila, a geophysicist and earth scientist, stressed the importance of making connections by attending lectures in person and applying for scholarships: “You can’t lose – you might be the top candidate!”

Mila’s talk covered several disciplines, including Earth Science and Geophysics, Environmental Science, Environmental Physics, and Geography. We learned that each of these fields offers great diversity and opportunities. If you are interested in studying the Earth itself, the ways humans interact with the environment, or a computational approach, there’s something for you.

Mila generously shared her professional journey with us, from a spark of curiosity back in 1990s Venezuela, when she read about the Ruapehu eruption, to her post-graduate studies in the U.S., and finally to research and teaching in Aotearoa. She even had the opportunity to work at NASA, where she joined a team studying Mars-quakes!

Mila sees abundant opportunities in her field, as well as strong mentorship and support for women. It’s a flexible, diverse space where the most important quality is curiosity.