Callum Dinnett

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Met Office

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

Since leaving Exeter, I started working at the Met Office, where I work on the development of how we represent particular physical processes in our forecasting model as parameterisations, including development on both the Unified Model used in our operational forecasts and our next generation model LFRic.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I was originally interested in going into meteorology because I was intrigued in the concept of knowing the maths behind something that seems chaotic, and on a particular level, knew I wanted a job in a research-related field. Choosing the Met Office was helped in particular by the stories of academics from Exeter collaborating with researchers as well as a chance to more clearly see the effects of my work.

The part I enjoy most about my work is the collaboration across the office, as well as the feeling that you can get really involved in projects even at a relative early career stage.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

I was an active member of XpressionFM including as a member of committee for 3 of my 4 years at Exeter, actively part of the now retired Quadball team, and a number of other societies in smaller capacities

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

I enjoyed the flexibility built into the Mathematics programme in terms of allowing a breadth of study whilst also allowing for significant specialisation by the conclusion of 4th year. The biggest highlight of the programme for me was when we took a broader view of the real life impacts and effects of what we were modelling as well as how things had changed over time, such as in the History of Mathematics module.

What did you most enjoy about studying here?

I really enjoyed the supportive community that extended beyond just those involved with the programme but a sense of camaraderie across multiple subjects and particular interests. I was worried when I started that I would feel isolated but that could not have been farther from the case, and the community I found was supportive no matter what.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

I chose Exeter due to a mix of factors. First, when the course was offered it was clear from the very first open day that it was designed with supporting students in mind, which was definitely a positive, especially among Russell Group universities, whilst still maintaining a good reputation for the programme. Second, the community feel of the wider campus was clear from open days and offer holder days. Finally, as someone who grew up in the West Country, it was nice to find such a good university within a reasonable distance from family.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

Specific topic knowledge, programming experience (though adapting to different languages) has been helpful, as well as the chance throughout the degree programme to talk with researchers and to an extent learn how to ‘talk science’.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

If you get the chance, do a year’s placement or some project where you get to cooperate with the Met Office or academics using their resources beforehand. As someone who didn’t have that chance, starting work was very much a case of trying to hit the ground running, which would definitely seem less daunting.

What are your plans for the future?

I plan to stay in meteorology and research if possible. I am planning to study for a PhD, and have considered looking into options which allow for a greater amount of science communication.