Lucia Yllan
Current Employer/Organisation Name
Newcastle University
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
Since finishing the MSc Marine Vertebrates Ecology and Conservation, I have participated in two research projects on anemonefish social hierarchies in Papua New Guinea and started my PhD at Newcastle University working on the role of acoustic cues in anemonefish hierarchies.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
I chose to pursue a career in marine biology because I wanted to become a marine biologist since I was a kid. The thing I enjoy the most about my work is travelling to other parts of the word to dive and enjoy the beauty of the marine life.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
What I enjoyed the most about the programme was the plenaries where researches form other universities, NGOs or other research groups would come to talk to us about their work which I found very inspiring. It also was a great opportunity to network and, nowadays, one of the researchers that came to give us a talk is one of the collaborators of my PhD project.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
The thing I enjoyed the most about studying at Exeter, was the opportunity to learned from experienced researchers which where always keen on helping you out if you needed it, and how the modules and assignments were always oriented towards preparing us for an actual work setting.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
The first thing that caught my attention from Exeter University was the master course that they were offering which perfectly aligned with what I wanted for my career and also included fieldwork opportunities. Also, as an international student and non-native English speaker, the fact that the university offered so many courses and one-on-one meetings to support non-English speakers and help them improve their skills in English was also something that help me decide to enrol in this university.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
The skills that have help me the most in my career have been my skills in statistical analysis which I believe are key for any researcher, and also my English writing skills which greatly improved in my time studying at Exeter University thanks to all the feedback I received from the language team and the lecturers from my modules.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
My main advice is to try to get in contact with as many people as you can when you are studying. Let senior researcher know that you are interested in their research topics and volunteer to help as much as you can. This helps you create a network and also build your skills, which will bring you a lot of opportunities in the future.
What are your plans for the future?
My plan for the future, after I finish my PhD, is to do a Post-doc and keep on working on fish behaviour which is a topic that fascinates me. I also have an interest on teaching and outreach and I would like to continue doing so in the future.
