Today we celebrate women. We celebrate the art of womanhood, the spirit that embodies being a woman. Today we honour women, internationally. The Women In Science Hub would like to introduce you to one of our own in the world of science, Dr Clare Eayrs, a marine ecosystem modeller based in Abu Dhabi- UAE. She is an extraordinary woman in science who, from early childhood had a larger than life interest in science and mathematics. Clare, at first had no clue what she wanted to do with her academic life. She decided to follow the environmental sciences path she enjoyed so much and that choice landed her in physical and meteorological oceanography which she loves and has a passion for. Dr Eayrs’ undergrad was in Coastal Engineering and because she had such a passion for the field, she decided to embark on a MSc. The work she does enables her to work with other professionals in interdisciplinary fields of science, sharing ideas and learning from each other. This part of the working world was very motivating for Clare as she loves working with others and her warmth towards others afforded her an opportunity to teach math and science in secondary school at the UAE. She spent some time in France with her daughter, before tackling a Ph.D. in Coastal Oceanography. Clare has worked in the UK on numerical modelling, studying and modelling coastal processes. While in the UK, Dr Eayrs was additionally involved in environmental policy making, working under the Centre for Environmental Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences. As her career grew, she became an ecosystems modeller, estimating carbon turnover in the Earth’s oceans and analysing fish larvae, in order to advise industrial-scale fisheries. In Clare’s words, she “enjoyed working with other scientists/ experts, constantly learning and working with smart people”. Of course, she faces some challenges in her path and one of her most prominent wishes for herself and other women in science is to have permanent contracts, especially for individuals with families to support. She also has gained plenty from her science journey, in the form of mentorship, training and working with other professionals who have given her the most valued support. Clare loves her career in science as it allows her to prove her expertise and capabilities, despite the views that women cannot. She highly appreciates the fact that the world of science allows her to have flexible working hours, be self-motivated and most importantly get mentorship and support from her family. Her future prospects for the science world include the ability for more interdisciplinary work to emerge and be published to improve our understanding of the world and beyond.

Dr Eayrs is currently studying sea ice in Antarctica. To get more insight of the world advancing work that she is involved in, please follow the links:

Antarctic Climate Variability as forced by the tropics using the ACME Earth System Model

Clare on ResearchGate

Clare on Twitter

Have a graceful #InternationalWomensDay.