Peer review is the foundation upon which academic scholarship rests. Our work, once published, has undergone scrutiny from independent experts, adjudicated by an independent editor. This process of independent scrutiny is what gives scholars confidence in academic published work. Typically, any paper published in a rigorous peer-reviewed academic journal has undergone review by two or …
I was recently asked to serve on an ECR panel at the International Glaciological Society conference 2025 at Durham University, focusing on how I’ve used strategic networking to build my academic career. This was a little tricky topic to research and write; I don’t think I’ve ever been particularly ‘strategic’ in my academic networking. More, …
Strategic networking: building an academic career Read More »
By Christine Batchelor, Louise Callard, Becky Sanderson and Bethan Davies 1. Introduction Together with other colleagues from Newcastle University, we organised the Quaternary Research Association (QRA) Annual Discussion Meeting on 6 – 9th Jan 2025. The conference was attended by 130 people, and we had 100 submitted abstracts. There were 38 oral presentations, two keynote …
By Gunjan Silwal, OnePlanet Doctoral Student I am undertaking a PhD in glaciology at Newcastle University, focusing on quantifying glacier disconnection, fragmentation, and separation, and assessing their impact on glacier mass loss and ice flow in the Himalayas. My PhD involves high altitude fieldwork in inaccessible regions in Nepal. In November 2024, I conducted glacier …
Fieldwork in Nepal diary: Langtang Glaciological expedition Read More »
This article is contributed by Dr Lizz Ultee based on their recent paper with Alex Robel and colleagues: For whom and by whom is glaciology? Robel et al., 2024. How do glaciologists choose what to work on? Group leaders more or less choose our own research questions according to what interests us. Many of us, …
As an academic, I’ve marked thousands of undergraduate student essays and reports. Most of my courses involve students doing some kind of empirical data-gathering, and then writing it up as a report. Often, these students make similar errors, so I thought I would compile some advice here. Before you start Firstly, start your report by …
If you’re interested in a career in geoscience or glaciology, Newcastle University offer an MRes in Environmental Geoscience. In this MRes course, you’ll choose your own unique pathway and develop your skills and interests within environmental geoscience. You’ll explore these ideas in-depth via your dissertation. You’ll lead and develop a research project at the forefront …
Dear friends, colleagues, I’m delighted to write that I have just been informed that as of 1st August 2024 I will be awarded a Personal Chair and will become Professor Bethan Davies. I’m truly delighted to have been awarded this and will seek to use my new position to continue to support and work with …
In 2022, Bethan Davies participated as faculty in the Juneau Icefield Research Program in Alaska. Here, Sofia Guest, a student on the program, reflects on her experience and how she learned about safety in hazardous mountainous environments. My name is Sofia, and I am a recent Environmental Sciences graduate from the University of Alberta. A …
Safety on Glaciers and Icefields: Juneau Icefield, Alaska Read More »
Friends, some personal news – really pleased to say that I have moved from Royal Holloway University of London to Newcastle University. I’m excited to move to a new institution and the new collaborations and opportunities that this provides. I’ll be in the Department of Geography at Newcastle. New email: bethan [dot] davies [at] newcastle …
