Speaking of female role models, didn’t you recently win an award for women in technology?


Yes, I did! It was the Digital Star FDM Everywoman award


for Women in Technology. I was nominated for it late last year, and had to go through a couple of rounds before reaching the final. I honestly didn’t expect to win the award – just being in the top three was achievement enough, especially when surrounded by so many talented women. Getting up on stage in front of over 500 women was definitely a highlight of my career to date, and it was beautiful to see these women being celebrated for what they have achieved in their careers.


As I’ve climbed the career ladder, it saddens me to say, but I’ve definitely started to see a greater divide between women and men in the workplace: how they behave (or are expected to behave), and sometimes are treated; how the gender split shifts as you move further up the chain; and how this makes women further down the organisation feel. Especially in the digital or tech world there are an increasing number of initiatives to support WISE (Women in Science & Engineering), and I think that these are so important to show young women the amazing opportunities out there, and to give them the support and encouragement to strive for them. But I also think that this has to start at school and at home. For me I’ve always been encouraged to push for what I want, regardless of what that is, from my parents, my teachers, and my managers. Gender has never come into the discussion, and I believe that’s why I’ve refused to let gender become a limiting factor in my career.


What’s next for you?


I’m getting married this year, (I actually got engaged and won the award within five days of each other, so that must go down as my best week in 2017 to date!). In terms of work, the digital marketing industry is moving so quickly, and as we become smarter with what information we are able to capture and what we can do with it, we are opening up new opportunities to talk to our customers in more personalised and relevant ways. I want to ensure I continue to be at the forefront of what’s happening in the industry, but equally continue to expand the breadth of the marketing that I do (it’s not all digital marketing yet!). My current role gives me both the digital focus and the wider remit across brand marketing, so I really can’t complain!


I’ve never been much of a planner when it comes to my career. I’ve always had the attitude of ‘be open to anything: as long as you know vaguely where you might end up, make choices that might take you somewhat in the right direction, but make choices that will lead you to things that you enjoy’. Pretty vague I know, but it’s worked for me so far, and against perhaps some wiser and more structured advice, I hope it continues to work for me as we speed towards 2018 and beyond!


OC


Chioma Igboaka Class of 2003


The Old Cornelian SUMMER 2017


Francesca Aaskov Class of 2015


43


Operation Fireface


I am a third year Zoology student at the University of Exeter and am part of Operation Fireface, a two‐month expedition which took place this summer by two Bioscience undergraduates to the island of Java, Indonesia. Only 8% of Java’s rainforest remains and much of this is at too high an altitude for many species to survive, therefore it is in desperate need of conservation efforts. We collaborated with the Little Fireface Project, a charity based in the village of Cipaganti, West Java, which primarily specialises in the conservation of the critically endangered Javan slow loris, the world’s only venomous primate. We took part in LFP’s nightly loris behavioural observations to learn more about the lives of these mysterious animals and how they are adapting to an increasingly fragmented habitat, as well as having our own projects.


Cipaganti is situated in an area of highly degraded, mountainous rainforest, 1200m above sea level, with the land primarily being used for agriculture. Since there are still small ‘bridges’ of forest separating agricultural plots, this area is known as an agroforest. Very little research


has been done on the presence of reptiles and amphibians in agroforests, despite these being rapidly growing ecosystems, therefore our first objective was to conduct surveys on reptiles and amphibians in an area where they have not previously been studied. We aim to publish a research paper using this data and to create a field guide on the reptiles and amphibians present in the local area. This will help LFP with future research and can be used for the project's outreach programmes, which engage the local community and encourage them to connect more closely with the wildlife on their doorstep. Our second objective was to make a short documentary about the dangers facing Java's wildlife, primarily the pet trade and deforestation, which has included going undercover in wildlife markets, a sickening yet eye-opening experience.


We are also focusing on LFP's vital work protecting a species that is particularly threatened by the pet trade, which is partially thanks to videos of these animals in a captive household setting going viral, causing public demand for them to skyrocket. A BBC producer who worked on Planet Earth II is advising us on how to make this aspect of our expedition a success and one that we hope to enter into film festivals, in order to make the public aware of the rapid species loss and environmental degradation on the world's most populated island. Although our paper and documentary are far from complete, as of now the expedition is over, our data is collected and the filming is done.


We have said goodbye to the lorises, the mountain and the incredible people we met along the way. Java has changed my perceptions of so many aspects of life and I am immensely grateful for this unforgettable experience.


OC


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