- Background reading: Dr Melody has written a couple of blogs about her unusual public service career:
I'm a public servant and I... work for the British Antarctic SurveyHello - my name is Dr Melody Clark and I'm a public servant! Public servants don't just work in Whitehall, although sometimes it feels like it if you listen to the press. I work as far away from London as you can get. I work for the British Antarctic Survey as a senior scientist and project leader.
Melody Clark: 'my ambition was always to be a scientist, not a civil servant'Deep in Earth's southernmost continent lies the lesser-spotted civil servant. Here in stark Antarctica, approximately 9,190 miles away from what some scientists consider as similarly inhospitable Whitehall environs, molecular biologist Melody Clark squints at 20-odd species of marine invertebrates late into the night: fragile and innocuous snails, shrimps and sea urchins, as part of the government's efforts to fight climate change.- Only 30 mins until our twitter Q&A with @BAS_News Dr Melody Clark live from the Antarctic: Science, jobs, ice - tweet Qs to #AskCivilService
https://twitter.com/UKCivilService/status/573820228506882048
— UK Civil Service (@UKCivilService)Fri, Mar 06 2015 12:19:38 - Want to know about life in the Antarctic? Ask @BAS_News scientist Dr Melody your Qs now using #AskCivilService #InspiredBy
https://twitter.com/bisgovuk/status/573836277688188928
— Dept for Business (@bisgovuk)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:23:24 - What has been your best "Eureka!" moment, Dr. Melody Clark, since you started working in the Antarctic? #AskCivilService
https://twitter.com/MrsScroggs/status/573828154101530624
— Catriona McGrath (@MrsScroggs)Fri, Mar 06 2015 12:51:07 - .@MrsScroggs discovering how age matters to clams in their ability to adapt to climate change #Askcivilservice
https://twitter.com/BAS_News/status/573831123576451072
— Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:02:55 https://twitter.com/BarnesOfBarnes/status/573829127142273025
— Lord Barnes o Barnes (@BarnesOfBarnes)Fri, Mar 06 2015 12:54:59- .@BarnesOfBarnes Temp is -3C it is a bit windy and there is low cloud cover - we can only just see the nearby islands #Askcivilservice
https://twitter.com/BAS_News/status/573830232966303744
— Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News)Fri, Mar 06 2015 12:59:23 - Hey #AskCivilService - what's the biggest challenge of working in Antarctica? And what's the best part?
https://twitter.com/DigiBungalow/status/573831157604818945
— Carrie Barclay (@DigiBungalow)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:03:03 - .@DigiBungalow 1. biggest challenge - the weather which can change quickly and hamper ability of scientists to do work! #Askcivilservice
https://twitter.com/BAS_News/status/573831706874089474
— Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:05:14 - .@DigiBungalow 2. best part - the scenery and the icebergs in particular which can change colour in different lights #Askcivilservice
https://twitter.com/BAS_News/status/573831880602206208
— Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:05:56 - How do you cope with the isolation side of things? #AskCivilService
https://twitter.com/IslaStevens/status/573832201298710528
— Isla Stevens (@IslaStevens)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:07:12 - .@IslaStevens I only work over the Antarctic summer when there can be up to 100 people on station so not too isolating! #Askcivilservice
https://twitter.com/BAS_News/status/573833433421586433
— Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:12:06 - @BAS_News Oh cool, I had no idea there were so many people who worked there in the summer! #Askcivilservice
https://twitter.com/IslaStevens/status/573833930023043072
— Isla Stevens (@IslaStevens)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:14:04 - .@IslaStevens in the winter months there are just 19 here and no ships or planes can get in so it is much quieter! #Askcivilservice
https://twitter.com/BAS_News/status/573834538176110592
— Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:16:29 https://twitter.com/UKCivilService/status/573832795719602177
— UK Civil Service (@UKCivilService)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:09:34- RT @BAS_News: @womensday 1. My mother never had the chance of going to university so I decided to go for both of us really #AskCivilService
https://twitter.com/UKCivilService/status/573834293434277888
— UK Civil Service (@UKCivilService)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:15:31 - RT @BAS_News @womensday 2. she wasn't very old when she had a stroke & major heart surgery but she always remained positive #AskCivilService
https://twitter.com/UKCivilService/status/573835061444878336
— UK Civil Service (@UKCivilService)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:18:34 - @UKCivilService Hugely inspiring! Do you have any advice for fellow females looking for a change in career direction? #ASKCivilService
https://twitter.com/CharlotteHart/status/573834690366414848
— Charlotte Hart (@CharlotteHart)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:17:06 - .@CharlotteHart @UKCivilService go for it - I've enjoyed everything I've done but never really had a career plan #Askcivilservice
https://twitter.com/BAS_News/status/573835040582451200
— Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:18:29 - @BAS_News Melody which base are u on (what's the view out the window?) & is there a piece of writing that evokes A for you? #AskCivilService
https://twitter.com/matthewteller/status/573835327271485440
— Matthew Teller (@matthewteller)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:19:38 - .@matthewteller I'm at Rothera - my view is Ryder Bay and a glacier - Barrow's Boys by Fergus Fleming is v inspiring #AskCivilService
https://twitter.com/BAS_News/status/573836505279500288
— Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:24:18 - @BASnews Thanks so much! I'm reading the Guardian profile of you now, Melody. Your work is an inspiration. Thank you. #AskCivilService
https://twitter.com/matthewteller/status/573838093393989633
— Matthew Teller (@matthewteller)Fri, Mar 06 2015 13:30:37
#AskCivilService: Dr Melody Clark from British Antarctic Survey
Live from the Antarctic, Dr Melody Clark answers questions on the role of female scientists, who inspired her and how many pairs of socks she wears.
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261 Views- Background reading: Dr Melody has written a couple of blogs about her unusual public service career:
I'm a public servant and I... work for the British Antarctic SurveyHello - my name is Dr Melody Clark and I'm a public servant! Public servants don't just work in Whitehall, although sometimes it feels like it if you listen to the press. I work as far away from London as you can get. I work for the British Antarctic Survey as a senior scientist and project leader.
Melody Clark: 'my ambition was always to be a scientist, not a civil servant'Deep in Earth's southernmost continent lies the lesser-spotted civil servant. Here in stark Antarctica, approximately 9,190 miles away from what some scientists consider as similarly inhospitable Whitehall environs, molecular biologist Melody Clark squints at 20-odd species of marine invertebrates late into the night: fragile and innocuous snails, shrimps and sea urchins, as part of the government's efforts to fight climate change.
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