- 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
Want to know about life in the Antarctic? Ask @BAS_News scientist Dr Melody your Qs now using #AskCivilService #InspiredBy
What has been your best "Eureka!" moment, Dr. Melody Clark, since you started working in the Antarctic? #AskCivilService
.@MrsScroggs discovering how age matters to clams in their ability to adapt to climate change #Askcivilservice
- .@BarnesOfBarnes Temp is -3C it is a bit windy and there is low cloud cover - we can only just see the nearby islands #Askcivilservice
Hey #AskCivilService - what's the biggest challenge of working in Antarctica? And what's the best part?- .@DigiBungalow 1. biggest challenge - the weather which can change quickly and hamper ability of scientists to do work! #Askcivilservice
- .@DigiBungalow 2. best part - the scenery and the icebergs in particular which can change colour in different lights #Askcivilservice
How do you cope with the isolation side of things? #AskCivilService- .@IslaStevens I only work over the Antarctic summer when there can be up to 100 people on station so not too isolating! #Askcivilservice
- @BAS_News Oh cool, I had no idea there were so many people who worked there in the summer! #Askcivilservice
- .@IslaStevens in the winter months there are just 19 here and no ships or planes can get in so it is much quieter! #Askcivilservice
- 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
- RT @BAS_News @womensday 2. she wasn't very old when she had a stroke & major heart surgery but she always remained positive #AskCivilService
@UKCivilService Hugely inspiring! Do you have any advice for fellow females looking for a change in career direction? #ASKCivilService- .@CharlotteHart @UKCivilService go for it - I've enjoyed everything I've done but never really had a career plan #Askcivilservice
@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- .@matthewteller I'm at Rothera - my view is Ryder Bay and a glacier - Barrow's Boys by Fergus Fleming is v inspiring #AskCivilService
- @BASnews Thanks so much! I'm reading the Guardian profile of you now, Melody. Your work is an inspiration. Thank you. #AskCivilService
As seen on
civilservice.blog.gov.uk
#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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