Maggie-Aderin Pocock on building a career in science and raising a family

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Maggie Aderin-Pocock shares her experience of building a successful career in science and raising a family

³:LWK FKLOGKRRG ORJLF ODQGLQJ RQ WKH &ODQJHUV planet didn’t seem that far-fetched,” recalls Maggie Aderin-Pocock, whose imagination was sparked by TV’s space age mice at the age of two. The Clangers entertained a generation of children who had not long seen men land on the moon. In WKLVDWPRVSKHUHRIH[SORUDWLRQ³,ZDQWHGWREHDQ DVWURQDXW´UHFDOOV0DJJLH³0RVWNLGVJURZRXWRI that sort of idea but for me it stuck.”

Now a successful space scientist Maggie AderinPocock juggles the management of her science communications company, BBC TV appearances, and a position as Science in Society ambassador at University College London, with motherhood. She talks candidly about how she got here.

Making Plans

0DJJLHVSHQWPXFKRIKHUFKLOGKRRG¿JXULQJRXW how she was going to get into space, overcoming challenges of race, gender and dyslexia in the SURFHVV³$WRQHSRLQW,ZDQWHGWRJRWR5XVVLD I thought they’d be more sympathetic to women space scientists and I didn’t like the idea of the USA at the time. My sister told me about segregation; I couldn’t believe it, the thought that because of the colour of my skin people would assume I’m inferior and I’d have to sit at the back of the bus, it just seemed mindboggling.”

Learning Russian felt impossible, one language Maggie Aderin-Pocock was challenging enough, so her efforts began in earnest on home ground, though a stark contrast between home and school soon became apparent. ³$WDQHDUO\DJH, IRXQGUHDGLQJDQGZULWLQJYHU\ GLI¿FXOWEHFDXVHRIG\VOH[LD$WKRPH,ZDVSOD\LQJ drafts with my sisters and felt quite bright. But that all disappeared at school and I sulked at the back of the class.” Buoyed by support from her father she SHUVHYHUHG³0\GDGZDVEULOOLDQWEHFDXVHKHZDV always saying ‘work hard and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.’ I think I was lucky because I believed him!”

7KH³NH\EUHDN´FDPHGXULQJDSK\VLFVFODVVZKHQ the teacher asked ‘what does one cubic centimetre of water weigh?’ Initially hesitant to answer as the rest of the class went silent, Maggie correctly UHSOLHG RQH JUDP ³, UHDOLVHG WKDW WKRXJK TXLWH dyslexic, I was logical.” This revelation spurred her on to study science outside of school with her father. Eventually she started attending evening classes on telescope making. Her teenage evening exploits would soon revolve around grinding two

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Most people think of a scientist in a lab with test tubes. This is more like James Bond! ”

pieces of glass together for hours to make the SHUIHFWPLUURUIRUDWHOHVFRSH³,WZDVZRUWKLW, could make something pretty cutting edge with my own hands.”

The reward for her efforts would impact her IXWXUH FDUHHU ³/LYLQJ LQ /RQGRQ \RX GRQ¶W VHH that much of the night’s sky because of cloud. But I remember pointing my telescope up at the moon and seeing its craters. It was brilliant. 7KDW ZDVP\ ¿UVW LQVWUXPHQW DQG , EHFDPH DQ instrumentationalist.”

Maggie went on to complete a degree in physics DW ,PSHULDO &ROOHJH /RQGRQ ³7KH LQWDNH ZDV around 200. I think two of us were black and IRXU RU ¿YH RI XV ZHUH ZRPHQ´ %\ WKLV WLPH she was used to standing out in a crowd and thoroughly enjoyed her degree. Inspired by her undergraduate tutor Professor David Southwood, who would later become the director of science and robotic exploration at the European Space $JHQF\LQKHUYLHZ ³DEULOOLDQW VSDFH VFLHQWLVW´ made her think: ‘I want to do what you do.’

By the end of her degree Maggie became interested in optics, which she applied to the study of engine oils in high-pressure contacts during her PhD at Imperial under the supervision of Professor Hugh Spikes. She felt supported and HQFRXUDJHG EXWZRXOG ¿QLVK KHU VWXGLHVLQ WKH midst of a recession.

Working World

³, HPHUJHG DV D 3K' DSSOLHG WR RLO FRPSDQLHV and got turned down. For some reason I applied to the Ministry of Defence.” Entering such a wellestablished male-dominated arena presented a SHFXOLDU VHW RI LVVXHV ³0\ ERVV KDG SLFWXUHV RI VHPLQDNHGZRPHQLQKLVRI¿FH:KHQHYHU,VSRNH to him my voice would go up two octaves!”

7KH¿UVWGD\RQ WKH MREZDVRQH VKHZRQ¶W VRRQ IRUJHW³,WKLQNP\LPPHGLDWHERVVWKRXJKW,ZDV going to come in with my PhD from Imperial and be all ‘hoighty-toighty’, so he wanted to bring me down a peg or two. When I arrived at work, he said µ,QHHGVRPHQHZEOLQGVXSLQP\RI¿FHDQG\RX QHHGWRSXWWKHPXS¶´UHFDOOV0DJJLH³,TXLWHOLNH DIY so I did it!”

Despite the introduction, work at the MoD proved HVSHFLDOO\UHZDUGLQJ³:HZHUHGHYHORSLQJPLVVLOH warning systems, potentially saving peoples lives.” Not to mention the excitement of hands on H[SHULPHQWV³7KHUH¶VDSLFWXUHRIPHVWDQGLQJLQ an aircraft with a camera, collecting data of this missile plume smashing into a wall. I love showing kids this picture. Most people think of a scientist in a lab with test tubes. This is more like James Bond!”

The Clangers space-age TV series entertained a generation of children who had not long seen men land on the moon.

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³,GUHDPWXSWKHGHVLJQIRUP\ZHGGLQJGUHVVDQGKDGLW made in the middle of a busy worldwide work trip. It made me believe I could do anything I put my mind to.”

Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Space science loomed on the horizon as Maggie eventually left the MoD for UCL, to build an instrument for the Gemini telescope – a project that would culminate in its construction in Chile. ³,WZDVIDQWDVWLF,ZDVLQ6RXWK$PHULFDRQWKH foothills of the Andes, where the skies are clear every night and you can see the heart of the Milky Way.” Landing a job in the space department led WRPRUH RSSRUWXQLWLHV ³6XGGHQO\ , ZDV ZRUNLQJ on things like the James Webb space telescope and by an amazingly convoluted route I became a space scientist.”

Juggling Jobs

A move to Astrium, the world’s third largest space company, was to follow. Now married and with the prospect of starting a family, Maggie began laying the foundations of her science communications company. Her involvement in education and public engagement was further fuelled when she VHFXUHG RQH RI WKH ¿UVW 6FLHQFH DQG 7HFKQRORJ\ Facilities Council (STFC) fellowships. Two more would follow, then an MBE in recognition of her HIIRUWV ³:LWK WKH 67)& IHOORZVKLS , JRW WR YLVLW kids in school. I was struggling to get more optical engineers to join my group at Astrium and thought, as scientists we need to get out there and tell people.” Six years of school visits has seen Maggie reach 120,000 people. Before she knew it the British Council was inviting her to give talks about space science all over the ZRUOG ³0\ KXVEDQG XVHG WR ODXJK DW PH µ+RZ many jobs have you got today Maggie? Five? 6L["¶´ VKH FKXFNOHV ³, ZDV WU\LQJ WR FRRUGLQDWH everything and then I got pregnant.” The arrival of her daughter, Lauren, coincided with an irresistible RIIHUIURPWKH%%&WR¿OPDGRFXPHQWDU\DERXWWKH moon. Maggie’s husband used his annual leave from work to take care of their young daughter as they ¿OPHG DURXQG WKH ZRUOG IRU ¿YHPRQWKV ³,W ZDV brilliant and scary at the same time. Sometimes I’d turn up staring bleary eyed into the camera. I was IHHGLQJ P\ GDXJKWHU DW QLJKW DQG ¿OPLQJ GXULQJ the day.”

Changing Minds

Choosing to spend more time with her daughter, Maggie left Astrium to focus on public engagement. It was easier to bring her daughter along for the ULGH ³:H JDYH D WDON DW WKH 5R\DO $OEHUW +DOO LQ front of 5000 women from the Women’s Institute and Laurie came on stage with me. It’s a brilliant thing.” Not only for Maggie but also other women VFLHQWLVWV RXW WKHUH ³,W ZRUNHG RXW UHDOO\ ZHOO LQ terms of getting a message across to the girls in the audience. One girl came up to me at the end of a talk and said that seeing me on stage with my baby made her think ‘I can do this’.”

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Demonstrate you are capable and they won’t see colour or gender

Women who pursue careers in the physical VFLHQFHVPD\ VWLOO ¿QG WKHPVHOYHVLQ DPLQRULW\ EXW0DJJLHQRWHV³EHLQJXQXVXDOLVQ¶WQHFHVVDULO\ a bad thing.” Standing out brings challenges DQG EHQH¿WV ³$V D SURMHFW PDQDJHU ZKHQ ,¶P introduced to a new team, I can see them thinking ‘Who’s this? She’s black, she’s female, she doesn’t look like an engineer’. I’m under a lot of scrutiny at that stage and when someone hits a problem, I need to show that I have the technical prowess to understand their problems and solve them quickly.”

What may have initially proved a challenge in LQGXVWU\KDVKHOSHGLQKHURWKHUUROHV³0\PHGLD career wouldn’t have done half as well if I were white, middle-aged and male. If I do something brilliant, I’m going to be remembered. If I do something awful, I’m still going to be remembered because I’m out there.”

/HDUQLQJKRZWREHFRPIRUWDEOHVWDQGLQJRXWLV³D VWDWHRIPLQG´DVVHUWV0DJJLH³6LWWLQJLQPHHWLQJV thinking ‘oh god I’m the only black person here, I’m the only woman here’ puts additional pressure on us. Demonstrate you are capable and they won’t see colour or gender.” Kathy Sykes

Physicist Kathy Sykes encourages researchers across all subject areas to get engaged with the public, in her position as professor of sciences and society at the University of Bristol. Her commitment to public engagement with science was honoured in 2006 with the Royal Society Kohn Award. Most recognised for presenting the TV series Rough Science, Kathy is actively involved in communicating science not only through TV, but by contributing to the creation and direction of events such as the Cheltenham Science Festival and NESTA Famelab. Helping inform Government policy on science and technology, she is also a member of the Council for Science and Technology (CST). Kathy began her career with a PhD in biodegradable plastics and is now one of the UK’s leading science communicators.