Dr Helen Brayley-Morris (MRes + PhD Security Science 2013)

My background: I grew up in Birmingham and went to Bath University where I graduated with a 1st (Hons) MEng in Electronic Engineering and Psychology. I had a range of jobs including as a maths teacher through the TeachFirst programme and I lived in both Canada and Brazil.

Why I chose to study here: It was the first year that the programme had run and I was keen on getting back into academia via the MRes degree ahead of embarking on the PhD programme. I was attracted to this particular area due to the wide range of real world problems that we could work on, the high quality and strong reputation of the staff within the department and a real push to broaden your understanding with a multidisciplinary approach.

The best bits of my degree: Getting to work with a wide range of students and academics from different backgrounds – it really helped me develop my problem solving skills and ability to view things from different perspectives. The funding was incredibly helpful in enabling me to attend conferences and focus on my research rather than having to work at the same time. The topics covered in the teaching aspects were interesting with core skills embedded. It has had a lasting impact on how I communicate with different audiences, how I approach problems and always asking ‘why’ and ‘so what’ before starting a new project.
What I do now: I work in Counter Terrorism at the UK Home Office.

How did my degree help me to get my job: It didn’t directly (there was no requirement for a PhD) but the skills I learnt during my PhD helped me progress to the point of getting this job.

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