Profile

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Jenny Hanafin

Curriculum Vitae

  • Work History:

    I have worked mainly in universities (Miami, London, Galway, UCD, Brest (France)) and in institutes (Met Eireann and IFREMER – the french Marine Institute)

  • Current Job:

    Earth Observation and Modelling Manager

  • Employer:

    TechWorks Marine

  • About Me: My ideal afternoon would be fresh sushi and a sing-song on a yacht, followed by a dive on a pristine coral reef.

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    I live in Wicklow, the Garden County, between the mountains and the sea. I’m a water baby and I sail, dive, snorkel, swim whenever I can find the time. I also love to sing and I am a member of a barbershop chorus, which performs on a regular basis. I have two roommates and one cat and adore asian food. I get to travel a lot with work and have visited some pretty remote places, I’ve even flown over the Arctic in a helicopter!

  • My Work: I use satellite data to study and observe the oceans, in a nutshell.

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    I’ve always been fascinated by the two biggest unexplored areas around us – space and the sea and I’ve been fortunate enough to turn that fascination into a job. Most of what I do is based on research and developing that into more concrete applications. My job is to come up with new ideas on how to use satellite data, find ways to realize them, and then promote the result. Turning an idea into reality requires resources: having people who have the skills to do the job; finding the right engineering or technical approach; planning what is going to happen and when; and how much it will cost and where the money to do it will come from. All of that needs to be managed, so that we know where we are going within the company, when we are going to get there. Coming from a scientific background, I work a lot with scientists, as they have great ideas which we can transition, or help them to transition, from pure research to a commercial activity.



  • My Typical Day: There is no typical day, apart from reading email and keeping up to date, and I like it like that.

  • What I'd do with the money: I’d like to use it to encourage girls to participate in coderdojo or maker activities

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    Coderdojo and maker events are such a fun way to meet other geeks and learn new skills while you play. I wish they’d been around when I was in school! I’d give the money to a hacker or maker event to pay for girls to travel to the event if they couldn’t afford to go otherwise.

  • My Interview

    • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

      Smart, active, happy.

      What's the best thing you've done in your career?

      Figured out how to use a GPS to measure the humidity of the atmosphere.

      What or who inspired you to follow your career?

      I’m inspired by the unknown – space and the sea, in particular offer so many opportunities to explore…

      What did you want to be after you left school?

      I didn’t know, until I discovered that doing research could be a full-time career, that’s when I knew I’d found my calling.

      Were you ever in trouble at school?

      Yes. I was a quick learner, so I was always bored in class and created trouble to break the monotony.

      If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

      Oooh, maybe a chef? Sushi chef, of course

      Who is your favourite singer or band?

      Sweet honey in the rock

      What's your favourite food?

      Raw fish – yum!

      What is the most fun thing you've done?

      The helicopter trip in the Arctic was a definite highlight

      Tell us a joke.

      What’s red, in the fridge and invisible? No tomato.

Questions answered by Jenny

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