01 Jan 2017 CV used to apply to PhDs (uploaded as an example for the OUGS website)

Penelope E. Wieser
Address: xxxxxxxxxx Home Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Mobile: xxxxxxxxxx Email: Penny.Wieser@worc.ox.ac.uk
Nationality: Dual British and American
EDUCATION
2013-2017 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford (Worcester College).
Integrated masters in Earth Sciences (MEarthSci). Highest mark in the department in 1st year (81%), 2nd year (76%), and
overall after three years (76.4%). Taking 4th year courses in Volcanology, Palaeomagnetism, Planetary Chemistry, and
Anatomy of a Mountain Belt.
2011-2013 Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge.
A levels: 4A*s in Maths (96%), Physics (99%), Chemistry (97%) & Geology (100%). A* in the Extended Project Qualification.
A in Further Maths AS. Highest mark in the school in Physics (200+ students) and Geology A level (30+ students).
2006-2011 Bottisham Village College, Cambridgeshire.
GCSEs: 10 A*s in Maths, English Literature and Language, French, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Catering, History and
Geography. Alongside my GCSEs I also sat AS Level Maths, in which I achieved an A.
ACADEMIC PRIZES/SCHOLARSHIPS
2016 Burdett-Coutts Prize for highest overall performance in the Final Honour School after three years.
2015 BP Prize for best overall performance in Second Year Exams.
2014-2017 Awarded the MinSouth Sponsorship for the duration of my degree, selected from hundreds of candidates.
2014 Scholar of Worcester College, after achieving a Distinction in First Year Exams.
2013 Highest Achievement in Geology A level; Highest Achievement and Commitment in Physics A level; All-round
Achievement Award.
INTERESTS AND PAST EXPERIENCE
I am interested in the investigation of eruption dynamics, eruption transitions and eruption histories using a variety of
techniques. My experience in igneous petrology/volcanology includes:
RRR

2016-2017 Fourth year Masters Project: Thesis entitled Whole-Rock and Olivine Chemistry of Don Casimiro and Associated
Rear-Arc Volcanism: An Insight into Geochemical Variations along the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone, supervised by
Stephen Turner, David Pyle and Tamsin Mather. I am conducting extensive whole rock and olivine geochemical analysis on a
suite of 21 samples from the arc-front and rear-arc of the Northern Southern Volcanic Zone, Chile. Preliminary work comparing
whole-rock data with adapted mantle melting models suggests that the underlying mantle heterogeneity in the sub-arc mantle
plays a significant role in generating the variable trace element and isotopic signatures seen along the arc.
I am presenting a poster of this work at the VMSG Joint Assembly Conference in January, 2017.
This project has given me lots of experience in analytic techniques and sample preparation, including:
Production of powders for XRF and ICP-MS analysis using a pneumatic rock splitter, jaw crusher and agate ball mill.
Wet sieving of scoria samples, and hand selection of unaltered grains for whole-rock analysis.
Clean lab weighing, digestion, and dilution (all done gravimetrically) for ICP-MS, and associated bottle washing.
Picking of olivines, and production of olivine grain mounts for electron probe and LA-ICP-MS analysis.
Use of CAMECA SX100 Electron Microprobe to analyse olivine compositions
I am spending 2 weeks at Leeds University in January with Dr. Ivan Savov to measure Sr and Nd isotope ratios.
2016 ICP-MS work on basaltic samples from the Main Ethiopian Rift as part of a collaboration with Dr. Karen Fontijn.
2016 6 week internship at Cambridge University, supervised by Dr. Sally Gibson. This focused on the new LA-ICP-MS
system at Cambridge, with a Perkin Elmer Nexion 350D ICP-MS, an ESI NWR 193UC laser, and Glitter Processing Software.
This project involved testing how calculated element concentrations are affected by spot size, laser fluence, and the use of
calibration standards. Olivine LA-ICP-MS work was then conducted on picritic and ferropicritic samples from Etendeka to
investigate the possibility of temporal changes in the proportion of pyroxenite material melting in the plume. Petrolog 3.1.1.3
was used to separate source variations from the effects of fractional crystallization.
2016 Third year essay on The Formation of the Daly Gap. I particularly focused on how the tectonic setting controls the
magma composition, conditions of magma storage, and hence the likelihood of gap formation. This introduced me to the use of
geochemistry and petrology to investigate complex magmatic processes occurring within the crust.
2015 6 week undergraduate mapping project focusing on the Ordovician Volcanics of Llyn Ogwen, Northern Snowdonia,
Wales. This was an ambitious project to undertake at the end of second year, as I had not yet encountered volcaniclastic rocks in
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01 Jan 2017 CV used to apply to PhDs (uploaded as an example for the OUGS website)

the field as part of my degree. However, having done a lot of outside reading in preparation for this project, after 38 days in the
field, I produced a 1:5,000 scale map of 15km2, and achieved 78%. This project also taught me how to produce thin section
billets.
2010 Two weeks work experience at British Antarctic Survey in the ice core and paleoclimate division. My time was shared
between working with ice cores in the cold room, picking forams, showing corporations such as the World Bank around, and
learning how expeditions are managed. It was this position that really confirmed to me that I wanted a career in research.
WORK EXPERIENCE/OUTREACH
2016 Volunteered with London Volcano at Oxfordshire Science Festival. This involved teaching/inspiring children about
volcanology and volcano monitoring with fun experiments and rock samples.
2016 Gave a lecture at Hills Road Sixth Form entitled The Physics of Sea Level Change-Not Simply Filling a Bathtub!.
This talk used information I had learnt from a 3rd year climate module to encourage A Level Physics students to consider an
Earth Science degree as a way to apply their interest in a variety of sciences to real world problems.
2015-2009 Employee at Cambridge Satchel Company. I have worked in customer services, dispatch and retail, and so have
developed a range of skills, including being confident talking on the phone and replying to emails in a professional manner.
While working in the shop, I was employed as a Key Holder. This meant that I was in charge of opening up the shop, and
cashing up, as well as being in charge of customer complaints/security breaches.
2013 A level maths tutoring in the run up to the A2 maths module exams.
2013-2008 Gymnastics Coach at Dynamics Gymnastics, Cambridge. This involved planning the teaching for, and leading 6
groups of 8 children during my various shifts, as well as choreographing routines for yearly shows to the parents, and examining
the children for the British Gymnastics Award Scheme levels.
2011 Punt Chauffeur at Granta Punt Company, Cambridge. This developed my public speaking skills, and confidence, as I
would spend all day giving talks on the history of Cambridge University to tourists.
NON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND INTERESTS
I am a competitive dinghy sailor, and competed at a national standard alongside my GCSEs and A Levels. I have sailed on the
Blues Team since starting at Oxford, and have competed in 3 varsity matches on the female team. In 2016, I was also selected to
compete in the mixed team, being the only girl on either side to do so. I have 3 half blues.
2016-2015 Selected as Ladies Captain for Oxford University Yacht Club, and elected as Membership Secretary.
2016 Started skippering keelboats, and placed 3rd at the Womens Open Keelboat Championships in 2016.
2012-2010 Selected for the Topper National Youth Squad for 2 years, and through my time in the squad I achieved good
results nationally (ranked nationally at 14th out of 220, and 4th girl). I was the first girl ever to win the Eastern Championship.
PERSONAL SKILLS
Proficient in Matlab, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Office, LaTex, Petrolog 3.1.1.3, and GCD kit and other packages in R. I
have some experience with ERmapper and Mathmatica.
UK drivers licence, experience driving in the UK, Europe and the US.
I am confident at speaking to large and small groups of individuals, and managing groups, as shown by the wide variety of
jobs I have done that require good communication with colleagues and customers.
I am extremely determined and self-motivated. During GCSEs I also taught myself 2 modules of the AS level maths
syllabus, and 1 module of A2 maths. During my A levels, I founded the Hills Road Geology Society, and organized talks.
I have good time management, shown by my ability to manage high level sport and academics.
I am highly organized, shown by the very active role I have taken on the sailing club committee during my time at Oxford.
As Ladies Captain, I was responsible for organising training and travel to competitions, as well as attending the meetings of
the Oxford University Blues Committee.
I am practical, and very good at fixing things. I have always had to fix my own boats, and am the University Yacht Club
Bosun from 2016-2017, so am responsible for maintaining a fleet of 13 dinghies. This ability to fix equipment has been very
useful when doing fieldwork, and when using mechanical machines such as the jaw crusher.
Lots of experience in the outdoors. 4 years in the scouts gave me experience in wild camping, wild cooking and shelter-
making. I have completed a specialist 2-day Remote Emergency Care First Aid Course. I have also spent a lot of time hiking
in the US National parks at significant altitude (3500m+). I am a confident downhill skier, scrambler, horse rider, and have
done some cross country skiing, ice climbing, and snowshoe walking. My confidence in mountainous areas and my high
level of fitness means I am well suited to perform fieldwork in even the most challenging locations.
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