My name is David Hatton, I am a Queen’s University Belfast Geography graduate. I have just completed and graduated from my degree in 2020, after taking a year abroad to study American business practice in Saint Anselm College, New Hampshire, USA.
I chose to study geography as I am fascinated by the natural world, and how we operate and interact within it. Particularly with regards to our impact upon its fragile ecosystems. This made studying the effects of climatic change on cyanobacterial blooms a very interesting topic of research. During my time as an undergraduate student I specialised and wrote my undergraduate dissertation on the mid-late Holocene relative sea level change in the north east of Ireland, conducting 20 boreholes using a hand auger within Glenariff valley. Samples from these boreholes were then sieved and examined for foraminiferal assemblages and three samples were radiocarbon dated.
I chose to study a PhD as I want to develop a strong set of geographical skills and knowledge to apply in industry employment. This project really appealed to me as the placement in the Global Water Institute will provide me with important skills for future employment.
