Kathy Hanley is researching for her master’s degree at CONNECT in Tyndall National Institute.
Who are you?
My name is Kathy Hanley and I am a research master’s student with MCCI at Tyndall National Institute in Cork. I am working on a project which is researching the development of a microchip to interface with electrochemical sensors used to test for disease in animals.
How did you get to this point?
I did my undergrad degree in electronic and electrical engineering at UCC. I guess, going back further to leaving cert, I had always liked maths and physics, but I also wanted to work with people. During one summer, I worked as in intern in Tyndall National Institute and was involved in a project to make a pacemaker chip. I thought this was really cool. I also did my final year degree project here which involved designing an amplifier for wearable devices. After graduating, I was in two minds about working in a company, but I was given some good advice: ‘work in research if you want to shape the technology of the future.’
What is it like to be a woman in engineering?
It is challenging for a girl to make the decision to enter the male-dominated world of engineering. I know someone who ended up doing finance instead of engineering because she couldn’t handle the thought of being in that environment. I hope this is changing.
Recently, I went to Smart Futures training, which involves going back to schools to talk about STEM careers, and I thought that if someone had come to my school and told me about the career opportunities in this area, it would have made such a big difference.
I would happily return to my own school to give a careers talk, and make a difference. There are so many cool jobs out there that so many people don’t realise.
What do you do in your free time?
I’m writing a thesis at the moment, so nothing very interesting I’m afraid! I go to the gym three times a week, and I like to read when I get home from work. When I had more time, I was volunteering weekly with Age Action Ireland as part of their Getting Started programme, which involves working one-to-one with an older person and helping them gain confidence in using smartphones, tablets and laptops. I’m looking forward to getting back to that once I finish the thesis.