This week on PhDetails we get an insight into a slightly different side of biology, conservation, from an interview with Emiel de Lange. This was a really interesting interview for me because Emiel is my oldest biology colleague. We met at Imperial on the Biology BSc course and were assigned to eachother as lab mates after only a couple of weeks and amazingly (or unfortunately for Emiel, you'll have to ask him) we took almost identical modules all the way through university including doing the same MRes later at Imperial College's Silwood Park. If you have already read post #1 it might become obvious that Emiel and I have maintained very different interests throughout university and he now undertakes some of the most immersive and intense field work I have ever heard of, spending months at a time in the field, often working independently. So if your thing is conservation, Herculean field campaigns and societal change here are the PhDetails for you...
Let’s start off by talking about completely unscientific stuff. What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?
Johann Sebastian Bach
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980s
This is harder as I like lots of different stuff. Can I say a DJ who only plays other people’s music? Ben UFO
Favourite movie?
I don’t know, but I really like Stanley Kubrick’s films.
Where do you study and who is/are your supervisor(s)?
I have two supervisors at two different institutions, but I’m based at the University of Edinburgh, and live in Edinburgh. My main supervisor here is Aidan Keane. My other supervisor is E.J. Milner-Gulland at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science at the University of Oxford. I visit there regularly.
What year of your PhD are you in?
I’m in the 2nd year, 18 months in to be exact
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
I’m funded by a studentship from NERC (the UK government’s natural environment research council) and the E3 doctoral training programme at Edinburgh, which is for four years.
Do you have any publications – if so where?
So far I have one peer-reviewed publication in the journal Conservation Letters, and another one under review – but I won’t say where! I’m trying to cross the divide between academia and practice, so I’m proud to also have a guidance book published by the International Institute for Environment and Development.
Did you do a masters - was it about?
I did a masters by research in tropical forest ecology at Imperial College London. The main draw for me was the 9-month research project, during which I looked at evaluating the impacts of a conservation ecotourism intervention, run by WCS Cambodia.
What is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?
Last year I spent five months in northern Cambodia, visiting 10 different villages spread through some pretty remote areas. This was during the wet season, so travelling was an adventure and a challenge. To reach one cluster of villages we had to hire a local boatsman to take us in his narrow wooden boat. It was hard work as we had to push the boat over flooded grasslands, and continuously scoop leaking water out. In the end we didn’t make it before nightfall and had to camp at a little settlement on the riverbank. We saw a lot of tall trees and wildlife along the way, and when we arrived we were left there in the middle of nowhere hoping the boat would come back on the agreed day – there was no phone signal! (P.S. Emiel has a great instagram account here where you can follow his fieldwork!)
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during fieldwork – did it work?
My research is all social so the only technology we use for data-collection are some small tablets to record survey responses. We’re much more reliant on equipment for getting to our study sites though, and I bought three dilapidated old mopeds and had them fixed up for around $200. One night all three of them broke down in succession leaving us stranded along a remote road in the rain. Many thanks to the kind locals who helped us out that night!
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
Don’t rush into it – a PhD is a commitment in terms of time, energy, mental wellbeing, and money. If there’s fieldwork you’ll have to be prepared to sacrifice your living standards for long periods too.
What supervisor traits are important to you?
Most important is empathy – the supervisor should see you as a human with your own needs, flaws, insecurities, and abilities. They should offer you support, guidance, and understanding – not just expectations. I should note that this only works if you are mature, responsible, and motivated in return.
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
I’m lucky to have two great supervisors, but my friends who struggle with theirs seem to have supervisors that don’t balance their criticism with guidance, and don’t balance their expectations with understanding.
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
How do information flows contribute to social change in conservation?
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
So much has happened in the past year, but the most satisfying thing has been polishing off the first paper. Seeing the supervisor’s red ink shrink on each successive draft until what’s left is thought good enough to submit to a journal has been very satisfying. This is what all academic work leads to after all.
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
I’m not sure I have any to be honest, but my appreciation for my supervisors has grown as I’ve seen more of their work close up. We organised a Conservation Optimism summit and it was really cool to hear from activists, politicians and others who fight for the environment around the world – they are my idols.
Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?
There’s definitely a few sociologists and social psychologists I’d like to talk to and pick their brains.
Do you have a favourite paper?
I don’t think I could say. My research is interdisciplinary and draws on psychology, sociology, public health, and social marketing, as well as the conservation literature.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
I’ve only been to one so far, called Forests & Livelihoods: Action, Research, Engagement (FLARE). It was good fun, and inspiring to hear about all the interdisciplinary forest-related research and action going on, even if it wasn’t so related to what I do.
What hours do you typically work?
I try to keep office hours, but it’s inevitable that I have to work evenings and weekends occasionally. This usually happens when I have marking to do, or if I’m in the run up to fieldwork or a deadline. At quieter times I make up for it.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your phd?
I’m pretty good at making space for other things, but inevitably there are times where I feel like I have to sacrifice in order to meet a deadline or something. Some things, like my piano practice are just as important to me as my PhD and I try to play an hour every day, usually before I go to the office. I also take an hour at lunch to do some exercise on most days. After work I do yoga, and take time to cook too. In the evenings or weekends I like to hang out with friends, go to the cinema, concerts, or try new things. Of course – all of this changes when I’m in Cambodia for fieldwork! Reading becomes my main diversion there. On the other hand, I do get a lot of opportunities to travel.
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your phd what would you wish for?
Right now I’m searching for money – if a genie could give me £5,000-£10,000 I would be sorted.
What would be your dream job?
All I know is that I want to use my skills to forge a better future for humanity and nature. I’ll go where the opportunities take me.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I imagine I’ll either be doing a post-doc or working at an NGO.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
Action
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
It’d be nice to finish learning the Goldberg variations, and Scriabin’s 3rd sonata.
Let’s start off by talking about completely unscientific stuff. What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?Johann Sebastian Bach
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980s
This is harder as I like lots of different stuff. Can I say a DJ who only plays other people’s music? Ben UFO
Favourite movie?
I don’t know, but I really like Stanley Kubrick’s films.
Where do you study and who is/are your supervisor(s)?
I have two supervisors at two different institutions, but I’m based at the University of Edinburgh, and live in Edinburgh. My main supervisor here is Aidan Keane. My other supervisor is E.J. Milner-Gulland at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science at the University of Oxford. I visit there regularly.
What year of your PhD are you in?
I’m in the 2nd year, 18 months in to be exact
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
I’m funded by a studentship from NERC (the UK government’s natural environment research council) and the E3 doctoral training programme at Edinburgh, which is for four years.
Do you have any publications – if so where?
So far I have one peer-reviewed publication in the journal Conservation Letters, and another one under review – but I won’t say where! I’m trying to cross the divide between academia and practice, so I’m proud to also have a guidance book published by the International Institute for Environment and Development.
Did you do a masters - was it about?
I did a masters by research in tropical forest ecology at Imperial College London. The main draw for me was the 9-month research project, during which I looked at evaluating the impacts of a conservation ecotourism intervention, run by WCS Cambodia.
What is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?
Last year I spent five months in northern Cambodia, visiting 10 different villages spread through some pretty remote areas. This was during the wet season, so travelling was an adventure and a challenge. To reach one cluster of villages we had to hire a local boatsman to take us in his narrow wooden boat. It was hard work as we had to push the boat over flooded grasslands, and continuously scoop leaking water out. In the end we didn’t make it before nightfall and had to camp at a little settlement on the riverbank. We saw a lot of tall trees and wildlife along the way, and when we arrived we were left there in the middle of nowhere hoping the boat would come back on the agreed day – there was no phone signal! (P.S. Emiel has a great instagram account here where you can follow his fieldwork!)
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during fieldwork – did it work?
My research is all social so the only technology we use for data-collection are some small tablets to record survey responses. We’re much more reliant on equipment for getting to our study sites though, and I bought three dilapidated old mopeds and had them fixed up for around $200. One night all three of them broke down in succession leaving us stranded along a remote road in the rain. Many thanks to the kind locals who helped us out that night!
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
Don’t rush into it – a PhD is a commitment in terms of time, energy, mental wellbeing, and money. If there’s fieldwork you’ll have to be prepared to sacrifice your living standards for long periods too.
What supervisor traits are important to you?
Most important is empathy – the supervisor should see you as a human with your own needs, flaws, insecurities, and abilities. They should offer you support, guidance, and understanding – not just expectations. I should note that this only works if you are mature, responsible, and motivated in return.
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
I’m lucky to have two great supervisors, but my friends who struggle with theirs seem to have supervisors that don’t balance their criticism with guidance, and don’t balance their expectations with understanding.
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
How do information flows contribute to social change in conservation?
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
So much has happened in the past year, but the most satisfying thing has been polishing off the first paper. Seeing the supervisor’s red ink shrink on each successive draft until what’s left is thought good enough to submit to a journal has been very satisfying. This is what all academic work leads to after all.
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
I’m not sure I have any to be honest, but my appreciation for my supervisors has grown as I’ve seen more of their work close up. We organised a Conservation Optimism summit and it was really cool to hear from activists, politicians and others who fight for the environment around the world – they are my idols.
Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?
There’s definitely a few sociologists and social psychologists I’d like to talk to and pick their brains.
Do you have a favourite paper?
I don’t think I could say. My research is interdisciplinary and draws on psychology, sociology, public health, and social marketing, as well as the conservation literature.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
I’ve only been to one so far, called Forests & Livelihoods: Action, Research, Engagement (FLARE). It was good fun, and inspiring to hear about all the interdisciplinary forest-related research and action going on, even if it wasn’t so related to what I do.
What hours do you typically work?
I try to keep office hours, but it’s inevitable that I have to work evenings and weekends occasionally. This usually happens when I have marking to do, or if I’m in the run up to fieldwork or a deadline. At quieter times I make up for it.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your phd?
I’m pretty good at making space for other things, but inevitably there are times where I feel like I have to sacrifice in order to meet a deadline or something. Some things, like my piano practice are just as important to me as my PhD and I try to play an hour every day, usually before I go to the office. I also take an hour at lunch to do some exercise on most days. After work I do yoga, and take time to cook too. In the evenings or weekends I like to hang out with friends, go to the cinema, concerts, or try new things. Of course – all of this changes when I’m in Cambodia for fieldwork! Reading becomes my main diversion there. On the other hand, I do get a lot of opportunities to travel.
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your phd what would you wish for?
Right now I’m searching for money – if a genie could give me £5,000-£10,000 I would be sorted.
What would be your dream job?
All I know is that I want to use my skills to forge a better future for humanity and nature. I’ll go where the opportunities take me.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I imagine I’ll either be doing a post-doc or working at an NGO.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
Action
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
It’d be nice to finish learning the Goldberg variations, and Scriabin’s 3rd sonata.
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