Antje Fiebig (Institute of Plant Sciences & Resource Conservation)

Name: Antje Fiebig

Subject: Plant and Soil Science, PhD thesis title “Effects of over-irrigation on tomato plant growth and physiology”

Year Graduated: 2014

College: Graduate

Where are you now and what are you doing?
Currently employed at the Horticultural Sciences Department of the Institute of Plant Sciences and Resource Conservation in Bonn (Germany). I am the lab manager and supervise PhD and Master’s students.

Why did you decide to do that?
After spending ~6 years abroad and taking a gap year after the PhD to travel around the world, I wanted to move back to my home country. The job sounded exciting because it offers me the opportunity to be involved in different research projects and also pass on the skills and knowledge I obtained during my time in Lancaster.

What would you like to do next?
Happy where I am at the moment, though I would like to establish my own (international) research group at some point.

Why did you choose to study at Lancaster?
Always wanted to go to England and the supervisor I worked with was an expert in my preferred scientific topic.

What was your favourite part of your degree and why?
The Lancaster Environment Centre provided excellent research facilities (own greenhouses and climate chambers) and I also loved the “soft-skill” courses that were offered especially for PhD students (e.g. how to manage your PhD, how to prepare scientific presentations and publications and so on).

How do you think your time at Lancaster prepared you for what you’re currently doing?
During my PhD, I gained a lot of scientific knowledge, but could also sharpen other skills such as confidence, perseverance, patience and international communication with different audiences (from farmers to students to academics) – the latter one being especially important in my current job, where I am now a supervisor myself.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Lancaster? (Including extra-curricular activities and beyond?
I seem to have forgotten how hard and exhausting the thesis writing process was – instead I can only remember those wonderful evenings filled with lots of nattering, cooking, baking and of course eating delicious things with my friends (oh how I miss flapjacks!). Just wish it would have rained a little less…

 

Antje’s LinkedIn Profile is here