Profile
Shane Bergin
My CV
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Education:
Primary: Patrician Primary School, Newbridge Co. Kildare (1985-1993); Secondary: Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge (1993-1999); University: Trinity College Dublin (Degree: 1999-2003, PhD: 2003-2007)
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Qualifications:
I have a BA Mod (Trinty’s way of saying a science degree) and a Phd (I’m a doctor of physics)
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Work History:
I’ve worked at Trinity College Dublin (in the physics department) and at Imperial College London (with the chemists)
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Current Job:
I’m an Assistant Professor in the School of Physics at Trinity College
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My Typical Day
A whirlwind of talking, teaching, learning and doing
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Read more
My day is a frantic combination of lectures, experiments, banging my head off the desk to work out where I went wrong with an experiment or frantically sharing my new found amazing result with colleagues. Today, I lectured 200 first-year engineers on sound (this involved demonstrating ‘resonance’ by smashing a wine glass with sound), I tutored 5 physics students on mechanics (why things move the way they do), I worked in the lab with my PhD student on adding tiny nano-materials to Nylon (we’re working on a top-secret project), I designed an advert for the DART that will convey the beauty of physics to the public (another project of mine), I read my friend’s recent scientific publication, and I wrote part of an application to buy a new piece of equipment for my lab…
In all….
3 cups of coffee
2km of walking (around college)
30 mins chatting on the phone
60 mins in meetings
150 mins in the lab
2 hours teaching
~5 quick conversations with people in the hallway
1 dropped piece of glass
1 lunch + 1 chat about research funding in Ireland
2 great ideas (1 might work)
way too much time in front of my computer
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Chatty, interested, cheeky
What did you want to be after you left school?
A scientist, a vet, or a pilot
Were you ever in trouble at school?
sometimes… for talking too much
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Christy Moore if I’m honest.
What is the most fun thing you've done?
I’ve trekked through the jungle of Borneo looking for wildlife.
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
to fly, to teleport, to be able to play every musical instrument
Tell us a joke.
I quit my job the Helium factory…. I wasn’t going to be spoken to in that tone..
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