Supported by the University of Cambridge's Enhancing Research Culture Funding.

Focused on researchers in the field of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology.

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<aside> <img src="/icons/stars_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/stars_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> Welcome to the Monthly Astro Career Talk Series!

Ever wonder what life’s like after an astrophysics degree? Maybe you're figuring out your next move or just curious about the real-life experiences of others.

Either way, the Monthly Astro Career Talk is where you’ll hear it all—no sugarcoating, just honest stories from people who've been through it.

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<aside> <img src="/icons/rocket_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/rocket_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> What’s it about?

Each month, we bring in a guest speaker who shares their journey—whether it's in academia or industry.

The beauty of this series is that every talk is different, with each topic offering its own unique charm. Some talks pull in undergrads, others resonate more with postgrads or postdocs—there’s something for everyone.

</aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/calendar_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/calendar_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> WHEN

See next planned event: Next Speaker

</aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/map-pin-alternate_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/map-pin-alternate_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> WHERE

Battcock Centre for Experimental Astrophysics

https://map.cam.ac.uk/battcock#52.213659,0.094044,18

</aside>

Next Speaker

🎙️ Dr. Monica Huang

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Agenda

11:30 - 11:45 Dr. Huang on her career path

11:45 - 12:30 Open discussion & Q&A

Title: Unpack - my career switch

Time: 29th April 2025, 11:30 - 12:30

Venue: TBC

Online meeting link: TBC

Title: From Astronomy to Quantitative Research & Development

Bio:

Monica is now a data engineer at AkzoNobel, The Netherlands. Prior to her career in industry, she was a postdoc researcher at Leiden University - after she got her PhD from University of Illinois in the U.S. in 2020 (the famous year :D).

🎙️ Planned Speakers

Month Day Speaker Industry Country of Residency Remote/In-person Comments
March 28 Prof. Anna McLeod Academia United Kingdom
🇬🇧 In-person Associate professor at Durham University
April 29 Dr. Monica Huang Data Science (commercial) Netherlands
🇳🇱 Remote/In-person 12-1pm CEST
PhD in the U.S.
Postdoc in NL
Data Science in NL
May 28 Prof. Or Graur Academia United Kingdom In-person Associate Professor of Astrophysics
June 19 Dr. Sonali Shukla Careers Consultant United Kingdom
🇬🇧 In-person Careers Consultant, Careers Service, University of Cambridge
Oct TBC Reveal later Entrepreneurship United Kingdom
🇬🇧 In-person Judge Business School
Nov

Past Events

📚 Past talks include:

  1. "From Cosmology PhD to Microsoft Research" — Dr. Carina Negreanu
  2. "UK, Germany, and NL: My Academic Journey in Astrophysics" — Dr. Matus Rynak
  3. "From Music Education to Astronomy" — Dr. Charlotte Simmonds
  4. "My Career Journey and the Two-Body Problem in Academia" — Dr. Siddharth Gandhi
  5. "At the Ethical Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence" — Dr. Chandrima Ganguly
  6. "Bridging Science and Society: A Physicist’s Path to Public Engagement" — Dr. Tana Joseph
  7. "The 'Formula' for Academic Success (If One Existed)" – Prof. Sandro Tacchella Slides
  8. “From Astronomy to Quantitative Research & Development ” - Dr. Kamran Javid