College of Science
Sue Parle
BSc
Some graduates wait before they leap into the job market. A post-graduate degree is an excellent way of gaining more experience in a subject while at the same time working in the cutting edge of a subject area. Having completed her degree in Industrial Chemistry, Sue Parle is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Food Biochemistry.
When Sue was a Leaving Certificate student applying for university, UL was the only college in the country to offer Industrial Chemistry, so she knew that it was the one place for her to pursue her interest in the subject. However, she was also influenced by other factors, such as UL's Cooperative Education programme. Sue built upon her interest in Industrial Chemistry and in the final year of her degree she took Advanced Food Biochemistry as an elective module. Her experience in the elective prompted her to study Food Biochemistry in more depth and she signed up to pursue a Ph.D. through research at UL.
During her Cooperative Education work experience Sue was placed with TH. Goldschmidt AG. , a large chemical company in Essen, Germany, where she worked as a laboratory assistant to three chemical engineers. There she was able to apply her academic knowledge while gaining practical experience in analytical chemistry techniques. Learning a new language was also an interesting challenge. The nature of this advanced laboratory experience confirmed for Sue her desire to work in a laboratory environment and it also awoke in her an interest in research.. Once she completes her Ph.D., Sue has many options open to her including work in industry, research and the academic world.
"Go into an area that you like and that interests you. Do not do a course simply because it sounds good or your friend is doing it. This is a career choice and can influence the rest of your working life".