Meet the Team – Tiegan!

Welcome to this edition of “Meet the Team”!

From now on, when we get new teammates, we’ll highlight some of their likes, dislikes, and lesser-known facts about them in the interest of introducing them to Icefin-world! For this year’s field season, we coerced, er, invited, Tiegan Hobbs to join the insanity of a field season! She lives with Justin and had recently gotten back from field work in Alaska so she’s well-versed with both fieldwork and the Icefin team, making her a perfect addition to our research group! She also has a personal field blog, thobbsfield.wordpress.com, from which she’ll be documenting her experiences over the next few months, so you should definitely go and check that out (though we’ll be cross-posting her stuff here as well). And with that, here’s Tiegan!

Tiegan casually climbing some crazy peaks in the Canadian Rockies near Canmore, Alberta. No biggie.

 

Who are you?

I’m a graduate student finishing my PhD in EAS [Ed. note: that’s the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences] and MS in Civil Engineering. I specialize in earthquake physics, and my doctoral research uses combined GPS and seismic networks to understand how stress is built up and released in a subduction zone [Ed note 2: that’s where one tectonic plate slides under another. #science]. For Icefin I am playing gopher this year, as well as deploying the accompanying seismic instrument(s) that will go out this year.

Bagels or donuts?

Bagels. Savoury > Sweet.

What onesie are you bringing to the field next season?

I’ve already packed my ‘Bear Essentials’ onesie. It was purchased for field work in Alaska this summer, so you know it’s ready for polar conditions.

If you could have one thing to have an endless supply of, what would it be?

Cheese.

Title your autobiography.

“Why do now what you could resent yourself for having put off tomorrow.” 

[Ed note: hits a little close to home there….]

How do penguins make you feel?

Happy, but only the normal amount.

What kind of penguin are you?

Little penguin – because did you even know that was a type?!

I did not, but here is a Little penguin. From Wikipedia, they are also known as fairy penguins and grow barely a foot tall. Also: adorable.

What was your first job? Short bit about it.

I worked at a Tim Hortons because I am the punchline to a joke about Canadians [Ed. note: she’s from Vancouver]. I’ll always remember it as the year of infinite donuts, and getting pennies thrown at me from a drive-thru window. [Ed note 2: I want to know more about this story now.]

How do you like your eggs done?

Burrito’ed. But if that’s not an option: Poached, scrambled, or over medium – in that order.

What (or who) is your favorite fictional robot? If you have a favorite non-fictional one too, please include it. Why?

RogueSeis! I don’t think it counts as a robot. But it’s the seismometer/infrasound unit we are deploying on the sea ice this season. It’s a Raspberry Shake & Boom (https://raspberryshake.org/) that we’re weather hardening for Antarctica. [Ed note: definitely not a robot, but cool anyway!]

What’s your favorite or most interesting part about working with robots? Why do you want to work with them?

I really like getting to learn new skills, especially those that allow me to work with my hands or get outside. Icefin has been an incredible opportunity to do both.

That’s all for this edition! Join us again next time to meet another new member of the team, and keep up to date with us as always on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter (@icefinrobot)!