Hi there!

I’m Miriam and I happy you stepping by my page 🙂

Podcaster – The PhDtalk Podcast

I’m a very passionate podcast listener myself. Sometimes when I share an exciting interview or episode I’ve just heard, or mention a new podcaster I’ve discovered, people wonder if I do anything besides listening to podcasts. The answer is – yes, of course! 😄 But podcasts have a special place in my heart.

I believe podcasts are a wonderful way to communicate thoughts, knowledge, and news. Radio shows have always intrigued me as well. During my time in Munich, I learned as much from listening to Bayern2 as I did from completing my Masters – just very different things! 📻

During my PhD, I often heard about the need for outreach and science communication. It’s often suggested that we should make ourselves visible in academia. However, this is easier said than done. Firstly, in my field of modeling, exciting events are rare, and the most interesting thing I can show you is the variety of coffee cup colors on my desk. Secondly, social media often feels too limited to convey the depth of what we study. It can also be quite overwhelming to communicate in a vast universe of posts, tweets, and stories.

The PhD students

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting numerous PhD students who are incredibly knowledgeable about their fields and deeply passionate about their research. They have great stories waiting to be shared. That got me thinking – what if there was a podcast dedicated to and by PhD students, providing them with a platform to share their experiences and stories? The thought development into action and action developed into me actually doing this! I am still amazed 😄

So, the podcast was initially designed for PhD students, offering them a space to share their unique journeys, connect with each other, and build a bridge to everyone else tuning in. It’s a way to showcase ‘the world outside’ what the life of a PhD student truly entails.

Diversity

The agreed upon language in science is English.
We speak English during conferences, write English in our manuscripts and think English during meetings.
While this is really practical because it allows all of us to communicate with each other, it still makes a big part of many of us disappear. Many PhD students, including myself, have a first language that is a big part of our identity.
To give more languages room, the PhD students I interview first introduce themselves in their first language before we continue with English. That allows them to show another side of them, relate with people who speak that same language and to maybe say Hi to their grandma & grandpa🥰

The experts

In addition to conversations with PhD students, I also have the privilege of interviewing experts in various fields relevant to PhDs, as well as students and individuals closely associated with academia and knowledge-work. Although the topics we explore may span a wide spectrum, we often encounter similar challenges and responsibilities. How can we effectively manage our time and tasks? What are the secrets to successful publishing? How to find a balance between work and private life? What are the most effective strategies for teaching and communicating knowledge?

Within this segment of my podcast series, I engage in discussions with individuals who have mastered crucial areas such as academic writing, teaching, and stress management. These conversations offer valuable insights and guidance that can benefit not only PhD students but anyone navigating the academic landscape and beyond.

My learnings

Being a PhD myself, I have also learnt quite something that are worth sharing especially for PhD student at a rather early stage. You don’t have to figure everything out for yourself if others have done so before. Spare your brain capacity on other things 😀

Drawing from my own experiences as a PhD graduate, I’ve gained insights and knowledge that I believe are valuable to share, particularly with PhD students who are still in the early stages of their journey. It’s important to realise that you don’t have to navigate every aspect of this challenging path on your own when there’s advice available from those who have traveled it before you. By learning from the experiences of others, you can conserve your mental resources for other important tasks and challenges.

Thinking more about my learnings and what great impacts they have had on my personal and professional life, has inspired me to take my knowledge-sharing efforts further, leading me to offer various workshops. If you’d like more information about my workshops and opportunities for collaboration, please click here.

Trailer

If you like, you can listen to the trailer of my podcast right here 🙂

Academic Background

I hold a joint PhD degree from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark 🇩🇰 & and Ghent University in Belgium 🇧🇪. As a PhD student, I was part of the EU Horizon2020 project Nutri2Cycle, where we explored ways to enhance nutrient efficiencies in agriculture.

My role involved conducting Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies on new technologies and management strategies, offering comprehensive insights into their environmental implications compared to the status quo.

I am passionate about LCAs because they go beyond looking at direct effects and give clues of hidden impacts. Few improvements come at no costs and emission reductions can usually only be achieved through additional material and energy inputs. The question is – is it worth it?

Here’s a list of my publications if you’d like to explore further! 😊📚”

🐷LCA on pig slurry acidification (me as 1st-author)

☘LCA on duckweed production to recycle nutrients and produce animal feed (me as 1st-author)

🐛 LCA on insect rearing to recycle nutrients and produce animal feed (me as 1st-author)

💧 LCA on struvite recovery & wastewater sludge end-use (me as 2nd-author)