Peter Mc Ardle
He/Him
I am gay and I am a geologist/PhD Student/graduate teaching assistant.//
For nine years I worked as a geologist and later a subsurface team leader in the oil industry. In the latter role, I was the team leader working on one of the largest producing oil fields in the UK.
I changed my career in 2021. I am currently studying for a planetary science PhD at the University of Manchester. I am working on chondritic (ancient & primitive) meteorites. During my PhD I will use geochronology and other analytical techniques to learn more about the formation of the solar system, in particular to learn more about the history of volatiles in the inner solar system.
As a cis white man my journey has been much easier than that of some, but I have still had my challenges along the way. Growing up, I didn’t know that being gay, or LGBTQ+, was even possible. I lived in a world where there were no LGBTQ+ role models. I never even met another person whom I knew was gay until I was in my early twenties at university. I hope others will read this, and similar posts on 500 Queer Scientists, and realize that there are many successful & happy LGBTQ+ people in STEM.