We are excited to share the second episode of the Univ Spotlight Series, a series which celebrates academic excellence and shines a light on the achievements of Fellows, academics and Old Members at University College, Oxford.

In this episode, Professor Tamsin Mather OBE, Supernumerary Fellow in Earth Sciences and Professor of Earth Sciences at Univ, talks about her inspiring journey into Earth sciences and reflects on her academic and research career to date, while also sharing her insights into the future of our planet.

Professor Mather’s work combines an expansive knowledge of volcanology/magmatism, atmospheric chemistry and paleoclimatology/stratigraphy. In her work, she examines problems ranging from the evolution of the Earth’s environment over its geological history to present-day volcanic hazards and air pollution events. As well as exploring the positive and negative environmental impact of volcanoes on our planet, Professor Mather’s work also encompasses the role of volcanism on other planetary bodies both within our solar system and further afield.

Earlier this year, Professor Mather was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Volcanology and to the Promotion of Science in the New Year Honours. She has participated in a number of science festivals, TV and radio programmes, such as her recent appearance on public radio station Science Friday, where she provided an in-depth answer to the question “Can we just throw our plastic garbage into a volcano?” She also contributed to videos on “The power of volcanoes”, “Humans and volcanoes”, and “Volcanoes and the origins of life” as part of the The Philip Leverhulme Prize Collection on EXPeditions, an open-access digital platform created to bridge the gap between scholars and members of the public.

In addition to chairing the 2025 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize, Professor Mather has also collaborated on various children’s books and published her book Adventures in Volcanoland in 2024.

You can watch the second episode of the Spotlight Series below.

Published: 11 February 2026

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