Catherine Duffy

Catherine Duffy completed her undergraduate degree studying Geography BA with an Industrial year in 2020. She is currently a Data Scientist at GEOLYTIX.  

After completing her undergraduate degree, Catherine went on to do a Masters in Data Science and Analytics with the School of Mathematics to strengthen her skills in statistics and programming. She said “I started working part-time at Geolytix as a Data Analyst in June 2021, whilst writing my dissertation. This role involved researching open datasets on demographics, transport networks, points of interest etc. for use in our projects with international clients. I have since moved into the Data Science team, where I support clients with questions about where to locate their stores by building sales forecasting models.” 

Reflecting on how Leeds helped her with her career goals she said, "I enjoyed the more theoretical course content but also really appreciated the applied modules, covering digital skills, research methods and employability. The skills I improved in those modules, such as critical thinking, communication and presentation, were useful for both my academic assessments and when applying for my placement and graduate roles. 

I enjoyed the more theoretical course content but also really appreciated the applied modules, covering digital skills, research methods and employability.

“My year in industry also gave me invaluable experience which strengthened my graduate applications. I gained familiarity and proficiency in various software, built up my professional network and returned to university with more focused career goals. 

“I completed my industrial placement year at Sainsbury’s, working in their Property Data Analytics team. In this role I assisted teams throughout the company, particularly in functions like location planning and acquisitions, in extracting insight from spatial data. I developed applications and macros to enable data extraction through front-end UIs, supported with database management, delivered training programmes to colleagues and took on some personal analytics projects.” 

In her third year, Catherine also worked as an Employability Ambassador for the School of Geography. She said “I produced a weekly newsletter of employment opportunities and supported careers events. I was an active member of the Leeds University Union Scout and Guide society, serving as both its Secretary and President, and I volunteered to lead the Hyde Park Rangers unit for a year.” 

 

Choosing Leeds 

Choosing Leeds was easy for Catherine as she loved how central the location of the university was, while still maintaining the feeling of a campus university. She said “I knew I wanted to specialise in human geography and appreciated that I could do that from the start of my studies at Leeds (with the option to take physical geography discovery modules if I wanted more balance later). The course content also really aligned with my interests at that time, which were economic geography and geopolitics, and the option to take a year out to work in industry or study abroad.” 

Fieldtrips 

At leeds, we put a real emphasis on ‘real world’ learning through field trips. Catherine had the chance to visit Montpellier in her second year to study urban and rural development. She said “It was interesting getting to know a new city from a geographer’s perspective and we visited some amazing places, such as the Pont du Gard and Arena of Nîmes. We also had a lot of fun wine tasting, exploring the local restaurants and bars and making the most of the sun! I highly recommend taking field trip modules as they’re a great way to get to know other people on the course. I’m still so disappointed that our third year Athens field trip had to be cancelled at the last minute due to Covid-19, as we were all really excited for it.” 

I highly recommend taking field trip modules as they’re a great way to get to know other people on the course.

Project work 

At Leeds there are also lots of opportunities for project work. Catherine shared “I personally really enjoyed conducting research for my dissertations, both of which I completed under supervision from the School of Geography. My undergraduate research focused on the rationalisation of rural primary education provision – I produced a spatial interaction model that aimed to simulate commuting patterns of students in North Yorkshire and how they would change if a selection of small rural schools were to close. 

“My postgraduate research also looked at public service provision, measuring the accessibility of Covid-19 vaccination centres. I undertook this research in partnership with HERE Technologies through the CDRC Masters Dissertation Scheme and it was later published in part through the journal Vaccines, which was a great way to wrap up my time at university.” 

Future students 

When asked what she would say to those thinking of studying geography at Leeds, Catherine said “I would advise you to go along to an open day or applicant day, as they’re the best way to get a feel for what it would be like to study at Leeds. Also take a detailed look through the module content – the School of Geography offers a range of courses (including joint honours), so this is the way to find the course that’s the best fit for you.  

“Once you’re at university, make the most of the opportunities and resources offered to you – join a society, take on positions of responsibility, go to careers fairs and networking events, use the Careers Centre etc. All these things will contribute to an unforgettable university experience and help you to gain confidence ready for your next steps.” 

I would advise you to go along to an open day or applicant day, as they’re the best way to get a feel for what it would be like to study at Leeds

Find out more  

Discover more about our undergraduate degree courses in the School of Geography.