To Infinity and Beyond!

Students on Monday were treated to a visit from ex-student Hamish Prince who is currently undertaking a PhD with NASA, working out of the University of Wisconsin. Hamish left the College in 2014 and obtained a Master in Geography at Otago University. He then traveled to the USA on an NZ Fulbright Scholarship to undertake his doctoral studies and joined the PREFIRE team.

PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far Infrared Experiment) is a study investigating climate changes at the poles, which experience three times the global warming rate of other areas. To achieve this, PREFIRE is launching two rockets each about the size of a Weetbix box; the first of which will be launched on Thursday by Rocket Lab from the Mahia Peninsula—the second one, a week later for a mere cost of $40 million.

Within the science messaging around climate change and the logistics of rocket launches, Hamish added some personal advice about following dreams and aiming high. Hamish was unsure what he wanted to do when he left school but kept working towards opportunities in things he enjoyed doing. “It's not always about the grades,” he told students, “but people also want to know about what you enjoy doing; your passions, so have hobbies alongside your academic pursuits”

While in NZ, Hamish is conducting some outreach by talking to Universities and science institutions like NIWA. We are very fortunate that he found time to return to us and update us on his exciting exploits. We hope for a successful mission and launch on Thursday!