PhD graduate — Yasmin Jaaron

After achieving a Masters in engineering and industrial management, international student Yasmin secured a funded PhD at Loughborough University with the aim of improving the efficiency of the wastewater industry

Why did you decide to pursue Doctoral research at Loughborough?

I was influenced by my husband's experience, as he has also completed a PhD at Loughborough University. Since then, it has been a dream for me to do my PhD research there, as the university is an excellent and supportive incubator for young researchers.

How did you get on with your PhD supervisor? Did you encounter any challenges?

In my case, my supervisor, professor David Saal, was and still is a key factor in my success. He was always supportive, kind, appreciative of my other responsibilities as a mum of two kids, and of course with his broad knowledge and expertise, I have learned a lot from him.

One challenge I first encountered was due to our different backgrounds, as my PhD on Developing Whole-system Cost Assessment and Infrastructure Optimisation Models for Wastewater Sector in Japan and the UK was a multidisciplinary project.

My supervisor was a professor in microeconomics, whereas I came from an engineering background. This caused some difficulty in the beginning in how we apply our research methodologies, with some different perspectives.

However, in time, we harmonised our multidisciplinary knowledge, which has helped in developing hybrid methodologies; especially since my supervisor always gave me the chance to express myself and was very open to my ideas. I'm very grateful to him for his support.

What was the application process like?

I'd seen an advert for a funded project on Loughborough University's website, and although it was nearly approaching the deadline (two days left to apply), I decided to work hard and didn't let this opportunity pass without doing my best to get it.

In my case, there wasn't a full research proposal required. It was more of a cover letter explaining how my skills and background would help me to achieve the project's goals.

When I applied to the PhD, as I'd already had some of my Masters work published, this provided evidence of my ability to conduct research. I was then interviewed by my supervisors and was accepted onto the programme.

How did you fund your postgraduate study?

While my PhD was a funded project, as an international student, the funding was only sufficient to cover my tuition fees.

I had a three-month internship at Anglian Water Services Ltd, which was organised by the Doctoral college. This internship was then extended into a paid position with the company until the end of my PhD. This helped in covering my stipend fees.

Tell us a bit about the PhD and what it involved, including details of your research.

My PhD was primarily focused on the wastewater industry, aimed at improving the efficiency of the service. As I'm an industrial engineer by training, while partnering with my supervisor, an expert in microeconomics, we worked on hybrid methodologies which added novelty to our research.

During the four-year programme, we developed a whole-system econometric model applied to wastewater systems operating in Japan, where we considered the high degree of complexity due to a highly variable and fragmented infrastructure.

In addition, we developed optimisation models that could be applied to Anglian Water's treatment works, to inform the company about essential changes on their current assets to ensure maintaining efficient systems for the long term.

We conducted cost-benefit analysis over 25 years to investigate the economic feasibility of closing and merging some of their small treatment works.

Finally, we ended our PhD research with three potential articles, which we will be submitting to a number of renowned journals.

How did the research differ to that of a Masters student?

I completed my Masters studies in my home country (Palestine/Occupied Territories), where I had completed various taught classes in engineering management, and was also able to publish two journal articles, as I chose the thesis path.

However, as the PhD research was conducted on real-world data, and it involved interaction with the industry, both in the UK and Japan, where I also presented my results to policymakers, this has made my PhD research a richer experience.

What extra-curricular activities or interests were you involved in?

As Loughborough is regarded as the number one university for sports, I was inspired by the range of activities on offer. So I decided to join the gym and attend various fitness classes coached by a team of excellent trainers.

I was also involved with organising the parental network, aimed at supporting PhD researchers with parental responsibilities.

If you had a part-time job, how did you manage working while studying?

I didn't have a job, but my collaboration with Anglian Water was a commitment. We managed to achieve win-win goals for me as a researcher and for our stakeholders.

What was your experience of the PhD viva exam? Do you have any tips for others in that situation?

I very much enjoyed the discussion I had with my examiners and I found their questions and comments very insightful.

Every PhD student will have worked very hard during their journey towards the viva exam. Therefore, they are the main expert who knows the specific details about the research itself, which should relieve some of the stress the student may feel from the exam.

On the other hand, as a PhD student, you should look at the process as a valuable opportunity to spend precious time with people who have a vast knowledge, to listen and learn as to how they receive your research and what gaps they would advise you to improve on.

In the end, the effort you have put in throughout the journey should be obvious at this stage, so the viva should be the time to shed some light on it.

What are you doing now, and what are your plans for the future?

I am working as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) associate between the University of Essex and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).

I specifically work as an optimisation researcher officer, developing optimisation tools to improve the efficiency of the appointment scheduling system.

The goals of my model include minimising the time that patients spend on the waiting list and make use of the resources available. This, in turn, should maximise the throughput of clinics and improve the efficiency of the healthcare service.

One plan for the future is to be in academia as I'd like to share my knowledge with younger generations and also maintain connections with industry. It is important to contribute through impactful research into real-world problems, as well as to literature.

What tips would you give to others interested in studying at PhD level?

• Broaden your research ideas. The multidisciplinary interaction between various research methods is an effective way to bring novelty and a new perspective to your research.
• Search hard for PhD opportunities and give them a try. Trust yourself, as the first step the other candidates have taken to be your competitors was deciding to go for it as well.
• Be prepared to learn new skills and build your knowledge. Never close the door to a potential idea even if you don't fully accommodate it. You can always give yourself a chance to learn and progress.

Find out more

• Consider 5 routes to getting a Doctorate.
• Discover how to fund postgraduate study.
• Explore PhD opportunities at Loughborough University.