Dr Claudia Andrea Tapia Arenas PhD
Balancing research, fieldwork, and parenting, Dr Andrea Tapia Arenas graduated with a PhD after 4 years of researching how drones can be used to assess bumblebee habitats to support conservation.
During her studies, Dr Tapia Arenas placed third in the Research Pitches Contest organised by the Compostela Group of Universities in 2024. This international contest brings together researchers from over 60 universities globally, promoting research dissemination through audiovisual means.
Building strong relationships with her fellow doctoral students, Dr Tapia Arenas said, “their support, alongside that of others, helped me persevere and made the experience both meaningful and memorable.”
Now working as a part-time GIS officer for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Dr Tapia Arenas said of her time as a doctoral student “this experience came at exactly the right moment in my life, when I decided to follow my dreams and focus on what I truly wanted. The University of Worcester represented that freedom and the promise of doing something for myself. I found a community of people it was easy to connect with, which allowed this experience to become a life-changing event, not only for me but for my son as well.”