Academic interviewed on BBC Radio 4's The Life Scientific

Professor Deborah Greaves OBE spoke about her inspirations and ambitions, as well as her pioneering offshore renewable energy research

8 August 2023

Professor Deborah Greaves OBE FREng, Director of our Coastal, Ocean and Sediment Transport (COAST) laboratory and Centre for Decarbonisation and Offshore Renewable Energy, has been interviewed for the BBC Radio 4 series The Life Scientific.

She talked to host Professor Jim Al-Khalili about her early inspirations, and how she fell in love with the sea whilst growing up in Plymouth and South Devon.

The interview covered her first forays into the world of engineering, which included everything from school physics projects and spending time on the A38 near Plymouth as part of her work experience with a civil engineering company, to the studies and work in industry that led to her fascination with harnessing the power of the oceans.

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Listen to Professor Deborah Greaves being interviewed on The Life Scientific

Since returning to Devon and joining the University of Plymouth in 2008, Professor Greaves has become one of the UK’s foremost offshore renewable energy pioneers.

In the radio interview, she spoke about that vital work and how the world of wave technology has had its “ups and downs” over the years.

She also highlighted some of the challenges that still need to be overcome to make clean energy a reality, and the prominent role the University is playing – through its world-leading facilities and leadership of the Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub – in making that happen.

Professor Greaves – awarded an OBE in 2018 for her research and work to inspire future generations of female engineers – also spoke about her life away from the University, including her family, her passion for collecting sea glass and pottery found on the beach, and the “endless inspiration” of the ocean.