Mari Jones is a Postgraduate Researcher in the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CeG), Newcastle University. She commenced her studies in October 2008 with the assistance of a full NERC Studentship. The working title of Mari's research project is "Quantifying a Hazard Index for Extreme Events". In essence the project aims to review the changing patterns of extreme meteorological events and their interractions both spatially with other similar events and temporally with other signals of climate change, ranging from teleconnection patterns through to secondary signals such as stream flow or signs of spring. Mari's experience, both in engineering and policy making, has focussed her research on results which will be useful in the realm of water resources management in a possible future climate. For further information, please refer to the research section. In addition to drawing on her previous experience to guide her research, Mari uses this knowledge to support her teaching and demonstrating activities (she teaches modules on the Civil Engineering Under-graduate and Post-graduate programmes) in addition to activities organised with STEM in local primary and secondary schools and mentoring graduate Civil Engineers working towards professional accreditation.

Mari was 1 of 25 participants at the Advanced Study Program's Summer Colloquium on the Statistical Assessment of Extreme Weather Phenomena under Climate Change, held at NCAR, Boulder in June 2011. A group project undertaken at the ASP led to a fruitful collaboration on the examination of hot spells in Europe and in consequence an abstract will be presented at the American Meteorological Society Annual Conference 2012. She was also fortunate to spend time at NCAR in the IMAGe lab as a visiting scientist, benefitting from further inspiration and statistical guidance.

During 2010, Mari spent a three month NERC awarded internship with the Scottish Government as part of NERC's knowledge exchange programme. Her main objective was to gain a better understanding of how policy makers make use of research, and how they can be better supported through future research programmes. The internship offered a valuable opportunity to experience the demands of the policy environment and the fast-pace required for ministerial support. One of her main achievements was to support the development of Scotland's Sector Adaptation Action Plans, addressing the inevitable impacts of climate change in Scotland.

Prior to joining the Water Resources Group in CeG, Mari spent several years working as a Consultant Engineer, leading to her attaining Corporate Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2006. In summer 2008, Mari spent some time with the Quicken Trust in Uganda reviewing water and sanitation in and around Kabbubu Village and helping to develop "low regret" solutions to improve the facilities and water supplies. Between 2005-2008, Mari was employed by AECOM (formerly Faber-Maunsell), rising to the position of Acting Principal Engineer within the Infrastructure Team. She was responsible for day-to-day project management, graduate supervision and mentoring, resource allocation and bidding for new work. Project work included sustainable drainage design; masterplanning for large phased housing developments; infrastructure works such as below ground drainage and minor highways design; and flood risk assessments, both at a strategic level for water companies and for small housing developments. As a Graduate Engineer Mari was employed by Halcrow Group, between 2001-2005, firstly in the Rivers and Coastal Division where she was responsible for flood defence design and latterly in the Ports and Harbours Division with more focus on feasibility studies for new ports. It was during her employment with Halcrow that Mari first became interested in a research-based career, when she carried out a major assessment of phosphorus flows within the Norfolk Broads to assist the Environment Agency with their Review of Consents to Discharge.

Before graduating from Nottingham Unversity in 2001 with an undergraduate masters in Civil Engineering with French, Mari was variously employed as a Student Engineer by Powys County Council Highways Department, Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd, and Bechtel Water Technology. The diversity of projects ranged from a desk top study for proposed interceptor sewers in NW England; site set out for hospital access roads and drainage; playground refurbishment; and bridge inspections inter alia.