Jordan Grigor: Teaching data analysis, processing and stats using RStudio. I have spent a long time using R to analyse all kinds of datasets. Postdoc in marine science, and market analyst.

Find out more about Jordan

• Can you tell us about your first experience using a computer?

  I'm a data analysis tutor on Superprof. To answer this question, I definitely had to think back a few years! I guess my first time using a computer was in primary school (1994-2000) and I actually remember two moments. The first of these was using a classroom pc to write a blog for a journalism group I was in with classmates. This computer was pretty large and brick-like, and we only had one in the classroom, so students took turns to use it. I also remember using this computer on a sports day (or end-of-term day) to play a game called Bugs, which was a lot of fun. The second was using an old Apple laptop to write a diary during the school holidays. Technology has come a long way since then!

• What is the technological evolution that has marked you most and what will be, in your eyes, a turning point in this field?

  I would say that the technical advancement that has affected me the most is learning programming / coding languages such as R. I didn't code until about 10-15 years ago, but then I have realised that I can complete tasks relevant to my job and interests much, much, faster using coding in software like Rstudio. Before I knew this (or fully embraced it) I used software like Microsoft Excel to do maths and make graphs, which I can confirm is not the most efficient way to do things.

• Explain your expertise, your interest in it and, more broadly, its importance in the computer world.

  I have a background in marine science and oceanography (the study of the oceans), and I have a strong passion for these disciplines. For example, I love nothing more than going in the sea and being around marine life. However, I also have a lot of characteristics which drew me towards using computers. Science and technology go hand-in-hand for many reasons. In my PhD (2012-2017) we used an underwater camera to take photos of "zooplankton" - drifting animals in the Arctic. The underwater camera allowed us to image the animals without bringing them to the surface, avoiding damaging them in any way. There are many other examples of oceanographers using technology to get information about the marine environment, including, gliders, satellites and submersibles. But most scientists also use many computer programs back on land to process their data and present it to the public and policymakers.

• Do so-called 'visionaries', such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg inspire you or do you have other role models?

  Yeah, I would say that all of the above inspire me, as much for their business acumen as their technological skills and inventions. I would include Elon Musk in the above list for the same reasons. I also have other role models in marine biology such as Jacques Cousteau (1910 - 25 June 1997), https://www.biography.com/history-culture/jacques-cousteau, who (a bit like David Attenborough) brought together nature and film-making. He similarly embraced the importance of technology for underwater exploration and research, inventing the "Aqua-lung", a crucial piece of diving equipment, and co-developing a mini-submersible called the "Diving saucer" which could go to depths of about 350m.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I am a big advocate of "thinking outside of the box" and being willing to consider that 'traditional' ways of doing things may not necessarily be the 'best' ways of doing them. This idea can be extended further to be aware that many aspects of science are still in their infancy. During my PhD, I worked on a group of marine worms called chaetognaths. When I started my PhD, the assumed paradigm was that all of the ~200 species of these worms are strict carnivores, but during my PhD I found a lot of evidence suggesting that certain species of arrow worms are omnivorous. They actually feed on whatever they can get instead of depending on animal prey (smart!) This was an important development in my field, and whilst it was hard to get published, I ended up publishing it in a great journal called Progress in Oceanography. Since then, my work has been published many times, and new studies have gone on to find results similar to my own. It was definitely worth the grind to push that idea forward. Those were also my early days of using R to create visualisations for graphs and posters.

• What would you say to an uncomfortable person in front of a screen who says that "IT is too complicated"?

  I definitely get this point of view, but I think that if there's anything in your life or career that is worth putting effort into - it's using technology. In fact, you already know this because you are probably using apps on your phones for a significant portion of the day! This means that you are already pretty good at computing. Many pieces of computer software function in a menu-driven way, just like the apps on your phone. If you want to go one step further, you can learn how these apps are coded in the background and even learn those languages yourself. I can definitely help with that!

• What are your other passions, related or non-related to computers?

  I guess I really am a data / computer kid, because the answers to this question also connect to using computers. I love doing market analysis using apps like TradingView, and I'm a big gamer. Currently it's GTA Online, as I wait very patiently for the release of GTA6 next year - this game will be set in one of my favourite places, Miami, where I went on an awesome scuba diving trip in 2018. My other interests are obviously scuba diving, and hanging out with my family's dog, Taka.

• What makes you a Superprof in IT?

  I've been teaching and helping students on Superprof for a couple of years now, and it has been a fantastic experience. Initially I was mostly teaching marine biology lessons, but nowadays I mostly teach data analysis, with or without relation to marine science. A couple of my students are studying marine biology, so in those cases we bring the two things together very neatly. However, most of my students recently have been psychology students with assignments requiring Rstudio. All of their projects have been very interesting and have taught me a lot of stuff I didn't know before. I'm very flexible to personal methods of learning and feel that I go above and beyond to help people. For example, I regularly help students by email or through Microsoft Teams, even outside of our sessions. For more information, please check out what my students have had to say about me in their reviews.