After a career in hospitality, Gordon joined NESCol to pursue a passion for the environment, a journey that has now led him to a PhD at the University of St Andrews.

44-year-old Gordon Hannah was born in Dumfries and Galloway but has moved around for most of his life. He spent two decades working in hospitality, running pubs for big names like Greene King and Belhaven.

In 2018, Gordon and his husband set up their own B&B in Montrose, and at the same time, he decided to return to education.

He said, “I’ve always had a big thing for nature and being outdoors. I could see how bad things were getting with climate change and I asked myself, ‘Well, what are you doing?’

“I felt I needed to do something. Biology was my favourite subject at school, but it had been 20 years since I left! I planned to go to the University of Aberdeen, but I didn’t have the grades, so decided to come to NESCol.”

Studying at NESCol

Gordon started the SCQF Level 6 Applied Science course in 2019, before advancing to the HNC the following year. He thrived at College, building confidence in his own abilities.

He said, “One of the things I enjoyed most was the realisation of ‘I can do this.’

“For example, finally getting the hang of using a microscope! I had always struggled and could never get it to work.”

With his sights still set on university, Gordon was keen to take an additional Maths unit, and the science team was able to facilitate this. He praised the support he received from the staff.

He said, “Everyone was great. My lecturer Leann was always someone I could go to, and she fought my corner for me.”

University of Aberdeen

After completing his HNC, Gordon achieved his goal and progressed directly into second year at the University of Aberdeen. He couldn’t decide between a Conservation Biology or Environmental Science degree – so did all the classes required for both!

He said, “I chose Conservation Biology in the end, but I’m glad I did the extra courses like Geography, which comes into a lot of the work I do now.”

Throughout his time at university, Gordon juggled his studies with work experience, as well as continuing to run his B&B.

After second year, he volunteered with a friend working at a nature reserve in St Cyrus. He then worked for Nature Scot in the summer of 2023 and was asked to stay on during the winter months.

Gordon said, “This was the sort of job I wanted to do when I finished my degree, so I jumped at the chance to do seasonal work with them again the following year, in 2024.”

The University of St Andrews

Gordon graduated from the University of Aberdeen in June 2024 and decided his next step was to study MSc Statistical Ecology at the University of St Andrews.

He said, “My intention was to complete my master’s and return to working for Nature Scot.

“However, I started looking into PhDs, and my supervisor encouraged me to go for one focusing on modelling wildfires.”

Gordon was granted his PhD in Mathematics with a Specialisation in Statistics which he started in August this year.

He said, “It’s a joint degree between the University of St Andrews and NOVA University Lisbon, so I’ll be spending a year in Portugal!”

Future plans

As well as his PhD, Gordon has managed to secure work for a year with a non-profit field lab that is interested in optimising the placement of fire breaks.

His long-term goal is to make a real impact with his work.

He said, “I’ll complete my PhD in 2030 – 11 years after I started studying at NESCol! I think at that point things will have progressed in the UK, and modelling wildfires will be essential. My work could involve advising the Government or private companies.”

Advice for students

Gordon’s advice for students is to “just do it and make the most of it”.

He added, “There were definitely times at College and uni when I thought, ‘Why am I doing this?’ But say yes to everything.

“No matter where you are or what you want to do, there’s a role for everyone in science.”