“Being Near Family and Friends Felt More Important to Me Than Continuing to Pursue an Academic Career”

In our interview with Emily Batty, she shares her journey from comparative cognition to police analyst and now city mobility analyst. Wanting to stay in her hometown and start a family, Emily did not pursue postdoctoral positions. She applied broadly for research jobs, finding a long-term role in the police service analysing complaint trends. Emily values the clear work-life balance and serving her community. She applies critical thinking skills placing data in context. Emily recently started a new role analysing traffic data to improve road safety, allowing her to keep problem solving. Emily advises deciding based on personal factors, as all paths have good and bad.