Imagine a job where every day is different, where science meets policy, and where your work makes a real impact.

Mariella Marzano, Principal Social Scientist, tells us why she loves her role at Forest Research.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to work here?

I’m Mariella Marzano and I’m a Principal Social Scientist at Forest Research. I’m in a team of about 27 social scientists.

I’ve been here quite a long time, but I’ve had sort of a circuitous route to get here. I started off in art history and completed a degree at Wolverhampton University. I had a bit of work experience at galleries, and my favourite bit was going into the stores.

I soon realised in those stores that I was most interested in cultural artifacts. So I went back to university and did a master’s and a Ph.D. in social anthropology at Durham University.

I actually got involved in international development before I got post-docs working on projects in relation to natural resource management, fisheries and various others. Then this job came up in the newspapers.

I thought, “oh, I’ve done fisheries and agriculture, I can surely do forestry”. So, I applied for the job and luckily I got it!

What do you like most about working at Forest Research?

Well, one, it’s a great place to work. Two, the science that we do. Three, the people that we get to work with. And four, it’s policy relevant.

It’s also a workplace that puts a lot of effort to developing people’s careers which is great and allows people to learn and grow while they’re in the job.

What does an average day look like for you?

That’s difficult – it changes every day. But, that’s the beauty of this job. I was recently talking to a colleague who has been here longer than me. I said, “why did you never consider leaving?”.

He replied, “because why would you? Every day is different. Every day is interesting.”

However, to give you a flavour of what I do on a day to day basis, I’m involved in a number of different research projects. I can be talking to policymakers, and lots of different colleagues in this country and abroad about different bids for funding.

Networking is also very important, and I attend conferences to meet colleagues and peers who are working in social science and forests.

A lot of my work involves travel, so, I could be traveling for research projects in different places.

Are there any projects you’ve worked on that you really enjoyed?

I think any projects in relation to tree pests and diseases where I get to work with pathologists, entomologists, land managers, or with policy – they’re all really interesting and are important for the future health and resilience of our trees, woods and forests.

The research is applied too, so it makes a difference in the real world which I really like. I couldn’t pick one project by itself, they’re all really interesting in their own way and really rewarding to work on.

Why do you feel Forest Research is a great place to work?

It’s so friendly.

Whether it’s on a Teams call, a meeting or you bump into them in the canteen, you can reach out to anybody and they’ll talk to you about what they’re doing.

Through that you can find out if, for example, there’s an opportunity for collaboration or just even some knowledge sharing.

So, it’s fantastic, I love it!

What one word best describes working at Forest Research?

A single word? Easy, it’s ‘inspiring’. I’m inspired.

I’m inspired by the talented social scientists I work with. I’m inspired by all the scientists that work here, all the people that make sure that Forest Research works well as an organisation. Just how connected, and welcoming this place is.