Elaine Jensen
Aberystwyth University
Welsh Crucible 2011
Elaine left a career in banking to travel and undertake conservation work and from this her enthusiasm for renewable and sustainable systems developed. She returned to education as a mature student and received a PhD studentship to continue her BSc dissertation project interest in legume-rhizobia interactions, an important component of sustainable agriculture. She now leads a project in the bio-renewable energy programme at IBERS, developing understanding of the energy crop Miscanthus. Elaine hopes to use her experience and knowledge to inspire, inform and develop global understanding of sustainable issues. She has initiated and participated in events articulating research in the bio-renewable sector to farmers, businesses, students and school children and collaborates internationally in the renewable energy field.
Elaine is now a Molecular Geneticist in the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences in Aberystwyth University. Elaine has received funding from NRN-LCEE to develop the use of energy crops in the remediation of contaminated land. She is now developing this area using crops such as Miscanthus and Phalaris.