Prof. Matt Rigby studies greenhouse gas sources and sinks using atmospheric data and models. He moved to the School of Chemistry in 2012 as a Natural Environment Research Council research fellow, following a four-year position as a Research Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA. Previously, he completed a PhD in Atmospheric Physics at Imperial College London, and he studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge. Between 2016 and 2019, he took two periods of shared parental leave following the birth of his children. 

“My wife and I are both academics at the university. It’s challenging balancing two research groups and teaching commitments, with the demands of two energetic kids! When our children were born, the university was very supportive in helping us navigate the complexities of shared parental leave. We both managed to spend a substantial part of our children’s first years at home, whilst keeping things moving at work.” 

“As the children got older, the flexibility of our roles has been extremely useful. Before the children started school, we both took substantial periods working compressed or reduced hours so that we could look after the children. Now, the university’s flexible working policy helps us ensure there is always someone available for school pick-ups and drop-offs.” 

“I’ve also been impressed by the willingness of colleagues to support each other. Many courses are now taught by teams of lecturers. This means that there’s usually someone who can step in if something goes wrong. This was especially useful during the pandemic, when we were often stuck at home without childcare at short notice.”