ELI member of the week: Emile Neimry
eli | Louvain-la-Neuve
Every week, discover a new profile of a member of the Earth and Life Institute. This week, meet Emile Neimry, PhD student in ELI-C, and also the world’s best applauder.
Photo credit: Aurore Delsoir
Could you briefly introduce yourself, your role, and the work you do in ELI?
I'm a geographer, working as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Science and as a PhD student at ELI since 2022.
Could you tell us a little about your research team and your research topics?
I'm supervised by Hugues Goosse (ELI-C) and Mathieu Jonard (ELI-E).
Together, we study droughts here since the preindustrial period: how they have evolved over time, what drives them from a climate perspective, and how they affect forests (first paper published here).
What was your career path before taking up your current post in ELI?
I'm a full product of UCLouvain's School of Geography (bachelor, master, teacher training certificate).
After graduating, an experience at the Stockholm Environment Institute in Tallinn, working on climate research and outreach, also made me want to pursue both teaching and research.
In practical terms, what is your day-to-day life like?
On the teaching side: practicals, fieldwork, supervising students and giving them feedback.
On the research side: coding, writing, reading, and discussing with my supervisors/colleagues/AI.
Do you have a hobby, a passion, a hidden talent, something you enjoy doing or care deeply about outside of work?
I love playing football. The intensity, team spirit, accessibility, and history of this sport have made me experience a huge range of emotions for as long as I can remember.
My weird hidden talent is applauding: I co-hold the world record for the longest applause (10 hours - not in Guinness yet).
Can you name one thing you particularly appreciate at the Earth and Life Institute?
Its people, of course. And I have to say, I really like its logo too.
