So after three non-stop hectic weeks, nestled away in the heart of Oxford, learning everything Zooniverse, I think its about time to introduce myself to the community. My name is Stuart and I am a new postdoc on the Zooniverse project.

If that sounded like the opening line of someone on a course for addiction then I suppose its apt. After only a short time in the company of the team I am hooked on the Zooniverse, citizen science and all the wonderful people who make it happen (you!!).

Before moving to Oxford I lived for about 10 years up in the beautiful city of Edinburgh.  Originally coming from near Glasgow it seems like a much smaller move than the one I have just made to Oxford, but being much younger it was a huge deal for me. Thankfully Edinburgh welcomed me with open arms and became the backdrop for my undergraduate degree in Mathematical Physics and then my PHD in Astrophysics at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh.

My research there focused on the large scale structure of the Universe ( a statement which I always feel is a grosse understatement) and the cosmic web that galaxies form. I made computers models of large chunks of the Universe to try to understand what was going on and what role the mysterious dark matter and dark energy have to play.

I also developed another interest at Edinburgh, one which in no small part has led me to my current position. The unsettling realisation, about one week in to my degree, that without a part-time job I was destined to be skint for 5 years, led me to start working as a science communicator at the ROE visitors center talking to the public about science. It quickly became a passion for me and one that I pursue eagerly at every chance I get (though I tend not to get paid for it anymore). As far as I can see the best way for people to learn more about science is to get involved and so when I saw the job advert for galaxy zoo I jumped at the chance to join the team! The rest, as they say, is history!

I have just undergone an intensive galaxy zoo boot camp, delivered by our very own computational drill sergeant Arfon. A fresh graduate I am currently cutting my teeth making some improvements to the Supernovae zoo, in preparation for the flood of data we expect to start coming in from the survey scientists any week now. I am also slowly making contacts to a number of people working to turn the classifications you have so kindly made in to science papers and cant wait to get involved in some of those projects.

So now you know a little about me and I look forward to getting to know the community a lot better over the next few years.

p.s in an absolutely shameless plug I also occasionally blog about research papers over at weareallinthegutter along with some fellow young astronomers.