Our Team
Dr. Tom Pering
Co-Founder and CEO
Tom has over ten years experience using ultraviolet cameras and analyzing their data. With a BSc in Physical Geography from the University of Reading and an MSC in Volcanology and Geological Hazards from the University of Lancaster, he completed his PhD at the University of Sheffield in April 2016, which focused on the dynamics of basaltic activity. After a number of post-doctoral roles, he is now a Senior Lecturer and leads the Volcanology research group at the University of Sheffield School of Geography and Planning. From basaltic dynamics his research interests developed into UV monitoring, and he has been a driving force behind the creation of the PiCam since the very beginning. Tom has conducted UV camera fieldwork across the globe, beginning his career working on the Italian volcanoes Mt. Etna and Stromboli, expanding to locations such as Vanuatu, Chile, and Hawaii (USA).
Dr. Thomas Wilkes
Co-Founder and CTO
Thomas has almost a decade of experience with ultraviolet cameras, completing his MSci in Environmental Geoscience at the University of Bristol, followed by a PhD at the University of Sheffield in 2019, where he spearheaded the design of our Raspberry Pi cameras. Thomas finished his Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in September 2023 which focused on volcanoes in Ecuador. He is now a Lecturer at the University of Sheffield School of Geography and Planning. His research focus remains the development of low-cost instrumentation for volcanic monitoring and what these instruments can tell us about volcanic degassing and activity in general. He has experience conducting UV camera field work in a range of locations, including remote volcanoes such as Bagana (Papua New Guinea) and Lastarria (Chile).
University of Sheffield Research Group
Alyssa Heggison and Rebecca England
Alyssa and Rebecca are both PhD candidates at the University of Sheffield and comprise an important part of our research group.
Alyssa joined the team after completing her BSc in Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh in 2023. Her PhD at Sheffield involves automated analysis of UV volcano imagery with machine learning techniques. Her focus is on helping us improve the software for our PiCam systems by applying her mathematical knowledge to some of our real-world problems.
Rebecca finished her BSc in Physical Geography at the University of Sheffield in 2018 and an MSc in Volcanology at the University of Bristol in 2023. She has returned to Sheffield and is currently undertaking her PhD, using our Raspberry Pi technology to investigate optical absorption of volcanic gases. She hopes to develop a low-cast Multi-GAS instrument based solely on spectroscopic approaches.
Dr. Hannah Calleja
Technical Project Lead
Hannah is the newest addition to the team as our Technical Product Lead and already has some exciting plans to enhance our instrumentation. She completed her integrated Masters degree at the University of Sheffield in 2021 and recently completed her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, where her research explored bubble-driven mechanisms of explosive eruptions. Before her employment with us, Hannah also spent time working with our systems as a volunteer at the Hawai'ian Volcano Observatory in 2024, and briefly in our Sheffield lab in 2025.
Dara Pering
Office Manager and Administrator
Dara has been a background member of the team since the beginning. Growing up in the shadow of Mt. Rainier in Seattle, she’s always had in interest in volcanoes and their impact on surrounding communities. With a BA in History from Seattle Pacific University and an MA(Res) in Modern History from the University of Reading, she also worked for several years as an administrator in Informatics for the NHS and has the organizational and administration skills that keep VolcanoTech running.