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).
Rebecca England
PhD Candidate, Research and Development
Rebecca finished her BSc in Physical Geography at the University of Sheffield in 2018, where she took part in a research trip to Masaya volcano as a research assistant and developed an interest in remote sensing and developing low-cost monitoring equipment. She went on to complete an MSc in Volcanology at the University of Bristol, and has now returned to Sheffield. Rebecca is currently undertaking her PhD, starting in October 2023, 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.
Alyssa Heggison
PhD Candidate, Programmer
Alyssa joined the team after completing her BSc in Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh in 2023, where she received a prize for the best group dissertation in her final year. 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. She is especially interested in the responsible use of of automation and aims to develop algorithms which are useful and reliable, making volcanic gas measurement easier and more efficient.
Hannah Calleja
PhD Candidate, Researcher
Hannah completed her integrated Masters degree at the University of Sheffield in 2021, including a prize for the best dissertation in her final year. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh, with a research focus on the roles of gases and volatiles in shallow volcanic plumbing systems. She recently interned at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, where she used our recently installed UV cameras to monitor Kilauea’s gas plume.
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.