Richard Body

Richard Body is a Senior Scientist in our Flood and Water Management Group. He has more than 20 years’ experience in river modelling and flood and operational forecasting and has worked on projects all over the world. He joined HR Wallingford in 2016.

What’s your background and area of specialisation? My background is in hydraulic modelling and flood forecasting. I was part of the team that developed the ICMLive flood and operational forecasting software as well as implementing a number of the pilot projects.

Why did you want to work for HR Wallingford? I was looking to join an organisation that was seeking to work at the leading edge of the water world, with a friendly culture, where I could make a difference.

What were your first impressions? The warmth of the staff! The welcoming nature of the staff as well as the willingness to include me in things. A key thing is the knowledge sharing; people don’t like to exist in silos.

Describe a typical day. My current job is providing technical support and governance to a water company in their hydraulic modelling, which involves responding to questions, appraising their work etc. I also respond to other modelling queries from my colleagues and support a series of other projects.

Sometimes you have the glamour of presenting about state-of-the-art modelling at a conference, and sometimes you’ll be lifting the lid on a pipe at a sewage work, but it is always a genuinely interesting job, where you’ll make a difference.

Are there any projects you are particularly proud of? I’m very proud of the work we did on the Littlestock Brook Natural Flood Management model for the Evenlode Catchment Partnership. This was a model that allowed the client to evaluate the benefits of natural flood management approaches in the catchment and demonstrate they worked. Another project which I found very rewarding was the development of a flood forecasting system in County Cork, Ireland, which I worked on 12 years ago in my previous job. Despite my changing jobs I have maintained the responsibility for supporting the system; it continues to operate and provides accurate flood forecasts!

Going forward, what do you anticipate will be the new opportunities in your area? I think the biggest challenge will be developing new tools for flood forecasting; in a changing climate flooding is an increasing risk with more frequent severe events occurring. To mitigate against this we need to be looking to finding better ways to develop flood forecasts that arrive in a timely matter. There is also an opportunity to develop tools that allow us to better manage our effects on the environment; this year has seen that there are real issues around spilling from our urban water networks and how we need to do better.

In what ways have you had the chance to grow and develop at HR Wallingford? In my previous job at a software firm I had the luxury of unlimited processing power, software licences and perfect data. Coming to HR Wallingford was a shock when I realised that the real world was far from perfect, so learning to deal with that has been a big part of my development. I’ve also had opportunities to do project management as well as delve into areas of the water industry, such as funding, probabilistic modelling etc. that I hadn’t had the chance to do before.

Can you describe the working culture? The people are, on the whole, absolutely lovely and a pleasure to work with. People work hard but they are also willing to drop things and help you out when you get stuck.

What is the best thing about working here? Other than the people, we have a lovely site, and being able to go for a walk at lunchtime and be down by the Thames is a treat. And we have a river boat that I can hire!

Do you have any advice to people who may want to pursue a career in STEM? Do it. Sometimes you have the glamour of presenting about state-of-the-art modelling at a conference, and sometimes you’ll be lifting the lid on a pipe at a sewage works… but it is a genuinely interesting job where you’ll make a difference. And there is a massive variation on where you can take yourself.

What do people need to know about working here? You’ll work hard, you’ll find it rewarding, and you’ll make friends.

What should potential clients know about working with HR Wallingford? We’re responsible for some world leading research and development. We’ll be honest with you; we won’t tell you something that you shouldn’t do. Our engineers and scientists are dedicated in what they do.

What are you most looking forward to once the pandemic is over? I am desperate to see some mountains. Ideally I would love to go to the Alps next summer, or go and see my friends in Uganda and visit the Nile River (busman's holiday and all that!)

What do you enjoy outside of work? Before my eyes went I loved to play cricket; I still coach for my local club.

Can you remember the first record/CD/etc you ever bought? (without cringing?) One of Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits), the Unforgettable Fire (U2) or Falco 3. I think it was the latter but I hope it was the first! You can play me out of this world with anything that Mark Knopfler has written.

Do you have a signature dish, and if so what is it? I make a mean cheese scone. You might think that is boring but mine are excellent. And I can do a pretty good Pavlova (my Kiwi upbringing demands it).

Anything else you would like to add? Come work with and for us! We’re great!