BEAR Software services are provided by the
Research Software Group in
Advanced Research Computing.
Dr Warrick Ball
Senior Research Software Engineer and Manager
Warrick completed a PhD in Astronomy in 2012 and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher, first in Göttingen, Germany, and then at the University of Birmingham. He joined the Research Software Group as a Senior Pool RSE in 2023. His research was in asteroseismology—the study of vibrations in stars—and specifically in comparing the vibration frequencies of simulated stars with observations. His work in Birmingham included planning the analysis pipeline that will be used in ESA's upcoming PLATO mission.
While a postdoc, Warrick began to teach himself sustainable software practices and quickly realised their value. He is passionate about the RSG's shared vision of helping researchers use better software practices to enhance research. He has been a topic editor for the Journal of Open Source Software and a Carpentries Instructor since early 2023.
Warrick also lectured on stellar physics in various formats and locations, including the University of Birmingham's undergraduate module. At the end of 2022, he became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He remains interested in the prospect of using the tools of sustainable software to create open education resources.