Alison moved to Ellon in 2018; she lives in Castlepark with her partner and their dog. She began volunteering at the Castle Gardens in June 2019, to get involved in the local community, then joined the Board at the AGM in November 2019. Her responsibilities include chairing the Events Subgroup and coordinating the volunteers. She also enjoys helping with the gardening at the Castle Gardens whenever she can.
Alison has a degree in astrophysics and a PhD in star-formation. She left academia in 2010 to work in industry and is currently a Principal Research Scientist for an advanced inspection technologies company, where she develops new ways of using ultrasound to inspect metal and composite materials.
Alison also has a keen interest in art and design. She is a committee member for North East Open Studios (NEOS), an annual week-long event where artists across the northeast of Scotland open their studios to the public.