{"id":45074,"date":"2024-03-08T09:44:09","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T09:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=45074"},"modified":"2024-03-08T12:16:12","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T12:16:12","slug":"empowering-women-stem-redefining-what-means-woman-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/empowering-women-stem-redefining-what-means-woman-science\/45074\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering women in STEM: Redefining what it means to be a woman in science"},"content":{"rendered":"
Reflecting on my STEM journey so far, I realise it has been incredibly rewarding \u2013\u00a0I have had amazing opportunities, met fascinating people, and travelled the world.<\/p>\n
However, it has not been without its challenges. It began when I was 17 and moving from Madrid to London to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College, a decision inspired by my dad\u2019s engineering job in the food industry, my love of maths, and the excitement of living in a different country.<\/p>\n
My first challenge was coping with feeling like a failure when I struggled to secure a job in industry after graduation despite achieving a high final grade, and watching my peers move on to well-paid jobs in the oil and gas or pharmaceutical sectors. I had many doubts \u2013 was I too young? Was it the language barrier or cultural differences?<\/p>\n
It was around this time that my personal supervisor offered me a PhD in Polymer Thermodynamics, sponsored by ICI Chemicals. It seemed like the best option, so I took it. This pivotal decision would take me across the globe and challenge me both academically and personally.<\/p>\n
No matter what subject you choose, undertaking a PhD is a test of resilience, self-discipline, and character building. There were occasions where I was overwhelmed and came close to quitting.<\/p>\n
However, I persevered and when I received a travel grant from the Royal Academy of Engineering, I was able to spend the last summer of the PhD at Penn State University in the United States.<\/p>\n
A turning point came in 2002 when I moved to the US to undertake a postdoctoral position at Penn State University. I was hired to set up a polymer characterisation lab for a simulation group, to enable experimental studies of polymer blend physics with neutron scattering techniques. The experiments were performed at the NIST Center for Neutron Research in Maryland. That was the beginning of my career in neutron science, which has carried on for the past 22 years.<\/p>\n
My parents were not happy about my choice to move away from home, and for a close-knit Spanish family, this was another tough battle to fight. In retrospect, mustering the confidence to follow through with my decision was an important moment in my personal and professional growth.<\/p>\n
In a similar way, making my own decision about returning to the UK five years later, without any direct influence, felt powerful. I didn\u2019t want my parents to know that I had applied to the UK\u2019s neutron facility, as I knew that they would push me to return even if it wasn\u2019t the right job. I only told them once I had accepted.<\/p>\nWork in cryopreservation<\/h3>\n