Today, 11 February, marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science! To honour this, our new intern Ella interviewed EJR-Quartz’s own Rute, Marta, Jans and Rosa to learn about their journeys from student to science communication professional. As a student of Astronomy and Science Communication herself, Ella found out all about challenges and advice for pursuing a STEM career from women across our international team. Check out their answers below…
What is your job title today?
Rute: Editor for ESA’s Space Transportation Directorate.
Marta: Editor for ESA’s Φ-lab.
Jans: Editor for ESA Science.
Rosa: Senior Editor & Team Lead for the German Aerospace Center.
What did you study at university?
Rute: Chemistry, Material Science, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.
Marta: I did an Integrated Master’s degree in Biological Engineering.
Jans: PhD in Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), and before that MSc Physics & Astronomy (UvA), BSc Liberal Arts & Sciences (Physics, Amsterdam University College).
Rosa: BSc Physics with Astrophysics, MSc History and Philosophy of Science.
What is one challenge you have experienced as a woman in science?
Rute: Making sure my voice was heard.
Marta: I was rejected for a research position because I was a woman. The lab I was applying to already had several women working there and the group leader felt no more women were needed, despite having the qualifications for the job.
Jans: In physics, women tend to be heavily outnumbered by men. On the plus side, I think this made me stand out and be more memorable for lecturers and at conferences. However, I also noticed that me and my female colleagues were sometimes taken less seriously, that we received quite a few unnecessary and inappropriate comments, and there was a sense of us needing to prove our right to belong.
Rosa: It can be hard to untangle prejudice about women from dismissiveness towards science communication. Many women who leave academia or research move into science communication, and I’ve met countless engineers and scientists who treat that choice as a real ‘step down’, or assume that because the field includes more women, it’s somehow less rigorous or that we won’t really understand their research. Challenging those assumptions and demonstrating the value (and skill) of good science communication, is all part of the job.
What advice do you have for women who want to work in the science field?
Rute: Keep studying what you love and see where it takes you!
Marta: Do not ask for permission to be yourself. Women can be intelligent and pretty; friendly, but also assertive; kind, but with the ability of setting boundaries. One thing I learned as a woman in STEM is that you should be loyal to what you are and what you want to do and not give up on everything you believe in just to please someone else or to ‘fit in’. I think it takes a special kind of courage to be able to remove oneself from a bad environment – no matter how used to it one is. It may be very difficult at first, but I can tell from personal experience that things get way better after you do it.
Jans: In general, you should do whatever makes you happy and gives you energy. If that’s doing research, or working as a programmer, engineer, teacher, then do that! I ended up leaving academia but have stayed involved in science in a different way (i.e. working in science communication), which is what works for me. Recognise your own strengths and use those to your advantage.
Rosa: Feel confident about what you know, comfortable being unsure, and entirely human when you don’t understand something or make a mistake – especially when you feel underestimated. It’s hard to communicate something you don’t really understand, so asking questions and taking the time to figure out what you need to learn is essential. That process is at the heart of learning, growing and building trust with others – none of whom have all the answers themselves, even if they’re not confident enough to admit it.