Starting in 2010, I have been actively involved in promoting women in science/physics and raising awareness of the ongoing challenges they face. This page offers a curated selection of the activities in which I have been or continue to be involved:
“Women in Research” social media platforms
In 2013, I launched the “Women in Research” platforms on Facebook and Twitter (with 17,617 and 5,235 followers, receptively), when I was still a Ph.D. student at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Göttingen, Germany). These platforms have been created to increase the visibility of women in science, support their equal opportunities, and improve their networking.
“Women in Research” blog
The “Women in Research” blog for and about women in science was launched in 2016 to highlight individual women in science from across the globe. It is supported by the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. They regularly repost the interviews on their blog. Until now, I have interviewed more than 100 women in science about their career path, their passion for science, their struggles, and their successes. I sincerely hope that these interviews will inspire the next generation of women in science.
Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings (articles and panel discussions)
Due to my “Women in Research” platforms, I was invited to attend the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting as a correspondent for women in science in 2016. At the meeting, I participated in a panel discussion with the former German Minister of Education and Research Johanna Wanka (photo above) and other scientists and in a panel discussion with Nobel Laureate Takaaki Kajita and science advocate Helga Nowotny. More information about these events can be found here:
- alpha-Forum extra: Ganz oben wird die Luft dünn – Ist deutsche Spitzenforschung zu männlich?
Im alpha-Forum extra von der 66. Tagung der Nobelpreisträger in Lindau spricht Moderatorin Sabrina Staubitz mit der Bundesbildungsministerin Johanna Wanka und Wissenschaftlerinnen aus verschiedenen Fachdisziplinen. - Media Information Press talks at #LiNo16 about Women in Science with Takaaki Kajita, and Helga Nowotny.
The meeting also kicked off a long term collaboration between the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and my “Women in Research” blog. More than 40 blog posts have so far been reposted between our two platforms over the last 4.5 years. Furthermore, more than 4,500 people from over 110 countries read my blog posts and interviews about women in science during the meetings.
Lise Meitner Society and I,Scientist conferences
In 2016, I co-founded the Lise Meitner Society (LMS) together with five other women in science. The LMS is a non-profit organization committed to working towards equal opportunities in the natural sciences and mathematics inside and outside of academia. Together with a group of volunteers who are (Ph.D.) students and young scientists at different universities and Max-Planck/Leibniz/Helmholtz research institutes throughout Germany and in Switzerland, the LMS organizes the I,Scientist conferences for students and young researchers in the natural sciences and mathematics. These annual conferences aim to provide more female role models, unfold the diversity of your possibilities, and raise awareness of the still persisting inequality between women’s and men’s careers. The first I,Scientist conference took place at Henry Ford Building of Free University Berlin from May 12-14, 2017, and was a huge success with about 350 participants, inspiring speakers, and many organizations actively participating. Due to the start of my postdoc in the US at the end of 2016, I could not attend the first conference in person and had to resign from the LMS board, but I am super happy that I was able to support the formation of the LMS and organization the I,Scientist conferences with my previous women in science engagement experience.
“Physikerin der Woche” initiative and women in physics interiews
Since the end of 2016, I am a board member of the working group for equal opportunities (Arbeitskreis Chancengleichheit) within the German Physical Society (DPG). Here, I am mainly spearheading two projects to increase the visibility of women in physics in Germany:
- “Physikerin der Woche” initiative – This initiative highlights every week women in physics in Germany or German women in physics abroad. The profiles of more than 170 women in physics have already been promoted. The profiles are also posted in parallel on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
- Interviews with Women in Physics – These interviews allow prospective physics students to get a more in-depth understanding of careers in physics.
In 2024, we will host more online events and plan to create “women in physics” posters. Stay tuned 🙂
For further information or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.