Groningen, Feb 2021 (revised Maastricht, 19-Jun-2024)
Just a little note to introduce myself to you. I am a science educator who has worked in Academia, both in the USA and in the Netherlands, since obtaining my PhD in 1992.
Science: I have always enjoyed sharing my enthusiasm for science, physics and astronomy in particular, with anyone interested. During the time of covid-19 shutdowns and isolation, I no longer had random encounters in public transportation, at the coffee machine or in the grocery store, with the opportunity to answer questions and share observations about the world around us. This is why I started this site, where I want to collect my musings, news and explanations, and just any items I find, related to science, technology and academia, that have entertained or intrigued me.
To me, knowing and understanding the underlying science of natural phenomena only enhances the appreciation. In this time of pseudoscience and fake claims, I hope to contribute to answering questions and debunking the falsehoods, as well as share some materials and ideas of my own.
Women in Science: In addition to being a physicist, I am also a single mother of two grown up daughters. The oldest is living in the USA, the youngest across the Netherlands. The challenges of being a single mom while working in academia were the initial impetus to start this site. I hope to use it to support and bring together non-traditional academics. Even though the title says ‘Women’, I want to bring the discussion broader.
Academia: These days, university employment seems to be geared towards accommodating the traditional (white) male faculty member, who has no other demands on his attention than the science, while having a supportive family structure allowing him to singularly focus on his work. For an environment like the university to function in the 21st century, we need to increase diversity and improve support of non-traditional participants.
NL Career: From 2003 till 2016 I worked at KVI-CART, the nuclear physics laboratory from Groningen university, as a technical-scientific staff member of the accelerator AGOR. I later became the head of AGOR, responsible for running and maintaining the technical facility. In 2016 I started work in the physics group of the University College Groningen, a department of Groningen University. After a change of management and the removal of the physics program from the curriculum, I decided to look for a new position in 2020, but then Covid-19 happened, making changing careers difficult. I have been a member of the Personnel Faction of the University Council of Groningen University from 2019-2021, with main focus on Work-Life Balance, Workload and Equity. After my initial stint as a councilmember, I became the (technical) chair. In September of 2023, I started in a new position at the Maastricht Science Program, a liberal arts and science program at Maastricht University, back to teaching science.
Enjoy the site, and leave a note or comment.
Mariet