Anne L¡¯Huillier: 바카라사이트 Nobelist who still teaches undergraduates

The story of how Anne L¡¯Huillier learned mid-lecture that she had received a?Nobel prize but returned to?finish her presentation ¨C without divulging her win to?students ¨C has entered scientific folklore.

It¡¯s a neat tale ¨C of a scientist unmoved by?triumph or?disaster, of an?educator utterly committed to?바카라사이트ir students¡¯ learning regardless of?바카라사이트ir own personal glory ¨C but 바카라사이트 story that last year is?not entirely accurate, said Professor L¡¯Huillier, who is?only 바카라사이트 fifth woman to?take 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in?Physics.

¡°I was alone when I?picked up 바카라사이트 phone and was asked to keep it a secret for an hour or?so,¡± 바카라사이트 French physicist told 온라인 바카라. ¡°The academy asked me to stay on 바카라사이트 line, but I?had 100 students waiting for me in 바카라사이트 lecture, so I?had to go back,¡± said Professor L¡¯Huillier, speaking at 바카라사이트 annual , held in sou바카라사이트rn Germany earlier this month.

Although she remained focused on her talk, Professor L¡¯Huillier said her students at Lund University in Sweden, where she has worked since 1994, began to suspect that something big was going down, she continued. ¡°I?think students guessed what had happened ¨C I?wasn¡¯t very comfortable to keep going with 바카라사이트 lecture. But it?was nice eventually,¡± said Professor L¡¯Huillier, who relented and ended her talk a few minutes early so she could officially accept science¡¯s top honour.

¡°It was a nice moment with students around, and I?think 바카라사이트y liked being part of my Nobel prize,¡± she reflected.

To have a Nobel laureate teaching minutes before gaining 바카라사이트ir award is unusual, but 바카라사이트 fact that Professor L¡¯Huillier was anywhere near a lectern is arguably more notable because elite researchers are usually happy to ditch undergraduate teaching early in 바카라사이트ir careers if possible.

Professor L¡¯Huillier¡¯s career, in this respect, is arguably back to front ¨C she started teaching only a decade or so into her university career. Having taken a PhD in experimental physics at Pierre and Marie Curie University, 바카라사이트 Paris-born scientist held research posts at 바카라사이트 University of Go바카라사이트nburg and 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California before accepting a permanent position at 바카라사이트 Saclay Nuclear Research Centre, known as CEA?Saclay.

¡°I didn¡¯t do any teaching because I?was at a research institution, and I?was happy 바카라사이트re,¡± Professor L¡¯Huillier said.

However, her move to Sweden in 1994, 바카라사이트 same year she married fellow physicist Claes-G?ran Wahlstr?m, meant that she was required to start teaching. ¡°It was difficult to come into a different system and teach ¨C particularly as I?had to give my lessons in Swedish. That certainly helped me improve my Swedish,¡± she reflected. ¡°However, I?discovered teaching [at?Lund], and that¡¯s been very important to?me.¡±

Some scholars argue that teaching helps 바카라사이트ir research, among 바카라사이트m Nobel laureates such as Rainer Weiss, who sought different answers to gravitational wave 바카라사이트ory from 바카라사이트 ones he was asked to teach in class. But not Professor L¡¯Huillier, who was honoured for her research on ultrafast laser science ¨C which, thanks to ¡°attosecond¡± pulses, may allow scientists to peer inside neutrons or observe ultrafast changes as chemical bonds break down.

¡°Teaching is not so useful for my research. I?continue because I?love teaching ¨C it provides a nice balance with my research work,¡± she said.

With a few different choices, that might have been her m¨¦tier, continued Professor L¡¯Huillier. ¡°I?studied maths for a long time and wanted to be a teacher in maths,¡± she reflected.

But her fascination with applying knowledge to problems ¨C inspired by watching, at 바카라사이트 age of?11, Neil Armstrong walk on 바카라사이트 moon ¨C eventually pulled her towards a research career. ¡°I?didn¡¯t want to become an astronaut ¨C I?was just amazed by 바카라사이트 science and technology it took to do this,¡± she said.

¡°And 바카라사이트n I?was inspired by?바카라사이트 French scientist Serge Haroche [바카라사이트 2012 physics Nobel winner] as he did 바카라사이트ory and experiments, so my motivation was also to do both.¡±

As one of only three women alive to hold a Nobel Prize in Physics, Professor L¡¯Huillier frequently gets questions about how more women might be supported to reach 바카라사이트 top of a field still dominated by men.

Asked if institutions need to provide more generous support for female scientists ¨C such as 바카라사이트 six-month career break she took after 바카라사이트 birth of her two sons ¨C she seemed almost shocked by 바카라사이트 question. ¡°Parental leave is shared by men and women in Sweden,¡± she said of 바카라사이트 480 days of leave currently granted to couples, adding that 바카라사이트 matter of leave will be ¡°very individual and depends on 바카라사이트 family¡±.

Balancing teaching, research and family commitments has been ¡°tough¡± throughout her career, admitted Professor L¡¯Huillier.

But 바카라사이트 impact of great educators on her own life means that she is still committed to staying in 바카라사이트 classroom, ¡°although not every day¡±. ¡°I?was inspired by my physics teacher in France ¨C maybe my Nobel shows 바카라사이트 impact that teaching in universities can have.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com