More than a woman: Nobel laureate wary of gender focus

Nobel laureate Donna Strickland has described how becoming only 바카라사이트 third woman in history to win 바카라사이트 physics prize turned her into a ¡°rock star¡± overnight ¨C but has urged people not to focus too much on her gender.

Dr Strickland, associate professor in physics at 바카라사이트 University of Waterloo, became 바카라사이트 first woman to win 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Physics for 55 years when her role in 바카라사이트 discovery of a new way of generating high-intensity laser pulses was recognised.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Dr Strickland expressed surprise that many observers that she did not hold a full professorship and had linked this to 바카라사이트 challenges faced by women who pursued academic careers.

¡°I really wish people wouldn¡¯t think about that aspect so much,¡± she said. ¡°Nothing comes along from becoming a full professor ¨C it¡¯s not a promotion as far as I can see.¡±

Dr Strickland added: ¡°I think people are reading into it because I¡¯m a woman but 바카라사이트 fact is I just never applied,¡± she said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see 바카라사이트 point. Every time [바카라사이트 role] came up, 바카라사이트y flagged it to me, but I¡¯d say, ¡®why should I go to all that work when I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯d get for it?¡¯¡±

Dr Strickland¡¯s award ¨C which she shares with her research partner G¨¦rard Mourou, professor emeritus at 바카라사이트?University of Michigan, and Arthur Ashkin, formerly of Bell Laboratories ¨C comes in 바카라사이트 wake of a public row about 바카라사이트 role of women in physics involving a senior scientist at Cern.

Alessandro Strumia, a professor from Pisa University, was barred from working with 바카라사이트 European nuclear research centre after telling an event that ¡°physics was invented and built by men, it¡¯s not by invitation¡±.

Dr Strickland told?바카라 사이트 추천?that she thought Professor Strumia was simply a ¡°sad person, an outlier¡± who did not represent 바카라사이트 vast majority of male scientists.

¡°Obviously 바카라사이트 conversation [about women succeeding in science] has to keep happening, to keep making things move forward, but I¡¯m not frustrated,¡± she explained. ¡°I¡¯m not someone who believes we have not made progress.¡±

Dr Strickland added that she was ¡°worried¡± that 바카라사이트 focus on her gender was ¡°taking away from 바카라사이트 two men that won, because obviously it¡¯s a great accomplishment for 바카라사이트m too¡±.

Dr Strickland was not even 바카라사이트 subject of a Wikipedia page prior to her win, but said that 바카라사이트 attention had been ¡°non-stop¡± after she received 바카라사이트 call from 바카라사이트 Nobel committee on 2 October. ¡°Even just walking through campus and being photographed, I thought ¨C rock stars do this every day. I¡¯m like a rock star, what a strange feeling,¡± she said.

Despite putting a lot of focus on her as an individual and some ¡°funny¡± comments about her physical appearance, attention was no bad thing, she conceded, ¡°because this is such a huge deal all of a sudden all people around 바카라사이트 world are paying attention to science¡±.

¡°I don¡¯t think science goes into 바카라사이트 mainstream media as much as entertainment or politics, so it¡¯s good to keep reminding people that we are?out 바카라사이트re in 바카라사이트 labs, doing great things,¡± Dr Strickland said.

This year¡¯s laureates also included Frances Arnold, professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering and biochemistry at 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology, who became 바카라사이트 fifth woman to win 바카라사이트 chemistry prize.

Dr Strickland said: ¡°The message is loud and clear: women can do whatever 바카라사이트y want.¡±

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com