“I did some mentoring in a local secondary school for young girls, and the main purpose of that was to tell them about careers in STEM and to let them consider even doing a STEM degree, because a lot of young people don't consider it if they don't have role models or people to look up to. So it's really important that we do that for young people. I think it should start really early on. By the time we get to university, it might be too late because they've already chosen their degree.”
Transcript:
Libby: Hi, everybody. Thank you for joining me today. My name is Libby Fenstermacher, and today I'm here with Dalila and she's going to talk about being a student in astronomy and astrophysics. So thank you so much for being here today. Do you want to share a little bit about your background with us?
Dalila: Yes. Thank you so much, Libby. Yeah. Hi, I'm Dalila, and I graduated from university last year. I did a master's in astrophysics. I graduated from a small university on the coastline in Wales called Aberystwyth, and at school I did maths, physics and chemistry. Those were the main core subjects I did from the ages of 16 to 18. And I'm the first person in my family to go to university. So that's sort of my background.
Libby: Oh, congratulations.
Dalila: Thank you.
Libby: Yay for first generation. So what inspired you to choose a path in astronomy and astrophysics?
Dalila: Oh, I've always loved science. I remember documentaries were always on in my house, specifically National Geographic ones, just like nature documentaries. I always loved asking questions. I know most children ask a lot of questions. I would read encyclopedia books for fun. That was something I did. I was obsessed with dinosaurs and ancient Egypt. I actually was really into nature and animals before I became obsessed with physics specifically. So I sort of started my love for physics at the age of twelve. That's when it really started for me. And before that I just, I liked all science. I just remember looking for my telescope at the moon and just being in awe because you could see it so clearly. This was when I was about fifteen and it just gave me goosebumps. And I would track the International Space Station cause you can just Google it and it will tell you when it will pass overhead. And it was so cool. I remember just seeing it zoom past and then before you know it would disappear. I thought that was really cool. See those are the sorts of things I would do as a teenager.
Libby: I love tracking the International Space Station. If you go on my LinkedIn page, my cover is actually a photo I took of the space station and it looks like a heartbeat.
Dalila: That sounds so nice.
Libby: So what about astronomy excites you? I mean, you talked about the goosebumps. I totally get that when I look through my telescope as well.
Dalila: Yeah, basically everything. I love astronomy and astrophysics. I don't know how some people don't. I think like most people must love space. But yeah, I just, I think it's so cool the fact that we can peer into the universe. And especially now, we have advanced so much in the past 100 years. And yeah, I just, I think it's such an interesting field. And where we are now, we are discovering more and more cool things every day. Yeah. So that's basically why I love astronomy.
Libby: Awesome. I'm very excited about the collaboration of the new ESA, the JUICE mission and the mission from NASA looking at Jupiter's moons, it's going to be super exciting to see what comes from that.
Dalila: Yeah, that's so that's so interesting. I specifically love exoplanets, so I'm really interested in just discovering new worlds, anything from JWST or Tess. I love anything that comes from them regarding exoplanets and the fact that we only really found the first one in the nineties and now we have over five thousand to me is insane. Like the fact that we've discovered that many in such a short period of time, like my parents generation, they were born into a generation that didn't know exoplanets and now we know so many, which to me is just amazing. Like every time I think about it, my mind is blown.
Libby: I know my parents were born before when they still thought there were Martians on Mars. So it's amazing how much has happened in the past 100 years or 50. So what about astronomy do you find challenging and what have you done to overcome these challenges? Dalila: So math. Maths and coding never really came naturally to me, so I found those aspects of my studies quite challenging. I had to really work on my math skills and coding as well. As I progressed through my degree, I realized that a lot of my peers were just so much better at coding. Like even if they weren't, even if they were beginners, they picked it up a lot quicker than me. So yeah, those were the two main things which they're basically the main components of most STEM degrees, especially physics, engineering, maths and coding. They are so important. Every assignment would contain math. And yeah, you basically can't go through your studies without that. So yeah, those are the main challenging points for me. And also this is sort of unrelated to my degree, but, finding funded PhD places beyond graduating is quite challenging in the field of astrophysics, specifically the topics that I'm interested in being exoplanets. I found that was another challenging aspect due to the competitiveness of the subject. It's just such a cool area of research that everyone wants to do a PhD in exoplanets. So that's another thing I found challenging, just finding funded PhD projects in that.
Libby: Yeah, I know you're on the hunt right now, so I'm sending you all the good vibes. I hope that someone sees this and is like, she's the one.
Dalila: Thank you.
Libby: So what do you think is a common misperception about astronomers or astronomy as a discipline or educational path in general?
Dalila: Yeah, so I think. The main thing is that people think we are all like the characters from Big Bang Theory. So yeah, so I guess on social media and in real life, people just think you're like those characters, which I guess then some people are like that, but. Yeah, I have friends and myself included. We have a multitude of hobbies beyond STEM. So I love crocheting, I love embroidery, I love crafts and reading. I have friends that did a physics degree alongside me. They are exactly the same. We found that we needed to take a break from the maths and the physics. So we had to like just relax with crafts and knitting and watching films. So yeah, that was that's a very common misconception that if you do a physics degree, I can't speak for the other STEM degrees, but physics in particular that you have no other hobbies. All you think about is physics, maths, that's all you think about. But no, the people, at least in my university, we had a lot of hobbies. So yeah, that was that was another thing. Sometimes astronomy gets confused with astrology as well. That's something I have heard in everyday life. So star signs and a science, completely different things. So and another thing that I get which I find really funny is that you tell someone you did astrophysics, they think…oh yeah, you want to be an astronaut. That's something that's really common, which I find really funny because it couldn't be further from the truth, like especially the extreme requirements needed to be an astronaut. And also it's one of the most competitive jobs in the world. And you take someone like me who's quite, I don't know, scared of flying. So it just makes me laugh.
Libby: Yeah, I've randomly been asked that before. As people found out that I'm, you know, interning for NASA, they’d ask…do you want to be an astronaut? I'm like, I have the worst seasickness. I get so nauseous when I move. There's no way like. Congratulations to everybody that can do that, but I will not be one of them. But what projects are you currently working on?
Dalila: Yeah, so my main thing that I'm working on at the moment is just getting a funded PhD place. So anything relating to exoplanets, I am so interested in their atmospheres and just detection as well. That's my main thing that I've been working on, also building my science Instagram. So I have a small account, a small physics account to promote exoplanet news. That's another thing I'm trying to work on, just trying to make good content for that. And I'm also taking part in some of the citizen science projects run by NASA on exoplanets. So using the exotic code, you can use data that they give you because I don't have any equipment myself. Sadly, I don't own my own like telescope that's good enough to view the stars with exoplanets orbiting and you can just try and plot transiting curves from the data they give you. And that's something I've been working on as well, which has been really cool. I've learned a lot and I've attended a few webinars online. So yeah, those are my main things as well as continuing tutoring. So I tutor in maths and physics and that's another thing I'm working on as well. So I find it really rewarding to just teach the younger generation the subjects that I love and hopefully they can pick up on my love for physics and maybe consider one day as a pathway.
Libby: Well, we'll make sure to put your Instagram link and the code for your to your tutoring in the blog. Yes. Oh yeah, make sure you give me those links after. Are you doing the NASA Exoplanet Watch, the citizen scientist project? Is that what it what it is?
Dalila: Yes. Yeah, that's what I'm doing. So yeah, I found it on their website and it's just perfect for what I want to do. It's really interesting. It's really accessible as well, I think because what I have is a STEM degree, so I found it quite easy to navigate because it was very similar to my dissertation that I did in my 4th year. But I think maybe the general public should find it OK because they have really good instructions. So they tell you exactly what to do, which I thought was really good. So it's really nice that they involve people in those sorts of projects.
Libby: Yeah, I totally agree. Another one of my interviewees is also involved in that project. So anybody out there who's interested in seeing what participating in astronomy and astrophysics is like check out the NASA Exoplanet Watch. So moving on here, what are your near future plans besides obtaining that PhD position? Dalila: So that's my my main and biggest goal. Other things would be, yes, continue tutoring young people, just travelling as well. I'd love to do some more travelling. Mainly like summery places. So I really want to go to Greece somewhere hot just to get some sun. And I also love sightseeing as well. So like just visiting loads of museums and trying to like increase my knowledge. So this weekend I went to Portsmouth, which is in the South of England and I saw the Mary Rose ship. So I love doing things like that. So it was really cool. I just love museums and yeah, I thought that was a really cool experience. So, yeah, so those are my main plans for the incoming future.
Libby: Well, if you ever make it out to Oregon, make sure you get a hold of me and I'll show you around.
Dalila: Thank you.
Libby: What are your aspirations? Where do you see yourself by the time you're like 80?
Dalila: Oh, that's that's such a good question. Yeah, that's such an interesting question because so many of my hobbies right now are like classic, like old people hobbies, so like knitting, crocheting. So when I'm 80, I'd love to have had a successful career. So I really would have loved to contribute to the exoplanet world. That would be my main thing. Also I would love to have Grandchildren. I'd love to have children, so that would be another thing. Also have travelled the world. So those are my main three things as an 80 year old. Have travelled to wherever I want to go. Have very what's the word? Happy family. Just to be surrounded by the people I love and have family just to be happy with my career.
Libby: Awesome. Couldn't ask for more. Let's see here. Where are we on my list of questions? So what advice would you give to someone considering a trajectory similar to yours?
Dalila: So depending on their age, I would say just take all the opportunities that come your way, whether they're from your school, your college, your local community, just take everything. Even if they're directly related to what you want to do forever in life, I think just take them because sometimes skills overlap. So you can have really useful work experiences or internships that will really help you later on for your CV and your applications too for a master's degree or a PhD. Or if you want to have a specific job in industry, I think certain work experiences are really useful. So just take every opportunity, just be your authentic self. So don't worry what anyone else is doing, just focus on where you want to be. And also it's OK not to know what you want to do at the age of 14,15,16, even later on. Most people don't know what they want to do. Even now at 24 I meet people that don't know what they want to do and it's totally OK and it's very normal. Also, I would say if you want to do PhD or anything relating to academia or research, start early. That's something I would tell my younger self, start early. I would have started everything in the middle of my degree rather than at the end. Because applications take a while and there's so much to it. So like just reading through your CV, your personal statement, your research proposal, getting references from your academic tutors, it's really important that you start those processes early. Otherwise it can take a while. You also have to proofread everything. So yeah, that's another thing I would say to young people just if you want to have a career in academia, start your applications for that early. But if you're not able to, then that's also OK because I didn't start mine early. So yeah, those are my those are my main things. And also build on your networking. So whether that's LinkedIn or attending conferences that perhaps your university will pay for or your school just really like networks and meet people that are in a similar field or the same field that you are in. That's really helpful. I think especially people beyond your town or your city, just meet loads of people because I think that's really helpful. Read loads of books like sometimes self-help books can help, but not just those, but just enrich your life with other things as well as your hobbies because they help you as well, even if they're not relating to your…To the job you want to do, I find that they really help. So with me, like my more creative hobbies have helped me I guess when I'm a bit stressed, I will just like pick up my crochet needle and make something or I will read. So it helps me focus then later on when I go back to it. So yeah, those are the main things.
Libby: Yeah, that methodical nature of crocheting. It's kind of like. You know, build everything that you have learned as you're processing it. That crocheting kind of just puts it into your mind the same way as if you were sleeping, you know, you're sleeping on that material, you're crocheting on that material. I find that for me, I play a video game called Hearthstone and I like to play that right after I study cause then when I play it, I find that it's like somehow helps me with what I studied before. So that downtime is super important.
Dalila: Yeah, no, that's true. Just I think that it really helps if you have things you love beyond your job. Just yeah, they can even be something sporty. So I love badminton or going to the gym, things like that. Just it really helps.
Libby: Totally. Did you receive any mentorship? And if so, what is some advice that you received along the way that you really held on to?
Dalila: So I had several mentors throughout my journey to getting to where I am now. So my teachers in school were really lovely. They really championed me. I had two really lovely teachers, my physics teacher and my chemistry teacher, and I will never forget them because they were so kind to me. They really helped me get to where I am. They were just so friendly. Yeah, my supervisor during my dissertation for my masters was really helpful. He taught me so much. We had weekly meetings. This was the run up to submitting my literature review. We had weekly meetings where we would discuss exoplanet papers. And I just fondly remember those meetings because everything we discussed was so interesting. I found it really useful. I learned so much from him. And yeah, he was a really great mentor. He taught me a lot in terms of the physics, I guess, of my project. So the equipment, just the formatting of my dissertation, what I guess scientists or researchers are looking for in that field, especially if your project or your dissertation is sort of online based. It wasn't something I did in a lab, it was something I did on my computer, so I learned a lot from him. Also, my partner has been really supportive, so he's really helped me overcome some hurdles. So when you face rejections, they're really disheartening. So he's been really kind and he's been there for me. He keeps supporting my dreams and keeps championing me because as people that have faced rejections will know, just sometimes people do give unsolicited advice. So my boyfriend has been really, really good. He's been so kind and giving me advice. And yeah, because people will suggest alternative careers, when you tell them you want to do a PhD, they will suggest, oh, have you considered this? Have you considered this? But my dream is to do a PhD. So, so yeah, so those are the main mentors I've had in my life regarding my STEM degree.
Libby: What, if any, changes would you like to see for women in astronomy?
Dalila: So I would like to see definitely a few changes as you progress through academia. I've noticed there are less and less female researchers in some universities. That's not always the case, but I would like to see more representation, especially as you go up. And that's something that I guess should start at a lower level. So in schools we should encourage young girls or just anyone really, to pursue, to consider pursuing physics. They don't have to because obviously not everyone wants to. But it should be an option and it should be something that young people can consider, even if they don't know anyone or they don't have anyone in their family that did a STEM degree. I think that's so important. So I did some mentoring in a local secondary school for some young girls, and the main purpose of that was to just tell them about careers in STEM and to let them consider even doing a STEM degree, because a lot of young people don't consider it if they don't have role models or people to look up to. So it's really important that we do that for young people. I think it should start really early on. By the time we get to university, it might be too late because they've already chosen their degree. So yeah, I would like to see that for women in astronomy. Also just supporting other women in the industry I think would…I've seen it a lot like so I've had a lot of support from really lovely people to continue that. So I went to a conference at the University of Liverpool and it was a conference for undergraduate women in physics and it was so nice. Everyone there was really friendly and we all networked. We did really cool things.
We went to the George Roll Bank Telescope just on the outskirts of Manchester and it was so interesting and I just met loads of really lovely women that week. So I would like to see more things like that. That was a really useful experience and I still talk to some of the girls today. And I've got a lot of them on social media. So that would be a really cool thing. And I think also just teachers encouraging people to consider STEM. That's, yeah, that's the main thing.
Libby: Yeah, absolutely. I was quite a creative when I was younger and I was very into science. But space, space wasn't a really big. It wasn't a thing that most people could join when I was in high school. I'm 36 years old, so it's just I'm joining this all late. But I think a lot of creative women are just encouraged towards arts when they should be encouraged towards STEM. And so I really appreciate what you're doing out there with mentoring the next generation.
Dalila: Thank you. Yeah, no, honestly, I think it's never too late. If you are interested in physics or even anything relating to STEM, it's never too late. There are so many online courses you can do. A lot of them are free. There's Coursera and then there's there's another one. I can't remember the top of my head, but there are loads of online courses and you can learn like astronomy for beginners or even another thing would be to make use of your local library. If you have one there, you can just rent books out for free. And the things you find in there are amazing. At least my local library has really cool books. Like they have really useful books for beginners if you're interested in learning about space or even I've seen coding books in there, so it's never too late.
Libby: Nope, never too late. So we're going to take a little little curve here. What's your favorite movie or TV show?
Dalila: So I have. I had to think about this because I do have a favorite movie, like favorite movies. I would say my number one would be Harry Potter, like all of them, because they're the ones that I keep rewatching forever. And I love Titanic as well. That's another favorite movie. And Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn. Those are my main movies. And then the Jane Austen films like Pride and Prejudice, those. Those are my main films. Yeah, I love those. They're just the ones that I rewatched. So that's that's how I decided.
Libby: I think I've rewatched Harry Potter hundreds and hundreds of times. It was in like maybe second grade when the first book came out, but I still remember reading it and just being like, this is the most magical thing I've ever read.
Dalila: I know. I love it. Which one is your favorite out of the films or even the books?
Libby: Gosh, I remember being very taken back by the fifth book in particular when I read it, you know, so long ago. Now it's just one continuous story. So it's hard to pick just one favorite. But I remember when I read the 5th book being like, Oh my goodness, this is insane. But how about you?
Dalila: I think my favorite film is Prisoner of Azkaban. That's the one I just love so much that I rewatch the most out of all of them. And my favorite book, probably Chamber of Secrets. It was just a really nice, quick, easy read.
Libby: Yeah, right at the beginning. Oh, fun. Thanks for taking me back. Just imagining myself in my little bunkbed at summer camp reading Harry Potter. Well, is there anything else you'd like to share today? This has been such a wonderful interview. Thank you so much for being here.
Dalila: No, thank you so much for the opportunity. I would say, yeah. So if anyone is interested in following my Instagram page, my physics page…if you're interested in exoplanets, then feel free to follow me on there. And yeah, I think those are the main things. Just navigating life post degree has been an interesting journey, just navigating the postgraduate world of applications and just making sure I have my application up to scratch for a funded PhD in exoplanets. That is the main thing. It's a very interesting world, especially in 2024.
Libby: For those who might not go on to the blog and be watching this on YouTube, what is your handle for Instagram?
Dalila: So yeah, my handle is at and then Skyientist. I just made-up that word. It's SKY Sky and then IENTIST.
Libby: I love that. That's very sweet. It's a great name. Awesome. Well, please, please follow her on Instagram. And thank you all for joining us today. Again, I'm Libby and signing off.
Dalila: Thank you so much.
Libby: Bye.
Dalila: Bye.
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