Emmy Noether Distinction Winter 2018: Interview with Chiara Mariotti
On 4 February 2019, the Emmy Noether distinction was presented to Dr. Chiara Mariotti [CM] at CERN. She was interviewed by Luc Bergé [LB], chair of the Equal Opportunities Committee of the EPS.
LB: At what point in your education did you consider a career in physics?
CM: The year I started to study physics at the University of Torino, Carlo Rubbia was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics, and when I started my Master Thesis at the Osmond Laboratory in Pennsylvania (USA), Rita Levi Montalcini was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine. It was an exciting period and we all had the idea that our dreams of discoveries and scientific breakthroughs could become true!
During my studies, I was reading a lot of books written by physicists, telling about their life and experiences: the passions during their research, the exaltation when they were solving a problem, but also the friendship and strong relationship between the colleagues.
What fascinated me most – and still does – is that the scientists had to face continuous challenges, because they had to invent solutions, machines, apparatus etc. They had to come up with original ideas and therefore have the ingenuity to find different solutions.
Thus, after my master thesis, I tried to pursue the dream of entering the scientific academic world and applied for a PhD.
In summary, my answer to this question is that the desire to have a career in physics built up slowly during my university studies, and mostly thanks to a very warm and enjoyable environment in the university and in the laboratories.
LB: Did you find a resistance to girls succeeding in science?
CM: Yes, partially yes. When you are a student, there are no problems, but when you undertake research work, you start to encounter some difficulties. Being a woman in a male dominated environment did not help me. Women have to work harder to get the same places as their male colleagues.
If you do not behave in an aggressive way, it may sometimes be an additional drawback. I remember that people told me directly: “It’s hard to believe you, because you’re a woman and have a kind behaviour”
I will not mention all the rude remarks I had to listen to, when I got results.
But it is very important to say that I always had good professional relationships with the people I worked side by side with, and very often we became good friends.
I must say that nasty remarks often also came from other women.
Unfortunately, many women of a certain age had the same mentality as men. Now it is much better: we are able to show that we have the same capacities. For this, it has been very important that the percentage of women in physics increased over the last 20 years. The more we are, the better and more balanced the ambience is, and little by little the prejudices cancel. So, indeed, there is a positive evolution. The more we talk about it, the better it is.
LB: Do you believe that physics should positively discriminate in favour of women?
CM: It is a very difficult question. I am really against any discrimination, and I am profoundly convinced that we have the same capabilities as men. So, the best person should always be selected, whatever the gender may be.
Of course, since there are prejudices, we have to overcome them. Putting women in the selection boards is already a very good step, as it is very important to always monitor the gender balance. However, I am afraid that positive discrimination can act against us.
It can shadow the reputation of women in general. Some will have a hard time to be respected, if they were preferred only because of their gender. And if the best women were not selected, their remaining professional life will be even harder. I am more in favor of a smooth, but continuous effort towards reaching equality and a right balance. On the contrary, I must admit that in certain extreme situations, positive discrimination may be a “necessary bad” thing.
I had many students, about 50% women and 50% men, as often girls came to work with me since for them it was easier to feel closer to another woman. I cannot really say one gender is better than the other in physics. All of them had their specific qualities, their unique capabilities and they did (and are still doing!) very good work.
LB: Do you have advice to girls who wish to start a career in physics?
CM: Physics is a creative discipline. You need a lot of intuition and imagination and a lot of detailed and hard work at the same time. The rewards of this work can be very intense.
I am convinced that passion can drive you where you want. If you like what you are doing, you will do it well. So, my suggestion is always to follow the career you want. Science is really a lot of fun and passion.
You do not need to change your character or attitude. You need to be convinced of what you do and never stop. The first ever Italian woman engineer in aeronautics said: “you need to have nerves strong as steel since as a woman you are always under the lens.”
Moreover, having children will not make your life easier, but richer for sure. There will be long battles to fight in order to get the right to have time for them, but what will be most challenging is to be able every day to switch your brain towards the work or towards the children.
