Gražina Tautvaišienė - image credit: Gražina Tautvaišienė

In 2024, the European Physical Society released a calendar of inspiring physicists. Gina Gunaratnam, EPS communication coordinator and initator of the project, interviewed Gražina Tautvaišienė, president of the Lithuanian Physical Society. Professor Tautvaišienė works as an astrophysicist at the Vilnius University (VU) and is also vice-president of the International Union of Astronomy since December 2024.

How did you get to know the European Physical Society?

The European Physical Society is a well-known organisation  for all physicists. It cooperates with national physical societies to promote physics, to support physicists worldwide, and to foster international collaboration. My first encounter with EPS activities probably occurred in 2000 when the EGAS 32 conference was organised at our Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy in Lithuania.  I started to follow EPS activities more closely when I became a vice-president of the Lithuanian Physical Society in 2007.

Why is it important for you to be an EPS member and to participate in its activities?

International collaboration is very important for such a small country as Lithuania. EPS has divisions covering all main fields of physics. As EPS unites scientists from 42 National Physical Societies, it is an essential platform for developing international collaboration. Lithuanian scientists often need collaboration to access large international infrastructures like CERN, ESO, ITER, etc. Collaboration is also important in order to prepare large groundbreaking research projects, networking, and mobility.

We are very glad that quite many international conferences of EPS have been organised in Lithuania. We had the 14^th European Conference on Atoms, Molecules, and Photons (ECAMP) in 2022. This conference brought together atomic, molecular, and optical physics experts to discuss recent developments and research in the field. In 2024, we held the 11^th EPS-QEOD Conference “Europhoton”, where the latest developments in solid-state physics, optical cables and waveguides were presented. In 2025, we will host the 51^st EPS Conference on Plasma Physics.

An outstanding example of a close relationship with EPS was the inauguration of the Grotthuss Laboratory as the EPS Historic Site in Žeimelis, Lithuania. This is the first EPS Historic Site in the Baltic states.

What is the aim of the Lithuanian Physical Society and its main activities?

The Lithuanian Physical Society was established in 1963. The main goal of our society is to unite Lithuanian physicists, coordinate and support their activities in order to contribute to the development of physics research in Lithuania and take care of physics teaching in universities and other educational institutions. We organise the National Conferences on Physics every two years, which attract about 600 participants. Every year, we support the physics olympiad and summer school “Fotonas” of schoolchildren. We organise annual public events dedicated to e.g. Quantum Day and European Researchers Night. Various recent events marked the UNESCO International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development. Now we prepare for the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.     

Why did you study physics and become an astrophysicist?

I liked sciences that required logical thinking. Physics is exactly like that. However, physics is a very broad science, and I had to decide which field to turn to. And here, the decisive role was played by the meeting of the Lithuanian Astronomical Union at the Molėtai Astronomical Observatory, which I attended after finishing the 10th grade. There, I won a place on the Lithuanian team for the meeting of young astronomers of the Soviet Union. Then my path to astronomy began. All summer, I studied astronomy at the Kaunas Public Library, studied constellations, and read various books. By the way, being a schoolchild, I really liked reading books, especially about scientists, politicians, and artists and how they lived and worked. The story of Marie Curie was very memorable. She was an inspiring role model for me.

Could you describe your current field of research?

Currently, together with my colleagues, I am working on improving methods for determining the age of stars. Knowing the age of stars is very important in many aspects. It is very important to know it in order to clarify the evolution of our and other galaxies, the evolution of stars, the characterization of exoplanets, etc. The period for such investigations is very favorable because NASA's TESS telescope is now orbiting in space and is providing important asteroseismic information for determining the stellar age. If robust seismic pulsations could be detected in all stars, there would be no problems in stellar age determinations. However, it is not possible to reliably record the pulsations of many stars, and other methods must be sought. Among these are the so-called chemical clocks - the abundance ratios of various chemical elements. The Science Council of Lithuania is funding our research “Chemical elements as clocks for determining the age of stars”. We are analysing the use of the abundance ratios of carbon and nitrogen and yttrium and magnesium chemical elements in order to determine the age of stars. Several other projects also are on the way, including the one on the investigation of planet-hosting stars.

What are the challenges of your field?

There are many challenges. As Lithuanian folk experience says - the deeper into the forest, the more trees... Much is expected in the field of exoplanet search and research. This is a relatively new field of research. Incredible planets are being discovered around other stars which are not found in our solar system. The question arises of how planets form and what their characteristics depend on. Several space telescopes have been launched into space and are planned for exoplanet research. As Vice President of the International Astronomical Union, I am entrusted with the coordination of space and ground-based research. Here, my experience in coordinating the Europlanet telescope network, which currently unites 17 observatories with medium-sized and small telescopes, will come in handy. Ground-based observations for space missions require a lot of time, and smaller telescopes are very suitable for this. I plan to significantly expand the Europlanet telescope network, which also includes the Molėtai Astronomical Observatory in Lithuania.

How would you encourage students to work in this field?

Lithuania, as a country with strong traditions in astronomy, opens up very wide opportunities for research and international cooperation. The first observatory in Lithuania was established back in 1753. The Vilnius University Astronomical Observatory is one of the oldest in Europe. At that time it had over 100 different instruments. Currently, the VU Molėtai Astronomical Observatory is also no less known. It operates the largest telescope in Northern Europe with modern instruments, and is recognized as a place for organising international schools for young astronomers.

International collaboration opens possibilities to accomplish indeed a very high level of research. E.g., the research team I am leading participated in the Gaia-ESO Public Survey, uniting more than 300 researchers. We obtained more than 300 observing nights on the 8,2-metre telescope of the European Southern Observatory (ESO).  Presently, we participate in several other large spectroscopic survey projects (4MOST on the 4.1-metre ESO VISTA telescope and WEAVE on the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope in the Canary Islands).

Education in physics and astrophysics also opens many other opportunities for a future professional career. Lithuania is nurturing an innovative ecosystem, particularly in deep-tech and quantum computing, giving physics graduates opportunities to be part of groundbreaking projects including space research. The Research Council of Lithuania is organising enjoyable student training visits to NASA science centers in the United States.

Do you think it is important to encourage girls to study physics? What would you tell them?

I think that girls have been underrepresented in physics due to societal biases. More and more amazing women are thriving in physics today. It is important to show them as role models to girls.  The EPS calendar of inspiring female physicists is playing this role perfectly.

Author: Pas García

The Women in Physics Group (GEMF) of the Royal Spanish Society of Physics organised a symposium earlier this year. It was held in the frame of the XXXIX Biennal of the society in Donostia, Spain in July 2024. It aims to discuss issues related to strategies to increase the presence of women in physics, to make their achievements visible and to defend the interests and equal rights and opportunities of women physicists.

Pas García (left), president of the GEMF, introduced Ursula Keller (right).
The talk was entitled ‘Dual-comb generation from a single laser cavity’ - image: GEMF

Ursula Keller proposal and plenary presentation

Proposal for the theme of Dialogue 2: ‘Women's leadership in physics’ moderated by Itziar Otegui, head of outreach at CIC nanoGUNE. In this dialogue between a more senior (Ursula Keller from ETH Zurich) and junior (Irene Abril, member of our group and PhD student at the University of Cambridge, THANK YOU, IRENE!), the central challenges to achieve equality in science were addressed. They reviewed the data, analysed institutional strategies and highlighted that the process is stagnating. We must try to move towards a new model of inclusive leadership in which the importance of male allies is fundamental.

Symposium ‘Women in Physics’

As part of the Physics Biennial, the Women in Physics Symposium was held with the participation of 8 oral presentations. The GEMF symposium aimed to discuss issues related to strategies to increase the presence of women in physics, to make their achievements visible and to defend the interests and equal rights and opportunities of women physicists. The Symposium included an invited talk by Lorena Fernández, computer engineer, director of digital identity at the University of Deusto and STEAM disseminator, as well as an expert on gender and science, especially in the field of ICTs.

PART 1: Moderated by Màriam Tórtola, secretary-treasurer of the GEMF.

• Marta Seror, of the Institute of Physics of Cantabria. ‘Traces and Trails: Women Professors of Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics in Spain’.

Marta recalled that the percentage of female professors in physics is 15%, and dedicated the presentation to the female professors of FAMN (Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics). In this study, she conducted a series of interviews with active and retired female professors from Spanish public universities, analysing the extent to which gender influences or has influenced their scientific careers and academic trajectories. In addition to the testimonies collected, another purpose of the study was to locate and highlight female professors in this discipline. The characteristics of this branch of knowledge make the physics of the very small a field in which women have played and continue to play a particularly relevant role.

• Míriam Comet-Donoso, Universitat de Barcelona, “No questions asked: gendered participation patterns in higher education in physics”

This study was also carried out by M. Romagosa-Torrallardona UB, T. Donoso-Vázquez,UB, A. T. Danielsson Stockholm University, P. Folgueiras-Bertomeu UB and S. Estradé UB. The study addressed the different dynamics in the participation of physics students in class according to their gender. Women tend to ask fewer questions than men, which reflects the social norms that prioritise obedience and non-disruptive behaviour in women. In contrast, men tend to engage in more explanatory discourse, in line with gender stereotypes that value confidence and competitiveness. The study employed a mixed design comprising quantitative observations (n=900) and, for the qualitative part, a focus group discussion that corroborated these disparities in classroom participation.

• Ana Xesús López Díaz, de la Universidad de A Coruña, “Gender approach in university teaching: activities of the Grupo de Innovación Docente Multidisciplinar para a Igualdade de Xénero (GIDMIX)”

This work also carried out by A. Ramil (UdC), M. Carreiro (UdC), C. López (UdC) and E. Aguayo (USC), highlighted the importance of teaching with a gender perspective to improve the quality and social relevance of the knowledge, technologies and innovations that are produced. It can also stimulate critical thinking and develop competencies that enable students to avoid gender blindness in their future professional practice. However, diagnoses of the degree of integration in the classroom reveal disparities between universities and, in general, partial integration. Among the causes identified are the lack of teacher training on gender issues and the lack of methodological guides on how to introduce the gender dimension, as well as practical examples of how to apply it in different subjects.

• Rocío Vilar Cortabitarte, of the Institute of Physics of Cantabria, ‘Strengthening equality and diversity at the Institute of Physics of Cantabria’.

S. Martinez, M. Ceballos, J. Piedra, J. Sáinz-Pardo, R. García, D. Herranz, L. Graafland, R. Domínguez,and K. Vaaiyapuri.
The talk presented the fantastic activities carried out by the Equality and Diversity Commission of the IFCA (CSIC-UC), which earned them the recognition of the second prize of the equality award granted by the CSIC in 2018. The work of the commission was also awarded the VI Equality Award of the University of Cantabria in 2022. The main objective of this commission is to include the gender and diversity perspective in the daily development of IFCA's scientific work.

PART 2: Moderated by Ana X. López, vice-president of the GEMF.

• Núria Garro, of Faculty of Physics of the University of Valencia, “Tornem als instituts: activities to make women in Physics studies more visible’”

The work was also carried out by M. Delgado, P. García-Martínez, S. Planelles and M. Tórtola, from the UVEG.
In this communication, the activity ‘Tornem als instituts’ was presented, carried out by students of the Faculty of Physics of the University of Valencia in the 22/23 and 23/24 academic years and supervised by the professors of the Comissió d'Igualtat. The activity consists of holding informative talks in secondary schools, with the speakers being students of the faculty and the educational centres targeted being those in which they themselves studied. In figures, ‘Tornem als instituts’ has been very well received: in the first two editions, a total of 45 students, 40 women and 5 men, signed up for the activity, and informative talks have been given in 34 schools in the three Valencian provinces. The estimated number of students receiving these talks is around 3,500.

• Màriam Tórtola, of the Faculty of Physics of the University of Valencia, ‘Meitner Project - Remembering the pioneers of Nuclear and Particle Physics’.

With the participation of C. Escobar, N. Falcó, I. Laderescu, O. Mena, A. Molina, R. Molina, M. Moreno, D. Muñoz, S. Orrigo, J. Palacios, S. Pastor, D. Rodríguez, S. Rubio, B. Rubio, J. L. Taín and M. Villaplana, from the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (CSIC / University of Valencia).
Proyecto Meitner is a scientific dissemination initiative with the aim of recovering and highlighting the contribution of the great pioneers of nuclear and particle physics through the figure of Lise Meitner. This project, which combines science with artistic disciplines, includes activities as diverse as a play, a conference on science and gender, a teaching mentoring programme, a science and art competition, videos on social networks and a lot of educational material to give visibility to women in science, bringing scientists of the past and present in Nuclear and Particle Physics to all audiences. Proyecto Meitner has received grants from organisations such as FECYT, CSIC, the University of Valencia and the Provincial Council of Valencia, and has been awarded the second STEAM Alliance prize for female talent by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training in 2023.

• Matilde Ariza Montes, from the ‘Pedro Espinosa’ Secondary School, ‘Women scientists with the gait of giants’.

In this magnificent and inspiring presentation, Mati Ariza told us about the activities that she has been carrying out in her school for some time with the aim of making female profiles in the scientific world visible so that students can discover references in fields such as physics, thus encouraging scientific vocations from an early age. In this work, hundreds of women of national and international relevance have been searched for their achievements in science and, secondly, they have been selected for their actions, which have been worthy of the prominence they enjoy in the field of science. The work has led to the creation of a database for subsequent publication as a reference book.

Participation of the European Physical Society (EPS)

We would like to thank Gina Gunaratnam, Communication Coordinator, European Physical Society, that sent us the fantastic calendars of “Inspiring Physicist 2024” that we offered to participants.

At the APS Virtual March Meeting 2023, Session LL02 moderated by Gihan Kamel and entitled "Open SESAME: Waves of Success and Recognition Connecting Women Scientists Beyond Skepticism-Beyond Borders", united 8 women scientists on-line with more than 60 participants at the SESAME synchroton in person on 21st March 2023.

EPS vice-president Petra Rudolf introduced the audience to the possibility that is rather popular in Europe, of doing a PhD project at two different institutions and with two supervisors in her talk “Co-tutelle PhD Projects - Doing Your Doctoral Research in an International Context”. 

Screenshot taken by Sylvia Onesti

Author: Pascuala García-Martínez

The Equality Commission of the Faculty of Physics of the University of Valencia and the Spanish Women in Physics Group (GEMF) of the Royal Spanish Physics Society have organized the I National Virtual Meeting of Undergraduate Women in Physics last 12 July 2021. The meeting was sponsored by the GEMF and the Vice-Chancellor’s Office for Equality, Diversity and Sustainability in its 2021 call for grants for the organization of conferences, workshops and other events to promote equality between women and men and the visibility of women in academia.

The program consisted of lectures on physics by young pre-doctoral women researchers on different topics in the morning and in the afternoon, talks, round tables and working groups about gender and physics. The program is accessible in http://www.gemf-rsef.es/2021/07/01/i-encuentro-nacional-virtual-de-alumnas-de-fisica/ and the recorded videos are in https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTWVpSC0TqzxJfPOBsDYKgw

The asymmetry in the distribution by gender in the studies of the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, STEM) represents an extraordinarily serious problem for several reasons. One of them is the demand of STEM jobs in a near future and in addition those works will be well remunerated from the point of view of salary. The lack of women in those jobs will lead to an increase in the gender pay gap that, on average, today is above 16% and reaches 45% in the highest salaries. In the area of Physics and STEM, a strong decline in female presence shows a low interest of girls in these areas mainly in secondary education.

The acronym STEM is being changed to PECS (Physics, Engineering, Computer Science), which represent areas where women are dramatically underrepresented. For example, the male-female ratio among US college majors in biology, chemistry, and many other STEM fields is now 1 to 1, while in physics, engineering, and computer science (PECS), the relationship seems have stalled at roughly 4 to 1 as evidenced by the article published in the journal Science https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba7377. In Spain, areas such as biology, chemistry and all degrees that involve bio- are highly feminized, and even the male-female ratio is reversed in many cases.

Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP)

Since 2012, the American Physical Society (APS) is organizing Conferences for female students in the Degree in Physics in the USA. CUWiP was founded with the goal of increasing the number of female physics graduates. Through a weekend of plenary sessions, workshops, and networking events, CUWiP seeks to provide university women with a supportive community and the tools they need to be successful in physics. According to the following article https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/202001/cuwip.cfm there is a direct correlation between attendance at these conferences and the increase in the number of female students enrolled in the physics degree.

With this motivation we organized this unprecedented event in Spain. We wanted to generate a network of sisterhood around interests in physics, making the role of women in physics visible, and encouraging female and male students to share discussions with senior women physicists. It is not just a place where they can receive training in physics and gender, but students will be able to participate in some activities by discussion groups that help them to create networks of cooperation and collaboration to eliminate barriers and obstacles that may find in their career path.

Prof. Pascuala García-Martínez is President of the Spanish Women in Physics Group of the Royal Spanish Physics Society:

• @GEMF_RSEF
• http://www.gemf-rsef.es/

The Winter 2020 EPS Emmy Noether Distinction is awarded to:

• María García Parajo

ICREA Research Professor and researcher at the Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO) in Castelldefels near Barcelona in Spain « for her outstanding contributions to nano-biophysics and to numerous programs to support women in physics ».

At ICFO, María García Parajo is the leader of the Single Molecule Biophotonics group of IBEC-Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya. She received her Ph.D from Imperial College, University of London, UK, in 1993, from where she proceeded to take an Assistant professorship at the University of Twente, the Netherlands, where she worked for four years in the Applied Optics Group at MESA+ / Institute for Nanotechnology. She moved to Barcelona in 2005 and has worked there ever since.

María García Parajo has contributed decisively to several technical developments that allow the mapping and the direct visualisation of biomolecular interactions regulating life´s essential processes. The methods she has pioneered and used have provided profound insights on the spatiotemporal organisation of the plasma membrane of cells, which influence diverse processes in the immune system such as pathogenic infections (including HIV pathogenesis), autoimmunity and immune cell migration (with direct implications in proper immune regulation and cancer). One of her salient results (published in Cell in 2015) has led to the direct visualisation of chromatin inside intact cells, which allowed for the first time ever to correlate chromatin compaction to cell differentiation.

María García Parajo has contributed tirelessly to physics education via summer schools and training programmes as well as by the furthering of equal opportunities and gender equality in physics. María has contributed to and participated in a great many activities, committees, talks, seminars, round-tables panels, etc., oriented at creating opportunities for women scientists. Since September 2017, María García Parajo is part of the Gender committee at ICFO, where she has initiated a large number of actions to increase the visibility, awareness & empowerment of young talented female researchers promoting the successful construction of their academic career.

Prof. María García Parajo - image credit: ICFO