International Women in Engineering Day: Q&A with Carol Martinez Luna

It’s a profession that has helped shape the world around us, but engineering often sees less women enter into the field than their male counterparts. In fact, according to data from 2019, just 28% of scientists and engineers in Luxembourg are female. International Women in Engineering Day is an initiative that was developed 8 years ago by the Women’s Engineering Society. Their aim is to raise the profile of women in engineering, and show that it’s an exciting industry to become a part of.

For Dr. Carol Martinez Luna, a research scientist within the SpaceR research group, pursuing a career in engineering felt like a natural step in her young life when she finished high school. We sat down with her to find out more about her experience in her life so far as a female engineer

What inspired you to start your career in engineering?

I was around 14-15 when I knew I wanted to start a career related to electronics. I was good at mathematics and science, and I also liked fixing things. If something was broken at home, I was the one fixing it, or at least finding out how to fix it! When I finished high school at 16 – I was very young – I knew that I wanted to study robotics. I loved the idea of making objects move. However, because robotics did not exist in my hometown, I ended up studying mechatronics, followed by a Master and a Ph.D. in automation and robotics.

What kind of challenges do women experience in the engineering profession?

I never forgot a professor telling me that mechatronics was not a career for a woman during my first year at university. I was not discouraged by this comment - actually, it made me persist and prove that women can be highly successful engineers. At that moment, I had that ‘Challenge Accepted!’ attitude. It made me feel brave in believing that I could succeed in what I set out to achieve. At the time, I was one of just two women in my class, and it’s safe to say we felt very alone. Although I would say that in recent years this has improved, there are still many countries in the world where these problems persist. I have a daughter, so I try to see the world through her eyes. This perspective has made me realise that as women, the choices we make are crucial – although these can so often be shaped by influences that surround us, such as TV programmes and the media.

What kind of impact are you looking to achieve with your work?

At the beginning of my career, I was mainly focused on my desire to push the state-of-the-art in my work. It is definitely still a focus for me, but recently I realised how important my role is to encourage women to work in science and set an example. After I gave an interview once, someone told me they would show it to their daughter, which made me consider how I could be a role model for young women. Furthermore, there is a lot of progress to be made in my field. The new trends in the space industry come with exciting challenges for space robotics. But apart from the technical aspects of my work, I would also like to show that you can pursue something you enjoy, as long as you do so responsibly with persistence and self-confidence.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I joined the Space Robotics (SpaceR) research group around one year ago as a senior researcher, so typically my role involves coordinating and conducting research on orbital and planetary robotics projects, writing research proposals, and lecturing for the Interdisciplinary Space Master. Day-to-day, I like to catch up with the team on what is happening in their projects, I also attend meetings with current and potential partners, and I try to schedule some time to work in the lab. I started my career in this field because of my love and motivation for solving problems, so I make time for being a part of any testing in the lab every day. I think engineering is often pictured as a difficult or complicated career path - but when it is something you enjoy so much, you will find yourself working hard to achieve great things!

What would be your advice to women who may be looking to pursue engineering as a career or in academia?

Sometimes it is easy to feel overwhelmed being surrounded by men all the time. It may make you feel nervous about voicing your thoughts or opinions, which is a bad habit we are so often guilty of. Instead, try to show your confidence and make your voice heard. In addition to this, it is critical to ignore thoughts that make you doubt your capabilities. Of course, it is also so important to follow your passion in life, because you can often face obstacles in your career as a woman. If you enjoy what you do, you will be more confident in overcoming these difficulties.

Coming Soon: Asteroid Day LIVE 2021. Asteroid Day is an educational programme, run in Luxembourg by the Asteroid Foundation. From 1 June – 4 July, Asteroid Day TV is showing original films, series and learning programmes to help educate people of all ages on the role of asteroids in our solar system, as well as how we protect our planet from impacts. Asteroid Day LIVE will take place on 30 June and will feature interviews with key figures from the space missions of yesterday and tomorrow. Find out more information here.