Perla Marlene Viera-González - 2016-17 SPIE Women in Optics Planner
PhD Student, Industrial Physics Engineering, Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas (FCFM), Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Mexico
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Country of Birth: Mexico Twitter: @marlene_viera |
I work in optical design applied to solar illumination systems. As a hobby, I participate in and organize science and technology outreach activities for the public. I organize conferences for students, workshops for kids, basic education for teachers, science fairs for the general public, and more. I’m one of three founders of a science outreach group called “Physics 4 every1” (aka Física Pato2) where university students collaborate to make these outreach activities possible; in fact, thanks to SPIE and my university, we reach thousands of people every year.
The biggest obstacle in my career: swimming upstream and resistance to change. When I propose a new/different idea or project, for my research or for an outreach activity, I sometimes encounter people who prefer to always do things the same way without changing. The solution? I never give up, I believe in myself, and I’m always looking for the support of more people who enjoy different ideas and like being involved in new projects. Don’t try to do everything by yourself. In the beginning, I tried to do all work alone, but now, with more experience and a bigger to-do list, I have learned that working in teams is generally the best option. If you have a multidisciplinary team, it’s even better.
Believe in yourself. Try new ideas, and if you fail, learn from that. Improve and carry-on. For all the things you do, never forget to share your results, especially when they are good. When you are doing great things, you cannot be afraid to shine.