Joanna Schmit

Joanna Schmit

Joanna Schmit

 

Joanna Schmit

Senior Staff Optical Engineer,
Veeco Instruments, Inc., USA

Country of origin: Poland

There are two major factors that have made my career in optics so exciting and rewarding. First, I enjoy a work environment where my expertise is respected by the other researchers and engineers who specialize in different areas. The fact that they are predominantly men has not made my job more difficult. We work together to develop the best, most practical concepts into viable commercial systems. Veeco's encouragement of our individual research interests helps us to develop the types of emerging technologies that make up the most exciting commercial products.

Secondly, I really enjoy being a part of a diverse, international community of researchers who are continuously learning from each other. Part of my professional life brings me into contact with researchers from my homeland Poland as well as scientists in Germany, India, Japan, England, and South Korea. This is an international class of really smart optical engineers who meet not only through reading each other's research in journals, but also by attending international meetings and conferences. the Internet allows us to share research ideas and finding almost instantly and facilitates the international collaborations that are so exciting and important.