The 2022 SPIE Women in Optics Planner
An annual offering from SPIE since 2005 – and a well-respected linchpin of the organization’s Women in Optics program – the SPIE Women in Optics planner was created to inspire and educate young girls and women, inviting them to consider careers in optics, photonics, and other STEM areas. Showcasing a vibrant cohort of women scientists, engineers, researchers, and industry leaders, the engaging and informative SPIE Women in Optics planner is available at no cost to science teachers, educators, career counselors, community clubs, students, and the general public.
Each profile includes insight into the professionals’ career trajectories, their challenges and successes. Every person included in the SPIE planner offers a dynamic role model for other women and girls interested in STEM fields; together they serve as exciting examples of the myriad opportunities available in science and science-related professions. For greater reach and accessibility, we are continuing to offer a downloadable version as well as our usual print copy of the planner.
Sign in to download the complete 2022 Women in Optics planner in either our 8.5"x11" format or A4 format, designed to be printed on your home printer. Or place your order for your free physical copy here.
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• “Follow your intuition and curiosity when you do science. I found I enjoyed my research the most when my curiosity drove me. And enjoy the freedom of doing science.”
• “Don’t be afraid of having a sense of entitlement about what you can accomplish, and what pay and recognition you deserve for a job well done.”
• “…be adventurous…be bold…and always cherish [your] curiosity.”
• “If something excites you, even if it’s tangential to what you think you want to do or completely unrelated, lean into that.”
• “Be aware of your own unique set of skills and keep on looking for your niche. STEM is the ultimate playground!”
• “Don’t be afraid of not knowing, ask as many questions as possible.”
These are just a handful of the suggestions from some of the scientists featured in this year’s SPIE Women in Optics Planner. The participants range from young women at the beginning of their careers – including SPIE Student Members and SPIE Early Career Professional Members – to those much further along their professional paths. Each one shares a taste of her dreams, ambitions, challenges, and successes, while offering experience-based advice to girls considering STEM as a career option.
Even more impressive, their paths have been as diverse as they are. These 24 women have been inspired by family members, teachers, Albert Einstein posters, Richard Feynman lectures, high-school internships, LEGOS, NASA scientists demonstrating the social aspect of science, and a childhood sticker book packed with astronomical objects and spacecrafts; they have gone on to become materials scientists, professors, program directors, graduate students, industry leaders, laser-system project leaders, electrical engineers, research scientists, experimental physicists, and design engineers.
Together they represent such organizations as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Institute of Experimental Physics at the University of Warsaw, PARITII, the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Ball Aerospace, Jenoptik as well as an impressive group of international universities.
Packed with inspiring voices and visions – “A career in STEM is a beautiful journey that allows you to look at our world with the understanding and conviction that your decisions are based on knowledge” – the SPIE Women in Optics Planner also includes handy-dandy reminders for the most important days of the STEM calendar: Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (24 February), International Women’s Day (8 March), International Day of Light (16 May) and International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February) International Women in Engineering Day (23 June).
Download or request your copy now, and spend your year with women who are transforming our world.
Meet the participants
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"In times that you find yourself discouraged or self-doubting, allow yourself to feel the way you do but don’t let that prevent you from trying and doing it anyway. Mistakes and occasional setbacks don’t define you; the way you recover and handle them does. A STEM career might seem challenging, but it will also show you how capable, strong, and smart you are." – SPIE Early Career Professional Member Shaimaa Azzam |
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"Irrespective of the career you pursue, develop a habit of recording new things you do or learn every day, in your own handwriting. These are your actual achievements! After a year, you will see your growth, and nothing is more rewarding than to compare yourself to a year ago. Eventually, this forms a backbone to make achievable and ambitious plans for the coming years." – SPIE Student Member Afshan Begum |
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"To young women considering a career in STEM, I would say: find out what makes you happy and go for it! Don’t take your critical inner voice too seriously. And also: think about what you need to make yourself thrive. Be clear about your needs to your loved ones, your supervisors at work, and anyone else who can help you meet them." – SPIE Member Nienke Bosschaart |
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"We need your creativity, fresh ideas, work ethics, and perspectives. But don’t go it alone; there is strength in numbers, and speed through mentoring. Give back more than you take. Most importantly, leave the ladder down." – SPIE Member Carolyn Cross |
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"To all the women interested in science, I would like to encourage you to be curious and never stop dreaming because you can realize anything you can dream of. In the end, science has always been made of dreams." – SPIE Early Career Professional Member Thalía Dominguez Bucío |
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"If something excites you, even if it’s tangential to what you think you want to do or completely unrelated, lean into that. There is so much more to STEM fields than we can even imagine, so if it interests you, I say go for it—you never know what could come of any opportunity." – SPIE Early Career Professional Member Olivia Fehlberg |
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"Don’t be afraid of having a sense of entitlement about what you can accomplish, and what pay and recognition you deserve for a job well done. But at the same time, demonstrate knowledge and appreciation for all the opportunities and resources you have, and for the people you work with. This way you can have a career that you are in control of, but with openness and gratitude for the systems and people who supported you on your journey." – Tara Fortier |
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"Ask questions at every opportunity and look for inspiration in the most unlikely places. You’re a dreamer, you’re an inventor, you’re a scientist – these have no gender." – SPIE Student Member Alice Iles |
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"I would tell young women interested in pursuing a career in STEM to reach out to anyone and everyone for advice whenever you need it. Knowing what you don’t know is the biggest, but most easily survivable battle." – SPIE Early Career Professional Member Cvic Innocent |
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"Careers in STEM are full of fun because technology is changing very fast. If you are a person who loves to learn new things, you will not regret it. However, another important thing I should mention is trying to unite people who have same passion. Scientific experiments are not easy and many times it means failure. Passion will be the only thing that makes you carry on. If you are a person who loves taking risks to find the next new thing, make sure that your team loves it too." – SPIE Member Atcha Kopwitthaya |
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"My advice to women interested in STEM is to exercise your creativity and stay curious... Creativity is like a muscle; it really does get stronger with use... Constantly learning new things and challenging your assumptions primes your mind for thinking in news ways, and that can really help technical thinking." – SPIE Senior Member Makenzie Lystrup |
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"So, I would tell young women and girls interested in STEM to think bigger than you think is possible. Because the possibilities are more than we can imagine." – Sara Madaan |
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"My advice to young women who are considering a career in STEM is to be adventurous, to be bold, and to always cherish their curiosity. STEM careers have their own challenges. Be mindful of their presence and make sure to seek help when you are in need of it." – SPIE Student Member Nooshin M. Estakhri |
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"My advice to all girls and women considering a career in STEM is to join the professional bodies, like SPIE, at early stages and participate in their programs. It brings inspiration and opens doors to new opportunities." – SPIE Student Member Kiran Mujeeb |
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"So go for it—the independence you get from being a scientist is wonderful. You get to explore so many things. My driving force was my love of languages (including maths) and my desire to travel the world. Being a scientist enabled this more than any other job I can imagine, even working for an airline." – SPIE Member Sile Nic Chormaic |
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"I give the same advice to every young person, despite gender: do in life what you love, and if, despite the passion you put into it, the results are not good enough, do not give up. Give yourself the chance and time to find what you are meant to do." – SPIE Member Maria Oliva |
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"As a young researcher, I thought the success and failure of an endeavor was completely driven by the technical validity. Later on, I understood that this is not always the case. These experiences teach you that you should never give up: failures only make you stronger and more successful." – SPIE Senior Member Heidi Ottevaere |
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"A career in STEM is a beautiful journey that allows you to look at our world with the understanding and conviction that your decisions are based on knowledge. It gives you the power to construct new things and be useful." – Barbara Pietka |
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"I would recommend young girls considering a career in STEM to find a community of people with common interests. Even if it is a small group of like-minded individuals, sharing a passion and ideas with others is extremely enriching and motivating, not to mention that it’s never too early to start networking!" – SPIE Fellow Jessica Ramella-Roman |
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"Often, you may find opportunities that you think you can't pursue, but the truth is that you really can. It’s okay to feel uncomfortable and try things you’ve never done before, because you never know, it might turn out that you actually like it." – SPIE Early Career Professional Member Caterin Salas Redondo |
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"I would advise those considering a career in STEM to dig deep into the things that pique their curiosity. When you get into the weeds of any topic, you can always find questions that nobody has answered – and you could be the one to find those answers." – SPIE Student Member Maryann Tung |
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"It can be super frustrating dealing with people who treat you like you don’t belong in STEM because you are a woman, but don’t let them get you down. Just keep going and prove them wrong! I also highly recommend finding mentors, colleagues, and friends (both female and male) who you can talk with, go to for support, and who can help you navigate career questions." – SPIE Member Christina Willis |
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"Follow your intuition and curiosity when you do science. I found I enjoyed my research the most when my curiosity drove me. And enjoy the freedom of doing science. It’s also helpful to have a growth mindset and be open-minded, which helps you think out of the box and gradually change your stereotype of yourself, your work, your colleagues, etc." – SPIE Early Career Professional Member Fei Xia |
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"Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make mistakes. Don’t give up just because someone tells you STEM is difficult and demanding. Surround yourself with like-minded peers and supportive mentors and give back to your communities whenever you can.." – SPIE Early Career Professional Member Linhui Yu |
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