With constancy of purpose and self-confidence, you will be able to achieve all your goals. Also, it is very important to choose a nice and stimulating work environment and to create a good network of colleagues.
As a child, I wanted to become a teacher. I liked learning new things and explaining them using the blackboard, and at the same time I was waking my interest in science, especially for physical phenomena. During secondary school, I decided that I wanted to study physics. Since then, I have enjoyed the continuous learning and experiences this decision has offered me.
I am a professor in the physics department of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and my responsibilities are divided into three major activities: research, teaching, and management. I lead a research group working mainly on the study of the interaction between light and matter. We investigate in the fields of photonics and atomtronics, the design of efficient devices for light and atoms in quantum simulations, i.e., the use of controllable quantum systems to mimic condensed matter systems and engineer new ones.
I also teach in the physics and nanoscience and nanotechnology undergraduate programs and in two masters programs (photonics, and quantum science and technology), and I had management positions as coordinator of studies and as deputy dean. In addition, I am involved in outreach activities. I really enjoy the close contact with young students at different levels: primary and secondary school students in outreach activities, undergraduate and master’s students in my teaching, and PhD students doing research.
A scientific career is full of challenges, and this is what makes it so attractive and stimulating. The job is really demanding but, at the same time, very rewarding and addictive. Overcoming all these challenges allows for growth at both professional and personal levels.
I wish someone had advised me to trust in new and ground-breaking ideas, not to be afraid to carry out decisions, and not to be afraid of saying something wrong. Science requires of a lot of trial and error; it is a learning process in which all ideas are welcome and essential to making progress.
Verònica Ahufinger
Associate Professor, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Physics Department
Born in Spain / Resides in Spain
Educational Background: BS in Physics, PhD in Physics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
