And remember obstacles are only there to overcome—never to stop us.
My first and foremost source of inspiration to work in engineering has undoubtedly been my father. He is a very resolute person who always manages to solve problems or repair things that have stopped working. This awakened my desire to learn more about electricity, mechanics, and engineering, and encouraged me to learn how to look for solutions and improvements to day-to-day problems.
My work consists mainly of two areas: on the one hand, I teach subjects related to photonics and electronics. On the other hand, I am involved in the research of novel fiber optic lasers and optical systems for the measurement of different parameters, such as temperature, strain, etc.
The biggest obstacles I have encountered in my work have been the lack of job stabilization and the insecurity within the research world. I have spent more than 10 years of my working life with different types of temporary contracts, which created a constant situation of uncertainty.
The main advice I would have liked to have received when I started my engineering studies was to ignore people who told me that I would not be able to achieve my goals.
Rosa Ana Perez-Herrera
Associate Professor, Universidad Pública de Navarra [Public University of Navarra]
Born in Spain / Resides in Spain
Educational Background: PhD in Telecommunication Engineering, Universidad Pública de Navarra [Public University of Navarra], Spain
