Karen Hallberg, Argentine physicist who won the L'Oréal-Unesco prize: "Girls should be encouraged to ask questions"

Karen Hallberg It's an Argentine physics. He was born in Rosario but grew up in Jujuy. When she decided to study at the Balseiro Institute of Bariloche as a girl, her friends started to call her "L & # 39; atom". "This nickname has amused me," he admitted, talking with Infobae. "But it also meant that it was something special and that it would be nice if more young people could carry that nickname because they are dedicated to science," he added.

Yesterday, Hallberg was distinguished with four other scientists by the L'Oréal-Unesco International Prize of Latin America Region. "For women in science", a recognition whose goal is to value women who excel in this field and to draw attention to the low presence of women in this activity.

According to figures from Unesco, worldwide, only 29% of researchers are women and occupy only 10% of the positions of responsibility in the universities. More desperate is the number of women who received the Nobel Prize in a scientific field: 3%.

"Although more women are enrolling in university, relatively few of them are choosing a science career," they explain. "There are many barriers to these educational pathways, ranging from the stereotypes faced by girls to family responsibilities to the prejudices that women face when choosing their field of study."

Professor Karen Hallberg has been awarded the development of advanced computing approaches that allow scientists to understand the physics of quantum matter. His innovative and creative techniques make an important contribution to the understanding of nanoscopic systems and new materials.

"I study the quantum properties of condensed matter, in particular, I develop and apply computational methods for calculating the electronic and magnetic properties of materials and nanoscopic systems," he explained. "During my doctoral dissertation at the Balseiro Institute, I began to study one of the most interesting branches of physics, that of materials with interesting quantum properties, such as superconductors. . " Then, during my four-year postdoctoral stay in two high schools Max Planck, Germany, developed an advanced numerical method for the study of these systems, which I pursued here in Bariloche, improving it and by optimizing it ".

The physicist learned by phone that she had been distinguished with four other women: "I was at home to go to work and I could not believe it." It was a big surprise, well Sure, I was very happy personally. but it's also a recognition of my workgroup and my students. "Thanks to this prize, you will receive 100,000 euros and your achievements will be celebrated on 14 March 2019 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

"What I love most about my job is the ability to advance in knowledge, to discover unknown things and to understand what others are discovering, there is still so much to understand! As science progresses, it raises more questions than answers, which is fascinating ".

His interest in science goes back to his childhood. "I was always curious, child," he revealed. "When I was in fifth grade, we had a science club with friends, all girls! We had a lot of fun. Then, in high school, I liked mathematics and physics. But when I finished, I also liked genetics, in general I liked research and understanding of nature. Then I finally leaned towards physics. "

Of course, the support of the family and the school was fundamental for their interests to become career. "I think the impetus, for everything in life, not just in science, comes from the support of the family and the school. you must support and encourage girls to ask questions, to venture, to arm and to disarm objects. In high school, the number 1 national school in Jujuy, the director, Oscar Marin, has done a lot of work for us to have a university level education. He has always supported us and motivated us. "

This motivation that she received while she was a girl inculcated every day his job to his students and, in the personal field, to his family. She met her husband at the faculty, also physicist Ingo Allekotte. With him, he had two children: Kevin, a computer science graduate now working at Google in Switzerland, and Tania, who studied medicine at the University of Buenos Aires and is currently in residency in gynecology and obstetrics.

In Argentina, her profession poses obvious challenges, and being a woman is one of them. "The biggest challenge is to deal with the fluctuations of the scientific situation in our country, until it is defined as a state policy, it will probably continue as well. It's not easy to be a woman in physics, we are very few, let alone at the most advanced levels of the race. I hope that changes. But I am happy to see that Argentine science has a very good concept at the international level. "

"In our country, there is a gender balance when we consider all sciences, including the social sciences and humanities, but the extreme cases concern physics, computer science and mathematics, with less than 30% of students, much less as we progress. There is no reason why there is no balance between men and women in science, as long as there is none, it is a sign that there are still serious cultural obstacles to overcome in the world of science. It must change. "

And on how this change should take place, Hallberg does not hesitate for a moment: "Early stimulation is important for families and schools. Organize ingenuity workshops for girls and boys, including chess, games of ingenuity, interpretation of texts, discussions with justifications, critical and abstract thinking, and so on. The decoupling of thought, reasoning, mathematics (which, of course, leads us to it), but the reasoning goes well beyond mathematics, we must apply it throughout life. Having a solid scientific, mathematical, logic and computer science background in high school is fundamental to the pbading of time"