women in the workplace

September 2022 Edition

Paytsar Muradyan, Atmospheric Scientist, EVS

The career path of Paytsar Muradyan, an atmospheric scientist in Argonne’s Environmental Science Division, makes a strong case for the power of self-agency, the psychological will to make changes that bring positive things into one’s life.

Originally from Armenia, Muradyan was working towards a master’s degree in physics when she fell in love and married a fellow physicist. In order for him to pursue his doctorate, they moved to West Lafayette, Indiana, where Muradyan was firmly convinced she’d be miserable until they could return to Armenia. She took the year off from her studies and spent her time learning English. An avid reader and book collector, she let good books lead the way.

“I’d read a few pages of one author and write down and memorize all the vocabulary words,” she said. “I quickly realized each author used a particular vocabulary set. I spent a fabulous eight months taking out library books, one author at a time, and that was a useful learning style for me.”

During that time, Muradyan read an incredible range of books. Garage sale romance novellas she could pick up for 10 cents so she didn’t feel bad scribbling notes on them. The complete works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who became her favorite author. The science journal Nature, which led her to the article – “The Hole Truth” – that changed her outlook, her field of study and, ultimately, her career.

“It was the first time I understood that we humans cause atmospheric ozone depletion and, as a result, the ultraviolet radiation ‘seeps through’ the ozone hole, causing significant health concerns and contributing to global warming,” she said. “As a young student in the era of no personal computers and internet at home in Armenia, I was unaware of our contribution to climate change. The knowledge opened my eyes to a whole sphere of science.”

With the encouragement of another young woman at Purdue University who was juggling her own PhD course load, the raising of two young children, and various volunteer positions, Muradyan decided to apply to Purdue’s earth and atmospheric science department.

“If she could do it, why not me?” Muradyan recalled thinking. “That woman was a real role model. Something changed in me.”

Muradyan began at Purdue as a visiting scientist and left with her doctorate. She also had a new love for scientific opportunity in the United States and a sense of empowerment.

“I began leading my life by the principle that if there is one person that can do it, then so can I,” she said. “If you are asked to make a cable for a project, never think there are other people with the job description of ‘making cables’ who will complete the job. Just jump in on the opportunity, ask to be taught, make the skill your own. You never know which skill in particular is going to be useful in your future.  You will never know unless you try.”

Most recently, Muradyan has been recognized for her work to establish a strong presence within the ARM program and for her field study work with the U.S. Air Force on prescribed burns as well as the Department of Energy’s wind forecast improvement program.

September 2022 Edition

Laura Fox, Natural Resource Specialist, EVS

Teamwork makes Laura Fox’s work-life balance achievable. As a data scientist and natural resource specialist in the Environmental Sciences division, she spends considerable time in the summer working in the field and she never goes alone for safety reasons.

“There always needs to be two of us in the field, in case you fall or get hurt or something improbable but dangerous happens,” explained Fox. “Collaborating – working as a team – is also the most efficient way to get work done.”

Of late, Fox’s field work focuses on observing pollinators at solar facilities and in adjacent soybean fields. This means she routinely finds herself between solar panels in a nearby Midwestern state rather than home with her young family. Teamwork becomes essential on the home front, too.

“I would not be able to work, especially travel for work, without help from family,” she said. Fox credits support from her husband, in-laws, and babysitters in the care of her two elementary school-aged children. “The pandemic has been nice in that both my husband and I primarily work from home. Eliminating our time spent commuting has been great.”

Fox was always interested and encouraged in pursuing a career in science, but she originally expected to study medicine. A trip to Belize during her undergraduate years at the University of Vermont to study sustainability resulted in visiting research centers and discovering the perk of working heavily outdoors. This led her to consider using her biology degree on the environmental side of things.

“I was really intrigued by what the scientists were doing and realized I wanted to work outside as much as possible,” said Fox.

Ironically, that love of field research interfered with a professional ambition she now wishes she had acted on earlier: obtaining a graduate degree.

“Straight out of school, I had the opportunity to do really cool work with the San Diego Zoo, observing mother cub interactions for a behavioral research study of polar, panda and other species of bears,” said Fox. “I never went back for a graduate degree. I think that makes obtaining leadership positions difficult and, if I was advising other women interested in careers in science, I would recommend going for your graduate degree right after your baccalaureate.”

In addition to cheering for her children in the many sports they play, Fox refuels her professional and personal energy with hiking, camping, and summertime trips to the beach. Another unexpected bonus of the pandemic was the time it created to regularly eat a family dinner together each night. She or her husband prepare a meal and they all sit down together by 6 pm as often as they can.

Together, with her teams at home and work, Fox finds the end results deeply rewarding.

“My favorite part is when projects come together and the results of good research are shareable to the scientific community,” she said.

September 2022 Edition

Wendy Di, Computational Mathematician, MCS

After China’s Cultural Revolution, Zichao “Wendy” Di’s father did not have the option of pursuing his dream of becoming a scientist, or even attending college. He did, however, have a daughter who surprised almost everyone with her prodigious abilities in math. He invested himself in encouraging her interest.

“He always told me stories of scientists, and the “true science” behind science fiction stories,” said Di, now a research scientist at Argonne who focuses on applied mathematical modeling and optimization algorithm development. “Despite others’ expectations that boys excel more than girls, he never made me feel that I was not supposed to be good in math or science. Being one of the very few girls who were good at math from a very young age improved my self-esteem, and it has felt very natural to work toward where I am today.”

Despite recognition from her father, teachers, and even peers, Di did struggle to overcome one seemingly mountainous barrier to becoming a respected mathematician: Shyness.

“In China, the emphasis was on passing tests, not on asking questions or expressing opinions,” she said. “It wasn’t until I came to Argonne that I learned from my mentor, Lois Curfman McInnes, the skill of speaking up and making my ideas known.”

This ability to voice one’s ideas was critical to becoming the professional scientist Di wanted to be – one who earned her colleague’s respect with independent thinking and ideas worth hearing.

To overcome this fear, she took the small steps of first expressing an idea or question to only one person. Then, she built the courage to do so in front of only a few people. Eventually, she made herself do so in seminars and colloquiums, where there were more public audiences.

“Eventually, it worked, and now I’m not afraid anymore,” she said. “My advice is never assume any question is ‘stupid’ or ‘silly.’ Just ask!”

Di is expecting her first baby – a girl – in September and she credits her energetic Siberian Husky with keeping her healthy and in shape during pregnancy. (“The dog needs lots of walks and my husband and I both really like ice cream!”) She named her dog after science fiction writer Ursula LeGuin’s fictional character, Shevek. Di has another creatively inspired name in mind for her daughter when she arrives. And, it seems one her father would appreciate.

“I’m going to name her ‘Max,’ even though it’s a boy’s name, because I work in optimization,” Di said with a laugh. “I do mathematical optimization and that means I’m working with maximums and minimums all day. The name seems like the right fit.”

Today, June 23, 2022, is International Women in Engineering Day! Take the time to celebrate the accomplishments of women engineers around the world. Learn more about the day on the Society of Women Engineer’s page.

Then, check out WIST’s latest Women@Argonne Spotlights, highlighting amazing women here at Argonne!

July 2022 Edition

Lei Cheng, Chemist, MSD

Growing up in China, Lei Cheng had hoped to travel and see the wide range of wonders throughout the country. By the time she was old enough to do it, she was an undergraduate chemistry major at Qingdao University. Money she might have spent traveling was earmarked for advancing her studies and pursuing professional dreams.

Cheng, today a chemist in Argonne’s materials science division and the focus area lead for JCESR, has been living and working in the United States for at least a dozen years. But, she still dreams of taking that trip.

“If I had a month to do whatever I wanted, I’d probably go to China to visit my family and travel,” she said. She spoke from a hotel room where she had quickly dialed in after a domestic flight and a rushed drive from the airport. When asked if she would take her two young daughters, ages two and six, along for the experience, she reflected that she’d probably go on her own.

“During family time, I really focus on quality and try not to think about work in order to reduce my stress,” said Cheng. “I take my responsibilities at this stage of their young lives very seriously, but it’s important that my daughters see that I have a life and that [women] can advance their professional careers at a lower intensity. We don’t give up.”

Cheng has always been drawn to chemistry, math and physics. They seemed “more real” to her than other subjects, and her curiosity and interest were encouraged and rewarded. Developing a career, she became involved in battery research at Argonne. The field has proven to be a satisfying way she can accomplish her personal goal: make meaningful, concrete contributions to society and improve how people live through the advances of chemistry.

“I am a research scientist developing materials for next generation batteries so I get to work with knowledgeable colleagues in a multidisciplinary team to advance technology,” she explained. “Collaborating and accomplishing big things is fun. I believe if you work on what interests you, you will persevere.”

Her advice to other women interested in pursuing careers in science and technology is to be open and proactive when interested in advancement.

“Too many times I hear people say, ‘I didn’t know she was interested,’” said Cheng. “Take the simple step of letting leadership know your career goals and ambitions.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheng has been unable for three years to travel internationally or see distant family. But, as restrictions lift, it’s likely Cheng will meet her goal sooner rather than later. She continues to try to work efficiently, set small goals, give each area of life its due, and know when to say no. With that approach, it’s easy to believe Cheng’s dream of exploring new parts of the world is just a matter of time.