Women in Science: Dr Esther Tobschall
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The blog series âWomen in Scienceâ introduces women from the TIB who give insights into their careers and personal experiences in science. Dr Esther Tobschall studied chemistry at the University of Hannover and conducted research for her PhD thesis on NMR, impedance and infrared spectroscopy of nanocrystalline and glassy lithium metaborate (LiBOâ) as part of a solid-state physics project. Today, she is the subject specialist for physics at the TIB, where she is primarily responsible for providing information to physicists. In this interview, she talks about the encouragement to ask questions, her own self-image and the joy of research.
Dr Esther Tobschall // Photo: TIB/C. Bierwagen
What fascinates you about working in science?
What particularly appealed to me about academic work was that I was able to immerse myself in a subject in all its aspects and explore it in depth. When I was working on my PhD thesis on nanocrystalline substances, research on nanocrystals was a relatively new field, and we were able to experiment with which measurement methods were best suited for understanding and characterising the nature and properties of these substances.
I especially enjoyed evaluating and comparing the results from different measurement methods, which is why my colleagues then built me a universal spectrometer as a graduation gift (today, astronomers would call it multi-messenger approach.)
It was also during this time that I discovered my interest in profound literature reviews, researching and evaluating relevant papers, and synthesising the findings. That is why, quite early on during my PhD, I envisaged a career path as subject librarian.
As a woman in science, what would you have liked to have known earlier?
I would have needed more encouragement: the encouragement to realise that I am allowed to ask questions not only regarding the material or literature I am studying, but also to experienced researchers. At the time, I saw my reticence more as a personality trait and did not attribute it to role models. Today, however, I would say that the greater self-confidence of my predominantly male colleagues came from the fact that men have, for generations, naturally had a place in the academic world and communication generally took place amongst men, whilst we few young women in physical chemistry were, in a way, still seen as somewhat exotic. I must emphasise that there was no obvious or covert discrimination; the factor was simply that it was a given.
This assumption is still enshrined today in the German rules for subject heading cataloguing (RSWK): I get frustrated every time I have to assign the subject heading âPhysikerâ (meaning the masculine form of physicist) to works about male and female physicists. The subject heading âPhysikerinâ (standing for âfemale physicistâ), on the other hand, is reserved for works that deal explicitly with women in physics, according to the rules. By the way: What about works that deal exclusively with men in physics? Whenever it is reasonably justifiable, I naturally assign both terms!
What advice would you give to girls and young women who are considering a career in science?
It is your inherent right to be part of the scientific community. Never question that, even in difficult circumstances. I am delighted that there are now infinitely more female professors in physics than there were during my active research career, and that they are setting an example through their work and as a role model. You are only truly good at what brings you joy, and if scientific work inspires you, you will â despite any potential adversity â excel and succeed in it. Follow your passion!
A wish for the future of women and girls in science âŠ
I was the first pregnant researcher at our institute; I submitted my doctoral thesis shortly before the birth of our daughter and defended it a few months later. So, I hope that, in future, for female researchers, motherhood will not be associated with so much extra effort and the need for such strong assertiveness as is apparently still the case in academia today, and which can thus become a career killer. It is interesting to note that male researchers in senior positions are often fathers too, whereas, according to my observations, motherhood is still less common among female researchers. The fact that balancing work and family life is still far too often seen as a womenâs issue rather than a parentsâ issue is certainly a general societal problem, but our publicly funded academic structure in particular has the potential to shift the focus here from an âeither-orâ to a âboth-andâ. As I stated when I was asked about my daughter and my responsibilities as a mother in the course of a job interview: âThe child has a father too!â
Women in science â a blog series
The blog series âWomen in Scienceâ introduces women at TIB who provide insights into their scientific careers, role models and experiences from their everyday working lives. They all share their perspectives and wishes for the future of science and encourage other women to take their place with confidence.
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