Sandra NiemeyerWomen in Science: Dr Jennifer D’Souza
diesen Beitrag auf Deutsch lesenThe blog series “Women in Science” introduces women from TIB who share insights into their careers and personal experiences in science. Dr Jennifer D’Souza studied Natural Language Processing at the University of Texas at Dallas, USA, and is now an AI/NLP research group lead at TIB.
At TIB, she leads the “NLP for Scientific Information” research group within the Open Research Knowledge Graph (ORKG), a platform dedicated to making scientific knowledge more structured, machine-actionable, and accessible. Her group’s research explores how language models and other AI techniques can support scientific knowledge organization, while also investigating the evaluation and limitations of generative AI systems.
In this interview, she shares what she finds most rewarding about a career in science, the lessons she has learned along the way, and her hopes for the next generation of women scientists.
What fascinates you about working in science?
Three aspects come to mind. First, science provides a systematic way to study questions and understand the world around us. It offers well-defined methods for engaging with complex problems and the vast amount of information that is constantly being produced.
Dr Jennifer D‘Souza // Photo: TIB/C. BierwagenThis is closely connected to my own work on processing and organizing scientific knowledge.
Second, I enjoy collaborating with like-minded people to build new systems and ideas together. Many scientific advances emerge through teamwork and the exchange of perspectives.
Third, I value the opportunity to teach and communicate scientific ideas to the next generation. Sharing knowledge and helping others develop their own scientific thinking is a particularly rewarding aspect of academic work.
As a woman in science, what would you have liked to have known earlier?
The importance of building a research network. While the value people place on networking varies, many of the most interesting projects I have worked on originated through conversations with others – whether at workshops, conferences, research projects, or informal discussions.
Over time, I came to appreciate how valuable it is to engage with the broader scientific community, meet people working on related problems, and exchange ideas. Simply attending workshops and events in areas that interest you can open unexpected opportunities for collaboration and learning.
What advice would you give to girls and young women who are considering a career in science?
Women often tend to second-guess themselves more than they should. I agree with many others who have highlighted the importance of confidence. Women should trust in their abilities and recognize that they belong in science just as much as anyone else.
I would also encourage young women to share their ideas openly, engage in discussions, and not hesitate to create opportunities for themselves when they do not already exist. Science benefits from diverse perspectives, and we need more women contributing their voices to important scientific conversations.
A wish for the future of women and girls in science …
I would love to see a future in which women entering science no longer feel like they are exceptions in the room. In particular, I hope to see much more balanced representation in engineering and technology-related disciplines, starting in our classrooms. At the same time, I do not see this as a separate issue. Science is strongest when it reflects the diversity of society as a whole and when talented people from different backgrounds feel welcome to contribute. One thing I particularly appreciate is that we are already beginning to see this in many research environments, including at TIB, where diverse teams and perspectives are increasingly part of everyday scientific work. I look forward to a future where such diversity is simply the norm.
Women in science – a blog series
The blog series “Women in Science” 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.
