#WebbTelescopeWomen Elena Manjavacas

Elena Manjavacas, Astronomer at ESA and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)

What is your role in Webb?

I work on the preparation of the commissioning of the NIRSpec spectrograph onboard the James Webb Space Telescope. In addition, I will be using NIRSpec for characterising the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets.

Why are you excited about Webb?

Although we have an idea of the new ground-breaking science and discoveries that Webb will do, which are already very exciting, we cannot really predict some of the amazing discoveries to come in each and every field of astronomy. That really blows my mind!

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Being able to work in the commissioning of the EMIR instrument, installed at the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) telescope in La Palma, Spain. I love doing hands-on work with the newest instruments for astronomy. Since October 2020, I am also part of the team that will carry-out the commissioning of NIRSpec at Webb, so I’m really excited to see what NIRSpec can do. I think it’s going to be an incredible, breath-taking experience!

Did you have a mentor during your career, and if so, how did they inspire you?

I did not have a mentor during my career, but I find it particularly inspiring to see that over time there are more women in lead positions in astronomy, and that they are given the visibility they deserve. I thought: “if they can, I can do it too!”

What advice could you offer to young people thinking of pursuing a career in STEM?

Go for it! A career in STEM can be frustrating sometimes, but never give up, look for colleagues to solve challenging problems together, and don’t be afraid to ask questions, there are no stupid questions!

The 2021 International Women’s Day theme is “Choose to Challenge”. What are the biggest challenges you’ve fought to overcome in your career?

I was born in a small village in La Mancha (Spain), and I did not have many role models of female scientists nearby as a child and as a teenager. In addition, my parents, who unfortunately did not have the chance to go to university, were not very excited about the idea that their oldest daughter wanted to become a physicist/astronomer. For them it was a significant financial effort to send me to Madrid to attend classes at the university, with no guarantee that I would be able to support myself as a physicist/astronomer once I graduated. I’m glad that soon I learnt that there are many different jobs that a physicist and astronomer can do!

Once I finished my degree in physics, and I started doing research, during and after my PhD, the second biggest challenge has been continuing doing research in astronomy and continue following my dream. To stay in academia involves moving to a different part of the world every two/three years, leaving family and friends behind, with the extra challenge of making new friends in a new country, and in a new academic environment where women are not abundant.