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1 July 2024

Ana Senos spotlighted to celebrate Women in Engineering Day

Ana Senos spotlighted to celebrate Women in Engineering Day

In the 1980-81 academic year, Universidade de Aveiro graduated its first Ceramic and Glass Engineering graduate, Ana Senos. She was not only the first woman, but the first person to complete this degree, at a time when the field was predominantly male. Since then, he has pursued a recognized career in teaching and research, leaving his mark on the Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering (DEMaC) over the last few decades.

Materials have always held a special fascination for the teacher, both for their functionality and aesthetics. "My childhood was spent in the vicinity of the emblematic Vista Alegre company sparked my interest in ceramics," she explained. Choosing the degree at the newly created UAveiro made it possible to "combine the continuity of my higher education studies with my personal life".

Studying a new and specific course, such as Ceramic and Glass Engineering, brought with it concerns about employability, especially for women. "In the 1970s, the vast majority of ceramics companies didn't have senior technical staff and the big challenge was to change this paradigm by bringing highly specialized engineers into the job market who would be able to promote production quality and innovation in companies in the sector," she recalls. "In fact, time has shown that the excellent academic training of Ceramics and Glass Engineering graduates and their high professional commitment were very important for the modernization and competitiveness of Portuguese ceramics companies, in a context that resulted in the total employability of our graduates and which continues to this day."

Although she doesn't remember experiencing prejudice or discrimination during her studies, she admits that she has experienced prejudiced situations throughout her professional life: "But they haven't marked me in any way, because I've never been intimidated by them," she says with determination.

During her career, she has been involved in various research projects, mainly in microstructural development and advanced processing of ceramic and composite materials. Her dedication to research in partnership with industry stands out: "It's the one I've pursued most since the beginning of my career," she stressed. "In this way, companies and institutions have been gradually getting closer, with a very positive contribution from companies in training students, and from universities in transferring knowledge to companies, fostering their innovation and competitiveness."

Looking back, she feels proud of the generations of students she helped to train. "I'm always delighted to follow their journeys and recognized successes," she says. One memorable episode was when, during a visit to a ceramics company, several of her former students came to greet her effusively. "One of the students accompanying me said: 'Professor, you must be very proud to have taught all these men and to have been received so well!'"

For the future of Materials and Ceramics Engineering, Professor Ana envisions a field that is constantly evolving, requiring increasingly intelligent and sustainable materials. "We will always need materials that improve the quality of life and solve global challenges in terms of health, energy and the environment," she says. She therefore has high hopes for the new generations of engineers, equipped with solid scientific and technological knowledge, as well as strong interdisciplinary skills. "It is therefore in the future engineers that I place the highest hopes for the evolution of Materials Engineering," she adds.

Finally, to young women considering a career in engineering, she offers some valuable advice: "A career in engineering is made up of a lot of effort and resilience, but also a lot of fulfillment. Embrace your profession with all the enthusiasm and commitment it deserves, but never give up on being 'wives, daughters, mothers and friends'".

Professor Ana Senos' career is a testimony to her perseverance and passion for knowledge, serving as an inspiration to many generations of engineers. She left an extensive legacy at DEMaC and is therefore celebrated on this day that highlights the achievements and contributions of women engineers around the world, promoting gender equality in the field of engineering.

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