Despite the idealistic humanistic vision of equity between all individuals of the human population, societies and academic institutions still lack homogenous access to education, opportunities and chances. Thus, the educational system and subsequently workplaces are depleted of diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and ultimately and most importantly: mindsets.

I am a strong advocate for progressive change. Since change can only be implemented by action, I have developed and organized a new event series called "STEM fatale" at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) starting in 2019. The series aims to highlight successful women in STEM and provide an informal platform for ISTA’s women scientists to exchange experiences and how to overcome (not only) gender-related obstacles in career trajectories.

My enthusiasm in advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion has gained further notice by national media and international events. I have been invited as panelist to several Austrian Embassies on the topic of ‘Women and Girls in Science’ and I regularly serve as a woman scientist role model in schools, during public science events, in workshops hosted by the Vienna Business Agency, and in ‘Zoom a Scientist’ sessions organized by ISTA. Altogether, these invitations and activities underline how relevant and essential the proactive representation of women scientist is to contribute to a societal change towards a more equitable future for young children.

Personally, I am highly supportive to every individual independent of status, gender, ethnicity or origin. I am very much in favor of the humanistic approach believing in the progress of science and equality. A nurturing environment is key to perpetuate those values and make them accessible to everyone. Therefore I have been a supervisor and mentor for several students, particularly trainees from a minority background. By communicating to my students that I believe and trust in their lab and learning skills, their capabilities in asking scientific questions and subsequently forming independent research ideas, I experienced that their confidence in themselves has constantly grown and ultimately encouraged them to make remarkable progress in their scientific careers. I am personally very proud to have seen them thrive under my guidance and leadership, which empowered them to fully explore and display all of their talents.