Role Model Spotlight: Dr. Alba Solsona
Dr. Alba Solsona
Acoustic Ecologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Alba is an acoustic ecologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her hobbies include climbing and surfing, but the list of passions that define her goes much further.
She grew up near Barcelona, Spain, where her life always revolved around nature. Being an acoustic ecologist seems only fitting. Her work consists of listening to sounds underwater to track whales and study the impact that sounds of human activities have on them.
One can learn a lot about marine mammals by listening to them; she says that discovering how they use communication to hunt, to detect prey and to navigate fascinates her. As a child, she wanted to be a cartoon artist and was definitely not interested in being behind a computer all day. However, her love for nature and documentaries led her to study biology in college.
Since then, she has learned how to program and write code, as well as more about physical and biological oceanography and climate science. She earned her Ph.D. in January 2019.
The hardest part about her job is constantly having to be on the go and search for funding. In seven years she has moved seven times! She recommends finding a job that you are passionate about so that even during difficult times you will be able to find your path, which is not always going to be straightforward.
Alba recently signed up to be a role model on FabFems and is looking forward to connecting with more students in San Diego county!
Listen to Alba’s interview with Patricia Fernandez at The Energy Coalition.
Are you looking for a STEM role model, or want to be one?
FabFems is an international database of women in STEM professions who are inspiring role models for young women. It was created by the National Girls Collaborative Project.
They aim to make role models more accessible to young women, girl-serving STEM programs, and other organizations that are working to increase career awareness and interest in STEM.
Sign up or browse here: www.fabfems.org
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