Dr Maria Ribera Vicent

Strategic Teaching Fellow and Aeronautics Athena SWAN Champion, Department of Aeronautics

"The best advice I can give women starting out in my field is to not be afraid to follow their dreams and ambitions. An astronaut? Formula 1 engineer? Space flight controller? Aerodynamicist? There are no places barred for women, we all start as students, and while women still have to work harder and achieve more to receive recognition than men, everything is possible, the only barrier is not trying. I am inspired every time I see a woman heading a team at NASA or ESA, or being recognised as the world expert in her field. 

"If I could go back and advise my younger self, I would tell her to trust herself, that her intuition is often correct, to stop doubting herself and her abilities at every step. Impostor syndrome is very hard to shake off, but the sooner you learn to manage it the more you will enjoy your career."