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Hjem For the first time: Women in all roles at a PhD defense in Marine Technology

For the first time: Women in all roles at a PhD defense in Marine Technology

“Women are still underrepresented both as researchers and PhD candidates in engineering fields and in the marine industries. Therefore, it’s a milestone to have a PhD defense where all roles are held by women,” says Erin Bachynski-Polić.

All-female panel at the PhD defense in marine technology. Julie Lundquist - Johns Hopkins University, Lene Eliassen - Equinor, Erin Bachynski-Polić - main supervisor NTNU, Irene Rivera-Arreba - PhD candidate, Charlotte Obhrai - Equinor and Marilena Greco - NTNU. Photo: Ole Martin Wold.

Denne artikkelen er også tilgjengelig på Norsk.

Written by Live OftedahlPublished:

She is a professor in marine structures at the Department of Marine Technology at NTNU, with an extensive portfolio of research on floating offshore wind. She has supervised PhD candidate Irene Rivera-Arreba, who will defend her dissertation against two female opponents this Friday.

Qualifications matter most

Erin Bachynski-Polić, professor at IMT NTNU and supervisor of several PhD candidates in offshore wind. Photo: Ole Martin Wold

“It’s the qualifications of the opponents that matter, not their gender. But it was particularly exciting to have two highly qualified women to evaluate Irene’s dissertation,” says Bachynski-Polić.

At the Department of Marine Technology, the percentage of female salaried PhD candidates is 27%. Across the Faculty of Engineering, the proportion is 35%, with 125 female and 235 male PhD candidates.

Rivera-Arreba’s dissertation investigates various wind models for floating offshore wind, including models for standalone turbines and turbines in larger wind farms.

Irene Rivera-Arreba during the defense of the thesis. Photo: Ole Martin Wold
Irene Rivera-Arreba during the defense of the thesis. Photo: Ole Martin Wold

“Research is crucial for improving wind turbine design, including making floating offshore wind more cost-effective,” says Rivera-Arreba.

Diversity – a health sign for workplaces

The Norwegian labor market is still highly gender-segregated. A lack of diversity can be a hindrance to development.

“We need good engineers and researchers of all genders in all industries. Diversity is essential to bring out different perspectives and solutions, especially within renewable energy and the green shift, which is essentially a new industrial revolution happening in this century. Various studies show that diverse workplaces lead to both better well-being and higher profitability,” concludes Bachynski-Polić.

Rivera-Arreba defended her dissertation at NTNU on Friday, August 9, 2024.