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The 11th of February is the United Nations International Day of Girls & Women in Science. On that occassion, we asked female scientists working within European Plasticisers to share with us what makes research on plasticisers so exciting! We hope to inspire young girls to follow in their footsteps and also make a great career in STEM! Go for it girls!

Karolina Stefanowska – Chemist, responsible for researching plasticisers and PVC formulations (POLAND)

When did you start to get interested in studying plasticisers?

Chemistry and chemicals build the modern world. They are my passion. As far as I can remember I have always been intrigued how things are made and what do you use to make them. As for plasticisers,… well from my teenage years I knew that there are those substances which make things I use everyday soft and flexible – then I called them specifically by their chemical nature – esters – at least this is what my chemical handbook said. Plasticising properties of these esters always intrigued me – they are like a vital ingredient in a dish – like adding butter to dumplings recipe to make them perfectly soft and flexible, and dumplings are Polish specialty. So when my company announced that a dedicated polymer and plasticiser laboratory is being set-up I simply knew that this is the place I want to be at.

What aspect of your job do you find the most exciting?

It is all about looking for new solutions, engaging in new projects, finding answers and being able to develop knowledge and professional expertise. I love this freedom and openminded thinking which is there while researching PVC formulations, different ratios of chemicals and arriving at desired or enhanced properties of products used in everyday life.

What advice would you give to a young girl who would like to embark on this career path?

Don’t let anyone tell you that something is not for you.

Dr. Angelika Langsch – Senior Specialist Regulatory Affairs/ Advocacy (GERMANY)

What aspect of your job do you find the most exciting?

Plasticisers are a very diverse subject. Often, they are perceived as one group of substances; however, they are very variable, both in their chemistry as well as in their (eco)toxicological properties. When assessing their safe and compliant use you have to take numerous aspects into account, such as (eco)toxicological database, international regulations, environment protection, animal welfare, sustainability, and you discuss with different stakeholders such as manufacturers, converters, customers, NGOs, competent authorities, and also the general public. All this makes my job diversified and interesting.

What advice would you give to a young girl who would like to embark on this career path?

If you are interested in what you are doing, you enjoy your job and complete your tasks with passion, you will succeed. Here we go, girls!

Joanna Pokora – Chemist & Manager of the Strategy Office (POLAND)

When did you start to get interested in studying plasticisers?

My adventure with the subject of plasticisers began 13 years ago. For the first time in my life, I saw a large factory that produces these fantastic substances. Standing face to face with huge reactors, hearing the whistle of steam, I felt excited, and I told myself: this is it! A dream for a chemist! Every day I looked around and saw these little particles – plasticisers. It turns out that they are … everywhere: walls, floor coverings, laminates, clothes, not to mention objects that are not always visible, such as cables.

What aspect of your job do you find the most exciting?

Working in chemistry is like life – you meet something new every day! This is also the case here. My job is to constantly search for new information about the properties of substances and their evaluation. The fact that I learn something new every day makes working in chemistry the best choice I could have made.

What advice would you give to a young girl who would like to embark on this career path?

Do not be afraid of challenges, they shape the intellect and give strength in pursuing the goal!

Dr. Christine Weiss – Marketing Manager; Dr. Janina Fischer – Technical Service Manager & Dr. Imke Schulz – Lab Manager (GERMANY)

When did you start to get interested in studying/working with plasticisers?

Hi, we are Imke, Janina and Christine! With our chemical background, we can provide full support at all levels to our customers when it comes to our plasticisers. Imke is working as a Lab Manager in our application technology and develops and tests new products. As a Technical Service Manager, Janina works closely with our customers to find the right plasticizer for their specific application. And as a Marketing Manager, Christine is responsible for our commercial plasticiser business and operational marketing.

What aspect of your job do you find the most exciting?

Working closely together with our customers & developing new plasticizers are the best parts of our job. Whether if it’s troubleshooting, daily challenges or special requests – providing support with state-of-the-art testing methods & specialised knowledge makes the difference in our industry.

What advice would you give to a young girl who would like to embark on this career path?

Be curious! We truly believe that science & especially chemistry is the key for today’s & future challenges. The chemical industry offers a great variety of jobs & development opportunities to improve life today & tomorrow. Go for it!

Ylenia Albano – PhD Student working on biomass as a source of furan-based plasticisers for soft PVC. She received a special mention for the essay she submitted to European Plasticisers’ call for papers last year.

When did you start to get interested in science?

I started to get interested in science when I first visited a scientific high school institute in Italy where I then decided to enroll and proceed with my career in chemistry.

What aspect of your job do you find the most exciting?

The most exciting part of my job is the feeling of contributing to scientific discoveries that will perhaps lead to future improvements of our society.

What advice would you give to a young girl interested in working in STEM?

During my scientific career so far, I have been lucky to work in a research group equally composed by women and men where my gender was never an obstacle to my ambitions. To young women in research I can advise to always trust and respect themselves in the first place and pretend the same respect from others. If this is not the case, I wish them to be brave enough to leave a ‘toxic’ working atmosphere for one where their gender will never be a limit to their dreams.