Abstract:

My years in ICFO were transformative, and I was extremely lucky to find myself there just at the perfect time. In this talk, I will discuss the evolution of my scientific and academic careers, going all the way back to when I was a PhD student at ICFO. I will examine the transitions from PhD student to postdoc, and from postdoc to tenure-track faculty, with special emphasis on the US academic path. I will present my personal views on the challenges and joys of being a new assistant professor; and on how crucial it is to find the right mentors to guide you along the way.

All interested may join this session. Participants will be asked to register upon entry. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Bio:

Ana joined Columbia University as an assistant professor of physics in 2019. Her research focus is on theoretical quantum optics and its intersection with quantum information and condensed matter physics. Before moving to NYC, she was a Marie Curie Fellow in the group of Darrick Chang at ICFO, and in the group of Jeff Kimble at Caltech. She graduated from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (and ICFO) in 2014, under the supervision of Javier Garcia de Abajo.