10 Questions: Sonia Duffau

An inside look at unique careers in STEM

In each installment of our "10 Questions" blog series, readers will meet a staff member from AUI or one of its managed facilities, gaining insight into their career journey, what their role involves and what makes their work meaningful.

1. What is your role and what facility do you work at?

I am the outreach officer for AUI and the U.S. National Science Foundation's National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Chile. I am the head of the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) division, and I work at the Santiago offices. My responsibilities include coordinating with ALMA Observatory's EPO team to highlight the importance of ALMA and give visibility in Chile to AUI and NRAO as international institutions associated with radio astronomy.

2. What drew you to this field and how did you get started?

Outreach has been one of my interests since the very beginning of my scientific career. I trained as a physicist and developed a scientific career as an astronomer for over a decade, but I was always drawn to connecting with people. In 2016, I began training as a public speaker, coach and corporate mentor, while finding a way to pursue outreach professionally, rather than only as a complement to my scientific career. My current position, which I started seven years ago, was my first formal professional assignment in outreach.

3. Can you describe a typical workday?

Typically, I have lots of emails to check (and to send) every day, mostly regarding coordination of activities, interaction with external providers and collaborative work. I produce and distribute materials for our mentorship program, PROVOCA (PROmoting scientific VOCAtions), train our mentors, and develop and lead sessions for our students. I work with our EPO coordinator to create new materials and activities for the community, and produce news announcements and press materials for the web and local press.

4. What do you enjoy most about your job and why?

I enjoy connecting with people through all of our activities and our mentorship program. I am happy when someone understands a new STEM concept, or unlocks a new skill, by working with us in a session or participating in one of our outreach activities. Making the learning experience more enjoyable for all and providing a way to solidify knowledge in a fun way is one of the more rewarding parts of my job.

5. What is your favorite part about working at this facility?

My favorite part is coming to work every day with a group of people who are amazing and so easy to work with.

6. What is something about your job that most people do not know?

Most people don't know that even though I am an astronomer and I work at an observatory, I do not work in shifts, and I no longer conduct scientific research directly.

7. What's a recent project you're excited about, and what impact do you hope it will have?

We have extended our mentorship program to include all students. In the beginning, our focus was on girls and women. We have just graduated our first co-ed cohort, and I can already see that the program is working just as well for all students as it did for girls.

8. What is the most memorable moment of your career thus far?

At AUI/NRAO, I think the most memorable moments have been being able to travel to the farthest places in our country to visit small rural schools and to see how happy kids have been to work with us through the activities we have been able to offer. Seeing how eager they are to learn from us and with us, and how much we learn from them and from the whole experience, has been rewarding.

9. What's one thing you're excited about in the coming year at work?

I am very excited to see the first full year of the PROVOCA program carried out completely as a co-ed experience, with co-ed student cohorts and co-ed mentors. I am also super excited to be hosting and organizing, for the first time as the AUI/NRAO EPO team, the International Asteroid Day celebrations.

10. What's the best career advice you've ever received?

The best advice I've ever received is: "let them reject you first." It means when you want to apply for a job, scholarship or internship - or just any opportunity that matters to you - but you are doubting whether you are the best candidate, apply anyway and see what happens, instead of refusing to apply just because of your own insecurities.