The amphitheater Abreu Faro hosted this Tuesday another seminar organized by the student club Women in Physics (WIP), this time with the presence of Zita Martins, professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering (DEQ), co-director of the MIT Portugal program and Consultant of Science, Innovation and Digital Transition of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic.

“How did life begin on Earth? Is there life elsewhere in the Solar System?” were some of the questions made by the astrobiologist during her presentation. The explanations about the routines outside the mission, with the collection of meteorites in Antarctica and the clarification of the objective in the search for organic molecules as a sign of life on other planets, were also some of the aspects addressed at this session.

After the presentation, there was time for an informal conversation. The students asked several questions about the presentation and professor Zita Martins career. The teacher admitted the importance of women in science, expressed her satisfaction to be part of Técnico and said that “it’s essential to see that there are female teachers in this school, because we are at an engineering school and… It’s essential to know that there are women doing research at the highest level and at an international level,” she said.

Professor Zita Martins assures that as a teacher her role is to do research and serve the students. Showing that there are also opportunities for hiring females at the market is also one of her goals when she participate in these events.