Professor Teresa Peña was elected member of the European Physical Society (EPS) Executive Committee. “When I was told that I had been elected member of EPS Executive Committee I thought that the sunlight of that day fitted the good news”, recalls the professor at the Department of Physics (DF) and Department of Nuclear Sciences and Engineering (DECN). “Then I thought: Now what? I have to put my ideas into practice. How to convince the others of my ideas?”, recalls the professor.
“I had already been contacted internationally in order to submit an application, so before the election I was calm”, shares professor Teresa Peña. “It feels great to win. It shows that our ideas and our professional path are not invisible and touch some people”, says the professor.
“The European Physical Society (EPS) is a not for profit association whose purpose is to promote physics and physicists in Europe. Created in 1968, the EPS represents more than one hundred thousand European physicists”, highlights professor Teresa Peña.
Professor Teresa Peña stood out among 6 candidates due to her wide experience and active participation in academic life, namely in the Scientific Council, Senate, Course Coordination, Head of Departments. “Without this experience I would certainly be a different person. By electing me, EPS council is, in some way, “choosing” Técnico”, she says. Other Técnico professors were elected members of EPS Executive Committee in the past: professors Carlos Matos Ferreira and José Mariano Gago. “They both understood the importance of EPS as a platform for dissemination and affirmation of the intellectual and material value of Physics research”, stresses professor Teresa Peña.
On June 14, professor Teresa Peña will attend the meeting of the Executive Committee for the first time. “It is necessary to ensure a global impact on activities such as research, dissemination and training in the small member countries”, says the Técnico professor. “Another priority is to identify and attract talent of students and young scientists. They must be given innovative training, prizes and awards that gave them visibility and access to renowned laboratories”, she adds.
