Gabriela Avila-Bront’s passion for science started at a young age, when her scientist father introduced her to the wonders of the natural world. A visit to a museum on her fifth birthday, where she learned about Nobel Laureate Marie Curie, solidified her connection to science. Avila-Bront faced skepticism and challenges as a female pursuing a career in chemistry, but she remained determined to break barriers and encourage other women to do the same. She believes that embracing one’s strengths and weaknesses is key to succeeding in a male-dominated field like STEM.
As more women enter STEM fields, there is still a significant gender gap in professions like biology, chemistry, and physics. Despite this, Avila-Bront remains hopeful about the future of diversity in STEM. She sees potential for significant change in the next decade or so as more and more women excel in these fields. Avila-Bront acknowledges the lack of female representation in leadership positions and highly funded research institutions but remains optimistic that progress is being made towards greater acceptance of diversity in STEM.
