FACULTY OF

PROCESS- AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Dr. Grundel studied Mathematics in Karlsruhe and Zurich and did her doctorate in New York. Today she works at the MPI Magdeburg and deals with the complex mathematics of electricity and gas networks. Motto: Never underestimate the power of a network

Career

Even at school I was very enthusiastic about Mathematics - in addition to Physics and Medicine. Since there is already a physicist in the family and I wasn’t too enthusiastic about being a general practitioner, I decided on Mathematics.

In my work today, I am trying to make electricity and gas networks with greater complexity calculable and simulatable. In a world of decentralized power generation and use, see wind energy and electric cars, it is essential to understand and control the networks as well as possible.

Motivation

I've always been interested in Mathematics. I like to convert socially relevant questions into mathematical problems and then solve them. I love to get lost in such problems for days, both alone and in discussion with colleagues.

Requirements

The profession of a scientist in itself is very diverse and therefore open to many different young women. It is important to identify very much with your respective subject area. In order to make a career today, in addition to an academic interest, a high level of self-confidence is essential, which you should either bring with you or acquire. For the Mathematician's profession in particular, a natural ability to solve problems in logical structures is indispensable.

Advice

What has helped me most personally is networks that help you come into contact with other women in science who have similar goals. Coachings with other scientists can also help a lot; in my opinion, a content-related focus on presentation techniques, for example, is a good choice here. It is important to get help, even if you have difficulty accepting this help or if you don't think you need it. Opportunities that help you personally should be taken advantage of. In order to create a more diverse world of work in science, a lot has to change in people's minds, and that already starts in childhood. We have to actively counteract traditional role models in order to better solve the problems of our time through diverse teams.

Challenges

The biggest challenge for me was dealing with traditional role models. The fact that women can also work and be scientists was never in question for me, it was more about the smaller things. An example is that for a long time I had the feeling that it was my responsibility to keep the house tidy. Here in the eastern part of Germany these prejudices are certainly less prevalent than in the western part or particularly the US, but it still took a very conscious examination of the subject to recognize that there are two adult people living in my household who can take care of tasks like that. It is precisely because of this personal experience that I am of the opinion that stereotypes must be further reduced.