I also often get to engage in long discussions with colleagues as we try to understand the effects we observe in our experiments. This is particularly important to me as I think conversation can really help shape diffuse thoughts into more concrete ideas.

Let us introduce you to Clara Saak, one of our REWIRE Fellows at the Faculty of Chemistry. Clara started her fellowship at the University of Vienna in June 2021 and has since worked on her research project Heterogeneous Photochemistry at Atmospheric Aqueous Surfaces. Read about her project and one of her most important lessons learned as a post doc.

Describe your research in one sentence.

Clara: I would like to understand how light induced chemical processes affect the surface composition of atmospheric aerosols and the trickle-down effect this has on cloud formation.

Tell us about a normal day in the life of a postdoc.

Clara: My workday usually starts by making a third cup of coffee - in my case a well caffeinated brain really is a happy brain. I then get started on my to-do list for the day and try to prioritise how much time I will spend in the lab and the office. I often spend a significant portion of the day in the laser lab, preparing for experiments, or doing literature research and working up data. I also often get to engage in long discussions with colleagues as we try to understand the effects we observe in our experiments. This is particularly important to me as I think conversation can really help shape diffuse thoughts into more concrete ideas.
Of course, no two days are really ever the same, especially when I am running a measurement series I am mostly in the lab all day and there are other times when I am busy with teaching tasks all day. However, exactly this – engaging with such a wide variety of activities – is a big part of what I enjoy about working at a university.

How will society benefit from your research?

Clara: In short: My research aims to provide a more detailed understanding of the role aerosols play in our atmosphere, which will hopefully contribute to a better fundamental understanding of the global climate and the processes that shape it.
The longer answer is that accurate climate models are essential in order to design climate change policy, as well as model the changes that will occur in our environment. A central part of these models is understanding the radiative forcing of different atmospheric components, in particular those from anthropogenic sources. Greenhouse gases such as CO2 have a pronounced warming effect, whereas aerosols have a net cooling effect mainly due to their ability to seed cloud formation. In order to understand how efficient these tiny particles are at nucleating cloud condensation one needs to accurately understand their hygroscopicity, i.e. how easily they take up water over time. This property strongly depends on the composition of the aerosol surface, which can vary depending not only on the environment the aerosol droplet is in but also on the degree of particle ageing. It is these factors and their impact that we are trying to understand more deeply.

What does REWIRE mean to you?

Clara: I see the REWIRE Programme as an opportunity to pursue and guide a research project more independently. I am also very appreciative of the support structure that I get to enjoy both on a scientific level – through my mentor at the Institute – but also in terms of the training and career planning organised through our project team.
I think that the programme not only allows me to develop as a researcher but has also helped me to feel more prepared when I look towards planning the next steps in my career path.
Another aspect of the REWIRE project which I benefit from is the network of women that it has formed and the advice and support that we can provide to each other at this career stage.

Who is your personal heroine?

Clara: I honestly do not have a singular heroine. I think I have always found it uncomfortable to try and shape myself or my career path after another person. I do however draw inspiration from many people in my life. I admire how they commit fully to what they find meaningful in life, how they give of themselves freely to the causes that speak to them and to the people around them.

The most important lesson learned so far that you want to share with other future (female) early post docs:

Clara: I think the most important lesson I have learned is how important it is to know yourself and what you want. I think we often get confronted with anxieties or expectations that are not our own and it can be difficult to not let that stir you into any direction. So, the best advice I can give is to get to know yourself and to trust in yourself. To trust that you are capable and worthy and that you will find your own way.

Quickfire Questions

Keyboard or Pen?

Pen, always

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?

Neither

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl

Find more information on Clara's research here.