Dr. Natalie Hinkel, astrophysicist
I look at stars that are near to our Sun (by "near" I mean ~500 lightyears) and try to understand the elements inside of those stars.
You see, when looking at the Periodic Table of Elements, only hydrogen and helium were made within the Big Bang. All of the other elements, such as carbon, oxygen, iron -- all of the basic building blocks that we see in our own bodies as well as the planet we live on, were made within stars. In other words, we are literally stardust. You can tell what kinds of elements and how much of them are in nearby stars by studying the light, or spectra, that we get from the stars -- this is called spectroscopy. Different stars have different kinds of elements within them depending on a number of factors, for example: where they were originally born, how big the stars are, or whether or not they have planets. I have put together the element measurements within ~4,000 stars near to our Sun in order to better understand the broad-scale element patterns within the stars and what those might mean.
What first got you interested in a STEM career and why?
As corny and clichéd as it sounds, because I feel that most astronomers and astrophysicists have a similar story, I was drawn to astrophysics the first time that I saw Saturn through a telescope - I was probably about 12yrs old at the time. I was visiting some family in Miami and my uncle had a small, 3-4" telescope that we set up in the street. My cousin thought that it looked like someone had put a sticker at the end of the telescope, because you could see Saturn and its rings so clearly. But I was just stunned that you could see so much detail in something that was so far away.
In high school, I was really geared towards math. However, when I first started college, I couldn't help but take an astronomy course, because I wanted to know what it was "really" like. I enjoyed the class a lot and continued to take more, which lead me to taking physics classes. I joined a research group my first year studying pulsars, which was both exciting (since those are super far away and kind of strange objects!) as well as a bit tedious (I had to learn how to program, reduce data, etc.). But, I really enjoyed researching a lot and exploring new ideas. In fact, the first paper I was ever on was about a phenomena that no one but me thought could exist! I even wrote it in my research notebook that everyone in the group thought that my tests weren't going to show any real result, because it didn't make any sense that it would. But I was right and we got a neat paper out of it all. Hah!
Have you had any great role models during your career?
Unfortunately, I haven't had a person who has been the quintessential "role model" for me. There have been a number of people that I've respected throughout my career, at different times and for different reasons. So, I would ask them for advice, which definitely helped me get through some rough periods. But I think it's rare to find someone who can understand or give you help about on all of the different issues that a person can go through in academia. And instead of waiting to find that one person, I would see a specific quality in someone that I admired and would ask them how I could attain that quality. I guess, in a way, my role model is an amalgamation of many people.
What's your favorite thing about your work?
My favorite thing about my work is that it's exactly what I want to do right now. I knew that I've always been interested in stars - how they form, the processes inside of them, the varieties. But I also like chemistry a lot. For this reason, I thought that I would like studying star formation. I did a summer internship at UCLA doing exactly that, but it turned out to be a bit different than I imagined. However, when I was in graduate school, I started looking at the elements inside of stars and I saw how much information you could learn, not only about the star itself but about its history, and I was fascinated. I realized that this was the topic that I was looking for, one that encompassed all of my passions. That became my dissertation project. Since then, I've worked in other fields, for example studying the orbital properties of planets outside of our solar system (or exoplanets). And while I enjoy planets a lot, I realize the part that interests me is the chemical-aspect -- what elements are inside of the planet and how does that affect the way the planet was formed. I keep coming back to this idea and my original project. I feel very happy that I've found a job that I love.
Do you have any advice for women who are interested in a STEM career? More generally, I'd say the best advice is to be persistent. If your classes are hard, put in the time and really try to understand the material. If your research is confusing, keep trying different methods and techniques - ask other people outside of the department if you have to. If you believe in your work, with no reservations, then ignore the critics (because there will be critics).
For women specifically, don't compare yourself to others - you are your own worst critic. Learn about imposter syndrome and realize that you deserve all of the good things that come to you. Celebrate the victories as much as you lament the defeats. Lean on your friends (as well as your advisors), because you aren't alone.
What's something awesome about you outside of your ground-breaking scientific discoveries?
Well, this is sort of about science. I have a podcast called "The Science Bar" where a geologist, two comedians, and myself talk about science news. We laugh a lot and have a good time. I've really enjoyed it over the last year: http://www.sciencebarpodcast.com/
(also on iTunes or any podcast rss feed). Also, I'm a rock climber.
You can also find more information about Dr. Hinkel's work on her website!
