STEM ambassador wants to inspire enthusiasm for engineering and natural sciences

The BTU has now successfully completed the search for contact persons with a role model effect who are suitable for motivating more students for a career in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and for inspiring them to study. With Dr. Ramona Riedel (born Kuhn) from the Chair of Biotechnology in Water Treatment at Faculty 2, the interdisciplinary team of STEM ambassadors is complete. The project engineer is involved here together with Katharina Noatschk from Faculty 1 – Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and Pascal Fritzsche from Faculty 3 – Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Energy Systems. She can already point to a number of successful activities.

Her motivation: "As a graduate engineer with a doctorate and the intention to do a habilitation, I also see it as a bit of a duty to act as a role model for our younger fellow men and especially for girls, and to show what is possible in life if, above all, a woman believes in herself. In order to ignite passion in engineering as well as science in young people, I found the position of STEM ambassador ideal for me. This way, I can get in direct contact with pupils from primary schools as well as lower and upper secondary schools and explain and introduce them to the diversity of our faculty".

With her studies in Technical Environmental Protection at the TU Berlin and her doctorate within the framework of a large EU joint project at the University of Bari in Italy, the mother of two school-age children, who comes from Berlin and now lives in Lusatia, can draw on her own experience. Since 2020, Dr. Ramona Riedel has been working on a voluntary basis as the deputy decentralised equal opportunities officer of Faculty 2 at the BTU, and for some time now she has been involved in promoting female pupils and students in the STEM field. She not only supervises female students scientifically, but also accompanies them holistically from the first day in the lab to the last day of the defence of their thesis. She also provides support for female students in her home town. "I simply enjoy imparting my expertise to young people. And of course it is also nice to see that the young people are grateful for the help offered," she emphasises.

She is already well networked with the other two STEM ambassadors at the BTU. The joint approach, events and other appointments are coordinated with each other in the long term. Dr. Ramona Riedel's responsibilities include, for example, supporting the female doctoral students from Faculties 1, 2 and 3 and bringing them together within the framework of a seminar for female doctoral students that was set up especially for this purpose. The first seminar will take place at the beginning of September and then once a month for the next three years. Here, the female doctoral students can openly discuss important aspects of their doctorate and will also be able to draw on a large network in their later careers.
The STEM ambassador cooperates closely with the Central Student Advisory Office and Student Counselling, the Centre for Student Recruitment and Support - College, and the BTU's Equal Opportunities Office, which in turn provide her with support, as does the faculty. Among other things, she coordinates campus days and information events for prospective students within the faculty and is active in both Cottbus and Senftenberg.

Dr. Ramona Riedel's work as a MINT ambassador focuses in particular on cooperation with schools. For example, she is currently establishing a STEM club at the primary school in the Sielow district of Cottbus, which focuses on mathematics, technology, chemistry and biology. The aim is to get children interested in STEM subjects as early as possible. Secondary schools and anyone interested in STEM are also welcome to contact her and the entire team of STEM ambassadors at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg.

Contact
Dr.-Ing. Ramona Riedel
BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg
STEM Ambassador of Faculty 2
T +049 (0)355 69-4385
mint-botschafter(at)b-tu.de