"First and foremost, you need a lasting passion for your chosen field of research"

Dr.-Ing. Ramona Riedel is a research associate at the Chair of Biotechnology of Water Treatment  and conducts research in the field of industrial phosphonates, which are mainly used in the detergent industry to stabilise water hardness during the washing process. She is particularly interested in photochemical and biological degradation and the conditions these structures must fulfil in order to prevent them from accumulating in the environment and making them more biodegradable.

As a STEM ambassador, she has been providing advice and support to pupils, students and doctoral candidates in an official capacity since 2022. She has been passing on her enthusiasm for engineering and science for much longer, for example by not only supervising female students scientifically, but also providing holistic support from the first day in the laboratory to the last day of their thesis defence. She also offers support to schoolgirls in her home town. Since 2020, Dr Ramona Riedel has also been working on a voluntary basis as the deputy Local Equal Opportunities Officer for her faculty at BTU.

About her career
"I realised that I was passionate about science while I was doing an internship at a research institute in Berlin-Buch during my undergraduate studies," recalls Dr.-Ing. Growing up in Berlin, she followed her interest in chemistry, biology and Mathematics and initially studied Technical Environmental Protection at TU Berlin. She wrote her thesis at the Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI) in Montreal, Canada.
"My path was clearly mapped out. I wanted to become a scientist and I was already looking for a doctoral position in the final phase of my studies," she continues. "At the same time, I wanted to go abroad again and therefore applied specifically for doctoral positions for EU projects. My second application was a hit and I went to Italy for three years to do my doctorate at the University of Bari."
Dr.-Ing. Ramona Riedel has been working as a research assistant at BTU since 2010.

"After my doctoral studies, I was very lucky because I was able to transfer to BTU Cottbus without having to wait and familiarise myself with a chair that was new to me and in which BTU is now a world leader."

She explains her decision in favour of BTU with its excellent infrastructure, such as a very well-equipped laboratory for water analysis, with outstanding conditions for innovative research, the proximity to her native city of Berlin and the liveable city of Cottbus, which basically offers "everything a compact city needs."
The scientist is currently in the process of completing her habilitation, which had taken a back seat due to the birth of her two children and the coronavirus pandemic. "After coronavirus and, above all, through my work as a STEM ambassador, I decided to take the final qualification step," she emphasises.

She emphasises the following as essential to succeeding in research: "First and foremost, you need a lasting passion for your chosen field of research, which allows us scientists to continue our research tirelessly. And that is independent of gender. As a woman, you may sometimes need a little more consistency in your goals. Otherwise, the characteristics are the same - the urge to research is outstanding."
However, as a woman in particular, you need some "fortunate" framework conditions - from the possibility of secure financing for your studies without getting into debt, to the necessary and, in her case, existing acceptance and support from your family, especially if they have children and laboratory experiments also take place at weekends.

"I get support from my head of department, Prof. Marion Martienssen. She gives me a lot of freedom and flexibility to realise my projects. I receive further support through regular dialogue with Birgit Hendrischke, the Central Equal Opportunities Officer at BTU. She has shown me how important networks and mutual support from women for women are."

Dr Ramona Riedel has the following advice for girls and women who are interested in careers or study programmes in the natural sciences or the STEM field in general, but are still unsure:
"Take advantage of all the opportunities in the STEM field. There are so many support programmes and offers, for example via the "MINT vernetzt" website. And above all, don't be put off by the opinions of others. My maths teacher in Year 5, for example, was of the opinion that girls can't do maths. Fortunately, I didn't take it personally and am now an engineer. And don't be afraid to make mistakes, because they are necessary for us to develop. Stubbornly hold on to your dreams in science. Have the courage, it's worth it!"

For female scientists, she would like to see a rethink in society that takes greater account of and recognises the double burden of women as mothers and, above all, as single parents.
"For these women, I would like to see a legal framework that allows them to be scientists and mothers without a guilty conscience. Such a legal framework should definitely include the removal of time limits. Here, too, I would like to see the courage of those responsible. Have the courage, it's worth it!"