“In life, we’re all going to face some roadblocks at one point or another, in one form or another,” Andrea Ghez said. “Developing the ability to overcome obstacles is a really important skillset.&#…
What are the key components to snaring a Nobel Prize in physics? Be passionate. Be persistent. And make a few mistakes, said UCLA professor Andrea Ghez. “In science, you’re constantly making mistakes,” said Ghez, who on Tuesday, Oct.6, became only the fourth woman in history to receive the award in this field. “You’re constantly in a space that you don’t know what the right question is, never mind what the right answer is. So I think there’s a necessity to develop comfort with discomfort to be in this realm of basic research.” Ghez, speaking to media members via Zoom on Tuesday hours after she received word of the award, wanted to be the first woman to walk on the moon when she was younger. Now, she advises young women who are considering careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to pursue their passions and to be persistent. And don’t be afraid of tripping up over obstacles here and there. “In life, we’re all going to face some roadblocks at one point or another, in one form or another,” she said. “Developing the ability to overcome obstacles is a really important skillset.” Ghez shared half the prize with Reinhard Genzel, of UC Berkeley and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany, for their respective work leading to the discovery of a supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy.
