“I didn’t know I was going to be a Civil Mechanical Engineer”, says Elizabeth Cortés, our Mechanical Engineer, while checking machines and antennas at OSF and AOS. Once graduated, she worked in engineering consulting firms, in industries such as metallurgy and mining, until she arrived at our observatory last July 7, to take over as the first female engineer of the IMG group.
“Elizabeth has integrated very well. Her personality and professional experience have been a complement that fit very well with the dynamics of the group, which has made this an almost natural integration”, says Rolando Olivos, our IMG Manager.
Her diagnosis of these first months at ALMA has been positive: “What has struck me most is that the basis and motivation is very scientific, and that makes the professionals here have a different vision and their conversations are different. I have not felt differences as in other places. My colleagues join me to the meetings, to the work and I feel that they treat me as an equal. The experience has been very good,” says Elizabeth.
However, she believes that there is still a way to go: “The issue of inclusive language is something we have to learn, but they are details, because the base is already solved,” she says. Elizabeth recalls unfortunate experiences in other jobs: “They used to say ‘boys, boys, boys’, and it happened to me that I got to the field and I didn’t have a bathroom. Of course, since there was never any talk of a girl in the maintenance area, nobody thought there should be a women’s restroom. That’s why I feel that language makes reality. By changing your language you are integrating diverse teams and you can think about other things”.
That’s why Elizabeth is available to make a difference. “We’re talking about details that are going to help make it a more diverse team, so I’m very happy to be able to collaborate,” she adds.
Her team is happy to add her. “The gender difference has not been a barrier that makes it difficult to interact with the rest of the team. She is like a sister within this family who is respected, loved and protected. I am sure that Elizabeth will be a great contribution, not only in IMG, but in the whole engineering area, both technically, humanly and socially. Welcome!”, concludes Rolando Olivos.
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