Fabiola
Hernández
Interview by
Rafael de J. Castellano O.*
Venezuela
If you are naturally intrigued about the reasons behind
things, and understanding the language of the universe,
don’t think too much about it: you’re a born scientist
Fabiola’s fascination with the sky and her desire to know the reason
behind everything led her to science and to choose astronomy as
career. She is a young scientist and her aim is to achieve the optimum
development of her stellar population synthesis model.
When Fabiola was a child, she never thought of becoming an
astronomer. However, she always felt a strong inclination towards
science. She had a first encounter with physics as a career when
she was only a teenager and immediately realized she wanted to be
a physicist. She subsequently moved to another city to achieve her
goal: to write a thesis on astrophysics in order to obtain her physics
degree. From the moment she arrived at the “Francisco J. Duarte”
Research Center for Astronomy (CIDA), she knew she wanted to be
an astronomer. Now she is part of a team of scientists who study
astronomy every day from the north of South America for the rest of
the world.
*Rafael de J. Castellano is a CIDA-trained journalist. He was part of the editorial team for the collection of Astronomy
Leaflets for Kids “An Instant in the Universe”. He has contributed to various national and regional newspapers for the
past 20 years. Fabiola would like to thank Madeleine Rodríguez for improving the English.
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Dr. Fabiola Hernández and her husband Dr. Elvis Lacruz
At 31, Dr. Fabiola Carolina Hernández Pérez may be one of the youngest
astronomers in the country. She wants to stay in her country to do everything she
could do anywhere else in the world: be a top-flight astronomer. For Fabiola, new
opportunities are always turning up but the most important thing is to keep moving
forward.
What childhood experiences inspired your interest in science?
Perhaps the only experience I can remember as a child was listening to conversations
between my parents, who are doctors. These conversations caught my attention
because I wanted to know what they were saying. I wondered about the meaning of
the strange words they used.
When I was a child, I did not enjoying watching the sky because I was born in a
polluted, industrialized city where it is very difficult to see the stars: Maracaibo,
Zulia. This city is in a Venezuelan oil region. Due to the high pollution in the
atmosphere produced by the oil industry, looking at the sky is not part of the
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culture of the people in my city. However, I remember that my mother encouraged
my brothers and sisters and me to look at the eclipses. These are perhaps the only
observable astronomical phenomena in Maracaibo. In particular, I remember the
total solar eclipse that took place in 1998. I will never forget it and I was lucky to see
it. Sometimes we also tried to observe meteor showers, but that was difficult because
the stars were almost invisible. Despite this, during my childhood I never thought
about becoming an astronomer.
What were your favorite topics at school? What did you like doing in your
free time as a child?
My favorite subjects, especially at high school, were biology and physics. I liked to
research and read lots of books to get the main idea and draw my own conclusions. I
also had extra help from my mother and I always asked her questions about medicine
and anatomy. I also liked literature-I love reading.
In my free time, I used to play with my brothers and sisters or help them with their
homework. I also liked to draw using pencils, watercolors and crayons. My hobby
was to collect them in all possible colors.
Why did you choose a scientific career?
As soon as I learned that scientific degrees were available at my university I decided
to study physics. I realized that it satisfied my curiosity and allowed me to do research.
I went to the University of Zulia (LUZ) and shortly after that I attended a conference
at the Science Faculty at the University of Los Andes (ULA) in Mérida, Venezuela,
called “Fields, Relativity and Astrophysics,” and when I took the astrophysics course,
I loved it. Oddly enough, several years later the professor who gave that course
became my thesis supervisor. Dr. Gustavo Bruzual is a Venezuelan who is one of
the most important astronomers in the world. During this conference I visited the
National Astronomical Observatory (OAN) in Llano del Hato for the first time. That
was my first direct experience with astrophysics.
When I was in the middle of my physics degree, I took a course called thermodynamics
with Professor Dr. Néstor Sánchez, who was a member of the Astrophysics Laboratory
at LUZ. That is how I first ventured into astrophysics.
I began working with Professor Jeanette Stock, the daughter of Jürgen Stock, who
was the head of the telescope installation project in the OAN). Professor Jeanette
suggested that I should do an internship at CIDA. My internship supervisor was Dr.
César Briceño, who since then has given me, as well as all the researchers at the
institution, his full academic and professional support. Later on I did my thesis with
Dr. Bruzual and Professor Stock. I therefore began to focus my physics degree on the
area of extragalactic astronomy, particularly elliptical galaxies.
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After I finished my physics degree, I decide to start a PhD. In 2008, I began a master’s
in physics at the University of Los Andes in Mérida, Venezuela. Then I continued
my doctorate in physics at the same university, completing it in December 2013. I
obtained the highest grade and my doctoral dissertation was awarded honorable
mention and recommended for publication.
I have been lucky to work with one of the most important figures in the history of
astronomy, who, besides having several personal qualities, has provided me with
professional support, Dr. Gustavo Bruzual.
Did anyone in your family inspire you to study a scientific career?
I do not actually remember anyone in my family encouraging me to pursue a
scientific career. However, people in my family tend to be well educated. Since I was
a child, I was encouraged to read, and I was taught to appreciate art and music.
I think that in general, all these things encourage people to develop a taste for art
and science.
The fact that in my family, talk centered on scientific medical issues may have led
my brothers and sisters to consider scientific careers. I am the oldest of five siblings
and three of us have pursued scientific careers (physics, chemistry and biology).
One of my brothers is an engineer and my youngest sister is finishing her degree
in veterinary medicine.
Could you name one teacher who was crucial in your decision to continue
with science?
I studied at a very good high school and all my teachers contributed to my basic
education. I always liked to investigate. During my high school and college years, I
was an average student, I mean, I did not stand out, but I always tried to persevere.
In my physics degree, my favorite subjects were mechanics, classical mechanics
and fluid mechanics, which are important in astronomy. I also liked modern physics,
which explains the energy radiation process of the stars. Astrophysics caught
my attention because it is based on the fundamental laws and theories of physics
expressed through the wonderful language of mathematics.
Why do you consider that women are important to science?
I do not actually think that science specifically needs women. Science needs people
regardless of gender, nationality or ideology who really want to make important
contributions to science, to preserve science and understand why scientific
development is essential for humanity.
I know that throughout history, women have been excluded from important
positions not only in science but in all sectors of society. Today, such discrimination
still exists in certain countries although there have been many efforts to eradicate
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it. That is where I see the importance of women, who have long been excluded from
society, to begin to serve as a symbol of equality in science, in art, in literature and
in important sectors of society
Fortunately, in my country I have never felt discriminated against because of being
a woman and this has not prevented me from reaching my goals and achieving my
aspirations.
Have financial difficulties complicated your performance
during your career as a student or researcher?
Financial conditions affect people’s performance and I am no exception. My parents
are middle class and I live in a developing country. This last condition makes it
difficult for investments in scientific projects to compete with those of developed
countries. However, it is not impossible.
During my career, I have been awarded scholarships by government institutions,
and my PhD has been entirely financed by CIDA, which is also a government
institution. My professional education has therefore been almost entirely supported
by the Venezuelan government. It is not easy to obtain financial support from
institutions to attend important events related to astronomy that could contribute
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to your training, and working conditions are not optimal (as regards purchasing
equipment, materials and instruments), so it is important not to get discouraged
and and to continue working for science.
What has been the biggest obstacle you have faced in your career and how
did you overcome it?
The main obstacle was being separated from important people in my life: my
family and my husband.
When I decided study astronomy I had to leave
my parents, brother and sisters and friends in
my home town to study in another one. This
was one of the barriers I had to overcome.
When I got married, I had to leave my husband
for several years so we both could finish our
PhDs. The great support my husband and family
have given me has been key to coping with hard
times, and it also gave me the strength to accept
the consequences of the decisions I made.
What advice would you give to women to
overcome these barriers?
I would say to women in my position that they
must to be absolutely clear and certain of what
they want.
With a group of colleagues and students at
the National Observatory of Llano del Hato
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If you have a goal, you should strive to achieve it. Once you make a decision, never
look back. Go ahead with your plan and accept all the good and bad consequences
that these decisions entail.
You said you are married. Do you have any children?
Four years ago, I married a mathematician by the name of Elvis Lacruz, who is
also a researcher at the CIDA Scientific Department. We do not have children yet
but we would like to start a family in the near future. For four years, my husband
was doing his PhD in Spain, while I decided to stay in Venezuela to finish mine.
Those were difficult years; we used technology to keep in touch. The key for us
was trust, respect and mutual support. We only began living in the same place
recently so now we can seriously think about starting a family.
Do you think that to have a family limits scientific life?
No, or vice versa. In life, everything has its time and there is time for everything.
Although a scientific career requires a more than full work schedule and involves
commitment and dedication from the scientist, this should not stop you from
doing the other things you want to.
What is your advice to young women scientists who may be in the same
position as you?
My advice to them is to not limit their aspirations. They should fight for their goals
and, most importantly, not neglect other aspects of everyday life, such as family
life, friendships, and leisure activities.
What is the scientific achievement you are most proud of?
My greatest scientific achievement is my doctoral dissertation . I developed a
stellar population synthesis model that includes interacting binary systems. This
model is now used as a tool to predict the physical properties of stellar systems
from observed quantities.
To achieve our goal, we design a code to include binary stars. These stars, although
common, are very difficult to reproduce theoretically because their properties
may change over time due to the gravitational interaction of the stars that form the
system. Recently, stellar ingredients used to develop stellar population synthesis
models have advanced and it is now possible to introduce these types of stars.
This involves ongoing work; it must be updated to include the latest developments
that advancethese models.
There are very few models of binary stars and I am proud to be one of the few
people working in this area.
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What do you expect from your career in the coming years?
This is a long-term project. I expect that within a few years, I will be able to fill in
the gaps the model still has. For the time being, I have to work to make it easily
accessible for students interested in the properties of stellar systems who want to
know the contribution of binary systems to the prediction of these properties. In
addition, models must be constantly updated as the ingredients we use to achieve
them will improve, so this is a long term project I hope to continue working on in
the coming years.
What is a binary system?
A binary system consists of two gravitationally bonded stars revolving around the
system’s center of mass. Stars held together by gravitational force may experience
certain phenomena that make them very interesting. For example, if stars are close
enough, mass can be transferred from one to another, which changes the physical
properties of both stars. They can also merge and form a single star.
Do you like teaching?
Yes, I do. Being a teacher is a very noble profession and must be done with great
dedication because the future of the new generation depends on it. A child with a
poor education will be misguided throughout his or her life; it is important to be
very careful about teaching and to do it well and care about it.
I was an assistant professor for two years in the area of Physics I (introduction
to mechanics) at the University of Zulia. I was also a professor in physics and
mathematics at other universities and institutes. So far I have no astronomy
students, since I only finished my PhD a few months ago. However, I am organizing
the “An Introduction to Astrophysics” course, which I will also teach. I hope to have
students and supervise astronomy theses soon. I have several projects underway.
Tell us about your scientific department
The CIDA scientific department has nine researchers working in different areas
of astronomy. Dr. Carlos Abad and Dr. Katherine Vieira are working in the area
of astrometry, studying how stars move in the sky. Dr. Jesús Hernández and
Dr. Juan José Downes are working on star formation, protoplanetary disks and
brown dwarves. Dr. Elvis Lacruz is a specialist in astrodynamics; he studies the
orbital motion of celestial objects, especially artificial satellites. Dr. Guiliat Navas
examines the properties of minor bodies in the Solar System, Dr. Cecilia Mateu
studies the structure and dynamics of the Milky Way and Dr. Gladis Magris and
I work on extragalactic astronomy and stellar population synthesis models. We
also have a group of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students working on
different astronomy topics.
I have known many of my colleagues since I started in astronomy-some of them
were my teachers and other were fellow students. All of them have supported
me throughout my career and they still do so today. There is a very friendly
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atmosphere in the department.We all collaborate
and get along not only professionally, but also
personally, because after all, these are the people
you spend most of your time with.
What would your advice be to young women
who want to pursue a scientific career?
My advice to young women pursuing scientific
careers is not to be afraid. Science is a career
like any other, except that, in a general way, it is
a career where the motor is passion. If you feel
passion for nature, and want to know why things
happen and to understand the language of the
universe, you are a scientist.
I also would tell them not to overlook other important things in life such as human
qualities and humility, which are not taught in any book but without them a
thousand doctorates are worthless.
We must not limit ourselves to having a routine life. Imagine life as a puzzle with
many pieces, which we must learn to fit together to have a full, satisfying life.
M51: Interacting galaxies
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