Golrokh Akhgar is a Scientific Associate Investigator with FLEET and based at Monash University. She studies the magnetic properties of materials to work out they can store energy more efficiently.
Golrokh explains that she was always fascinated with mathematics growing up. “I chose this field because I enjoy solving problems and finding solutions using numbers.”
Golrokh too has witnessed bias in different forms: from the astonishment that a woman does physics to the often subtle and unconscious forms, even from researchers who support gender equity.
I have spoken to non-physicists that are surprised that I work as a physicist and they tell me that it is impressive that a woman is doing physics. My reply is, so if I was a guy it would not be impressive? I have questioned why this perception exists? It seems that people’s mindset toward women’s intelligence is different. There is something deeper that we need to address to fix this gender gap.
Institutions and universities in Australia and the UK where I have studied and worked talk about supporting women in these male dominated fields. This implies that women cannot do the work without their support. Giving men and women – or gender – an equal chance does not mean that you are supporting women more than men. Treating women equally is not an additional support. There is a subtle form of bias that I see even at the individual level and it is a mindset that will be passed to the next generation if we do not change it and break this bias.
Meet Golrokh (and some other FLEET researchers) and learn about her research and what she loves doing on a weekend.
Golrokh’s research
Golrokh did her PhD at LaTrobe University, Melbourne. She was awarded the Nancy Millis medal for best PhD thesis within Science at the University. Golrokh has worked with varied research groups at RMIT and Monash university and was a Research Fellow with FLEET before becoming a Scientific Associate Investigator.
Details of Golrokh’s research can be found here and here in a story about her presentation at the FLEET Annual Workshop
Check the four other FLEET women profiled for International Women’s Day
Maedehsadat Mousavi; Patjaree Aukarasereenont; Peggy Schoenherr; Meera Parish