Fermilab, United States, and York University, Canada
When my daughter was in 7th grade, she had to participate in an in-class debate about whether Barbie dolls were having positive or negative influences on girls. When one student pointed out that the ‘Scientist Barbie’ was an example of a positive role model, my daughter cried out, ‘No she’s not – if Scientist Barbie was a chemist, she should be wearing gloves and safety goggles, and if she were a physicist, she should be wearing a hard hat and closed-toe shoes.’ Like my daughter, I grew up around physicists and I saw that they loved their jobs and got to make really cool detectors. I am excited to be able to use a completely new kind of detector now on DUNE, and I enjoy talking to the public about my job. I end up talking to folks about neutrinos in the strangest places: not only 350 feet underground at Fermilab, but also at bluegrass festivals, volleyball tournaments, and homeless shelters. I am trying to make sure that you don’t have to be the daughter of a scientist to know what we do and what we are learning about the universe.