Interview 4

Miriam Eisenbart

fem_Eisenbart_2023.png

Miriam Eisenbart studied mechanical engineering at KIT before joining the fem Research Institute for Precious Metals and Metal Chemistry in Schwäbisch Gmünd as a research assistant. For the past 2.5 years, she has been coordinating the platform MaterialDigital project KupferDigital. Since May, she has been head of the newly founded department "Digitalisation and AI" at the fem.

What do you find most exciting about the MaterialDigital initiative?

Definitely the interdisciplinary work. I really like exchanging ideas with other disciplines and learning something new. Even if there can be misunderstandings, both sides can only benefit. We are witnessing the formation of a new community and the emergence of a new field; you could say that there is a real pioneering atmosphere.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for the initiative?

The biggest challenge is to bundle all the results that arise in the projects in order to develop common, future-proof standards. Where many ideas are advanced at the same time, there are often several solutions for similar issues. Our aim is to find a common denominator. We are already looking forward to tackling the upcoming challenges in a follow-up project!

What inspired you to pursue a career in science?

I think a career in science is just the best excuse to never stop learning.

What was your best experience as a researcher?

I was able to meet one of my absolute scientist idols in person and even found out that he had read my doctoral thesis.

What intrigues you about material sciences in particular?

Today, we can study and quantify materials with an incredible number of methods, and nevertheless they have not yet revealed all their secrets. I can't imagine anything better than to work on helping us understand the world around us a little better. I think it's important to present my work to an audience of non-specialists as well, it gives me a completely different perspective on the value of my work itself.

What qualities do you think young researchers need to possess?

Curiosity, but also a tolerance for frustration. It's very important to keep at it, even if something goes wrong. That is simply part of scientific research.

Describe your workday in three key words!

Coordinate, communicate and coffee :).