Catching up with the Fellows - Anna Baratto Roldán
Now that the formal period of the OMA project has come to an end we were very keen to find out which routes our Fellows have taken, their plans for the future and how they reflect on their time as OMA Fellow.
For this interview we have spoken to Anna Baratto Roldán. Anna did her PhD as an OMA Fellow in the National Center of Accelerators in Sevilla, working on the design of a beam line for radiobiology experiments. She is currently working as a beam physicist at CERN in the BE-EA-LE department.
What have you been working on since the end of OMA?
"Following the obtention of my PhD in November 2020 I worked as a PostDoc at the CNA in Sevilla for another six months, continuing the project I started with OMA. Then, after some months of maternity leave, in November 2021, I joined CERN as a senior fellow of the Beams department in the Liaison to experiments section (BE-EA-LE). At CERN I will be participating in the operations of the North and East areas, where my section is responsible for providing the adequate beam conditions for various experiments and test beam lines. Furthermore, I will take part in some Physics Beyond Colliders projects, for the design of new experiments with conventional beams at CERN, to exploit the full scientific potential of CERN’s accelerators complex besides LHC."
Did the networking opportunities within OMA help you to get your present job?
"The networking opportunities within OMA were very useful to get my present job, as they put me into contact with various people that could guide and help me through the selection process."
What are the skills that you learned in OMA that are most valued in your current job?
"Besides the technical and specific knowledge, the skills that I am finding more valuable in my current job are the communication and networking skills that I learnt and perfected during my time in OMA."
Are you still in contact with the OMA Fellows?
"Sure! And we are slowly building a small OMA community in the area of Geneva with Ewa, Sud and Anna. With the other fellows we keep in touch through various channels both for professional and personal reasons and I would personally love to have another opportunity to meet all of them in the future."
What will be your most cherished memory from OMA?
"There are so many cherished memories that it is difficult to choose. We really created a nice group of colleagues and friends, and a strong network of support and collaborations. And we had a lot of fun during the OMA schools and meetings too! I cherish every single moment I spent with the OMA Fellows, and I think it was a one-of-a-kind opportunity to be part of such an outstanding project."
And the one you’d rather forget?
"A PhD of whatever kind is always challenging, full of obstacles and difficult times. But seeing them from my perspective now, I can say that even my worst moments and memories are worth remembering. All of them, with the help of the amazing people I was so lucky to meet in my path, taught me something valuable about being persistent, believing in myself and have courage."