Gladys Villegas
BIO
PhD student in natural resources (Belgium) in a dual academic couple and a mother of two (10 and 8 years old).
Instagram: @gmvillegas
Twitter: @GladysVillegasR
Gladys Villegas
“Having a family in academia has been a big challenge for me.”
I'm a PhD student in Natural Resources and I have two children. They are now 10 and 8, and are the motivation in my life.
Having a family in academia has been a big challenge for me. I’m from Ecuador and I had to move to Belgium because my husband got a scholarship to start his PhD program. I should say that I was happy for him, but at the same time I was disappointed because I also applied for a scholarship but I didn’t get it.
At the beginning, I dedicated all my time to my family because we were living in a new place, and we had to learn a whole new language and culture. It was difficult for my children to adapt to this new lifestyle, but after six months I realised they had their school life under control.
I did not want to give up my dream of pursuing a PhD. I started working as a volunteer researcher but finding funding to start my studies seemed impossible. However, I continued following this dream and finally I got a scholarship to start my PhD!
My research topic is monitoring land use and land cover using remote sensing technology. It has been a real challenge to comply with my research goals and handle the household needs. I often can’t attend university events or activities because I have to take care of my children - my colleagues probably think I’m anti-social.
I love my family, I love spending time with them, and I admire all women who decide to dedicate all their time to their families but I am convinced that I am able to combine my role as a mom, wife and scientist. My research is challenging in a good way, but my children are the core of my life and they motivate me to continue with my scientific career.