A scientific career of public service already earthquake-proof
SolsonaAs a young woman, she explored the world with a mathematical eye and needed to understand the scientific basis of what she observed. The analytical gaze of Sara Figueras Vila (1964), from Solsona, led her to study physics, specialize in meteorology and geophysics, earn a doctorate in physical sciences, and become a pioneer in Spain in modeling seismic wave propagation using supercomputing techniques. This earthquake expert is proof that "not all science happens in laboratories." Since 2017, she has been head of the geophysics department at the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia (ICGC), where she strives to make knowledge a "useful, applicable, and accessible" resource. Without a hint of arrogance, she takes pride in working for "essential public services focused on the safety of the population."
The computer is her indispensable work tool, although curiosity and patience are her main allies. When it comes to leadership, her motto is three H's: humanity, honesty, and humor. This wise woman from Vita has been a mentor to many female scientists she has worked with or directed. But she comes from an academic and professional world devoid of female role models: she had only one female professor throughout her entire degree, and in her field, she knows literally four female professors in the entire country—none of them mothers, by the way. In the 1990s, she was the first to become a mother on the ICGC team she joined. Today, she leads an area with more men than women, although women also head two of its three units—geophysical prospecting and avalanche prediction.
Despite the progress, she warns that she perceives a decline in female STEM vocations. "There are fewer and fewer girls interested in science and technology," a signal she hears from university professors and the Catalan Mathematical Society. That's why she has always promoted outreach through talks and workshops in schools and institutes. Curiosity must be awakened.
And in the area of geophysics that she leads, what are the main challenges? For Sara Figueras, it's about ensuring that scientific knowledge is applicable so that it benefits the population and is considered in the development of public policies, especially in emergency planning and management. She speaks of a "shared responsibility": "Dialogue, trust, and collaboration between the scientific community and public institutions are necessary," she asserts. "So that what we saw with the DANA storm in the Valencian Community doesn't happen again, where those who should have contributed the knowledge already did."
She works in a field that has evolved at the pace of technology. Currently, artificial intelligence methods are beginning to be implemented in avalanche and weather prediction and in subsurface studies. AI can also help identify earthquake aftershock patterns, which can then be used to activate seismic emergency plans. "For earthquake prediction, which is what interests us most, we haven't found a way yet. But we will," he concludes.
