Lorenza Ferrari finds work-life balance and fulfills ambitions

“I am happy to work at SRON, as I think the organization allows you to find a good balance between work and family. I can easily arrange the day off with my manager if I need some extra time with the kids, just as long as I manage to do the job I am supposed to do in time. SRON lets you follow your ambitions and develop yourself, in the direction and in the way you choose and supports that.”

“My ambition so far was to work on a piece of hardware to be launched to space. Until now this did not happen. But the situation is going to change with PLATO, my current project. It will be reaching space in 2026 and I am the project manager of the last phase of testing and calibration of the flight hardware before the assembling on the spacecraft. I will be happy to finally fulfill my ambitions.”

“In the meantime I am still evaluating what should be next. I like to work in teams, and I think interaction with people is my strong point. A combination of project management and technical development is what I like. I guess PLATO will learn me if what I chose now was a good choice for me or not. I see my development and career as a dynamic process. In the end, that is what humans are good in. Adapting to new situations.”

Lorenza Ferrari, head of section Instrument Science Cryo Groningen
Project manager for testing and calibrating flight hardware for the PLATO space mission.

Read the interview with Lorenza in Academic Positions: In Search of the Next Earth

Pictures: Academic Stories, ESA, PLATO Consortium