Her Story
About Aqsa
I work at Pacific Northwest National Lab as a Postdoctoral Associate Material Scientist, focusing on energy storage materials, particularly batteries. My research centers on developing electrolytes for high-energy density batteries that are stable, safe, and more cost-effective than current battery technology. I work on key battery components including anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes, with the goal of making batteries safer and cheaper. Before joining PNNL about one and a half years ago, I was a postdoctoral associate at Florida International University, where I worked on lithium sulfur batteries, specifically on catalysis and platinum applications. That research received significant media coverage. I earned my PhD in Material Science and Engineering from Channam National University in South Korea between 2017 and 2022, and prior to that, I completed my Master's degree in Chemistry with a specialization in inorganic and analytical chemistry from Pakistan in 2016. My bachelor's degree was also in chemistry. As an international student and immigrant, reaching my current position at a national lab represents a significant achievement, and I'm grateful for the opportunities to work with competent scientists and engineers at major national laboratories.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Aqsa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to two key words that I always keep in mind: hard work and consistency. Hard work without consistency is nothing. Throughout my journey, there have been many failures - rejected manuscripts, cancelled plans, and setbacks. But I believe that with each drop point or failure, with each retraction of your manuscript or paper, with each cancellation, it's okay. You just continue to work hard, and nature is going to give you everything you are working for. But in parallel, you need to be consistent too. Even though there are many failures in my journey and I don't consider myself as successful as other women are, I hold onto these two keywords in my life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my PhD advisor, Professor Changjin Park, during my time at Channam National University. PhD is a long journey with ups and downs, and my advisor was really tough, but he took care of his students in ways he never directly expressed. One time, he stopped me in a corridor when I said hi to him with my voice a little down. He told me that in the Asian environment, women are sometimes a little suppressed, and it reflects in your personality. He said, 'No, I need a PhD doctor, Aqsa Nazir, with a lot of confidence, so always keep your chin up.' That statement always bounces back in my mind whenever I feel a little low. This is the biggest advice in my whole academic career - chin up, always keep your chin up.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Always keep your chin up.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The main challenge I feel is moving from other countries to here along with your professional journey - it's kind of a little trouble. To focus on your field, you need some kind of calm environment, but immigration issues, being away from your family, and personal losses that happen on and off can distract you for little periods of time. Being away from your family is the biggest challenge I've faced. These immigration things and being separated from family while trying to maintain focus on your research creates difficulties that impact your ability to concentrate fully on your work.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I care about the environment in which I am working - whether the team is raising each other up or not. Throughout my journey, I love to mentor my colleagues and juniors, and I expect the same thing from my seniors too. Whatever knowledge we have, we should share it with each other. That matters to me the most. In addition to these things, loyalty with your work and professionalism are supposed to be there. During my journey, I've met so many girls, and even more than male researchers, I love to talk with female researchers. I think their thought process is a little different than males - sometimes we can think about key points that male people ignore or cannot think about. That's why I still keep in touch with my PhD colleagues and my postdoctoral female colleagues. I love discussing with them.
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