Physicist of the Month

Are you a physicist and would like to introduce yourself and your research? Don't hesitate to write to us at chancengleichheit@oepg.at!

August 2025

Bettina Anderl, Astrophysicist and Head of ESERO Austria

About myself and my research

My name is Bettina Anderl. I studied astrophysics at the University of Vienna and also completed a teaching degree in mathematics and physics. After several years in research, I discontinued my dissertation to devote myself to my family and teaching.

Since 2020, I have been the director of ESERO Austria (European Space Education Resource Office). In this role, I connect space topics with school education and support teachers with practical materials, training courses and projects that inspire enthusiasm for science.

I am convinced that space inspires. It is a fascinating way to convey complex scientific content in an understandable, exciting and future-oriented way. Austria is strongly represented in this field, both in research and industry – a potential that we want to make accessible to young people.

What can be done to achieve more equal opportunities in physics? 

Equal opportunities are very important to me. It starts with visibility, language and attitude – especially in schools. We need role models that are free of stereotypes, diverse role models and early, low-threshold access to scientific experiences – regardless of gender, origin or social background.

In concrete terms, this means:

• Providing targeted support to disadvantaged groups

• Making career paths visible

• Putting people from the STEM sector in the spotlight

One project close to my heart in this context is our ‘Space Careers’ series: in cooperation with Whatchado.com, we profile people from Austria who work in a wide variety of areas of space travel – including space medicine, space law, space architecture and many other exciting fields that are often not in the spotlight.

I myself have occasionally experienced discrimination during my studies – fortunately not often and not at my home institute of astronomy. Nevertheless, there were instances where women were systematically given lower grades than men. To prevent this from happening today, we need strong awareness – and teachers who are sensitive to equality issues.

If you would like to learn more about Bettina Anderl and her work, you can find a video about her work at ESERO Austria here (only available in german) and a link to her LinkedIn profile here.