Physicist of the Month

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

March 2026

Sabine Klepsch, Managing director of the companies Seletec and Senova

About myself and my research

I only decided to study physics during my final year of secondary school, when I realized that I wanted to understand the fundamental processes of our world as deeply as possible. After graduating from TU Wien, I began a collaboration in 1996 with the Institute of Hydraulics at BOKU and TU Wien. My research focused on transport processes of dissolved substances in soils, particularly on simulation, modelling, and non‑equilibrium phenomena in porous media.

This was followed by a research stay at the Institute for Groundwater Research in Dresden (1997) and a scholarship at ARC Seibersdorf research GmbH in cooperation with BOKU and TU Wien (1998–2001). Starting in 2001, I worked as a researcher at the Institute of Soil Research at BOKU, contributing, among other things, to linking molecular sorption studies with macroscopic parameters as well as to rhizosphere modelling.

In addition to my teaching activities, I was involved in organizing several international scientific events and served as co‑manager of the EU sub‑project TREND (AquaTerra).

In 2010, alongside ongoing research projects, I embarked on something entirely different: following my passion for sailing, I spent around nine years primarily in St. Maarten in the Caribbean, working as an organizer and skipper for motorboat tours and sailing regatta charters, often including training. In 2019, I took over the management of the injection‑moulding company Seletec and the trading company Senova, which I continue to lead with great enthusiasm to this day.

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

During my studies, I was fortunate with my professors and with the fellow students in my year. I thankfully never experienced sexist remarks, nor did I ever feel rejected because of my gender. Even at institutes such as Chemistry or the Atominstitut, I was immediately accepted for internships. Honestly, my biggest obstacle back then was my not‑yet‑very‑strong self‑confidence ;-). Still, I think most of us encounter men from time to time who behave arrogantly or condescendingly toward women when it comes to technical topics.

From my perspective, it is important to start promoting equal opportunities and strengthening girls’ self‑confidence already in primary school—several of the physicists featured on this platform are already actively engaged in this. Interest in physics could be sparked much earlier in girls through concrete, exciting experiments. If mathematics classes also created clearer links between mathematical methods and such experiments, this could help foster interest in the “language of physics.” Initiatives like Die Spürnasen are ideal for inspiring both girls and boys to discover a love for science at a young age.

It’s all about motivating young people for certain subjects. What paths are open after studying? What are the job prospects—also beyond traditional academic careers? And are the fundamental opportunities really the same for everyone?

When searching for research results on differences between women and men—whether via AI or simply through googling—you often find summaries such as:

• Everyday experiences shape the brain, meaning that gender‑specific role expectations can create differences.

• Hormones influence behavior, emotions, and personality—though within wide individual ranges.

• “Men and women are more alike than they are different,” as U.S. psychologist Janet Shibley Hyde puts it in her “Gender Similarities Hypothesis.”

Especially now, as AI becomes an increasingly integrated part of our lives, women will certainly work at least at eye level with men across many fields.

If you would like to learn more about Sabine Klepsch and her work, you can find the link to her XING profile here and the link to her LinkedIn profile here.