ÖPG
Archive - Physicist of the Month 2026
January 2026
Magdalena Schatzl, Team Leader at the Metallurgical COMET Competence Center K1-MET
About myself and my research
I have been working at the metallurgical COMET Competence Center K1-MET in the field of simulation and data analysis since 2016. After spending a few years as a postdoctoral researcher, I am now leading a COMET module that focuses on the simulation, modeling, and monitoring of future-oriented plasma- and arc-based processes in the metals industry. My work at the interface between university and industry is very diverse. The research tasks can be close to fundamental research or aimed directly at industrial process applications. My responsibilities range from developing new research topics and acquiring projects to project management.
What can be done to achieve more equal opportunities in physics?
Fortunately, my parents and teachers recognized my talent in STEM very early on, supported me accordingly, and encouraged me to attend a technical high school (HTL) for computer science. There, my physics teacher inspired me so much that after graduation I spontaneously enrolled in Technical Physics at Johannes Kepler University Linz, where I eventually completed a PhD at the Institute of Semiconductor Physics.
My career path clearly shows how support from parents and teachers, as well as the visibility of role models, can give girls and women the confidence to enter male‑dominated fields. After completing my PhD, I decided to turn away from an academic career due to the challenges of balancing family and work (in terms of geographic and time flexibility, fixed-term contracts, etc.). Non-university research institutions like K1-MET offer a good opportunity to continue working scientifically while having greater planning security. From the very beginning, K1-MET employed women in leadership positions and did not shy away from hiring women of childbearing age or those with caregiving responsibilities. This is certainly part of the success story in achieving a very high proportion of women in the technical and natural sciences sector.
Throughout my school, university, and professional career, I hardly ever noticed inequalities affecting me personally. Since becoming the mother of two small children, however, I have certainly realized that balancing family and career can be immensely challenging. I see an equal partnership and a fair distribution of family work as key factors. But employers also have a responsibility to trust parents working part-time with roles that carry responsibility and to consider models such as part-time leadership or shared leadership. It is important not to forget that fathers who are committed to their families must be offered the same opportunities.
If you would like to learn more about Magdalena Schatzl and her work, you can find the link to the K1-MET Team website here and the link to her LinkedIn profile here.
February 2026
Sarah Skoff, Group Leader of the Solid-state quantum optics and nanophotonics Group at TU Vienna
About myself and my research
I am the head of the Solid-State Quantum Optics and Nanophotonics group, and my research focuses on quantum emitters that can be integrated into solid-state systems such as two-dimensional materials. These emitters hold great potential for use in emerging quantum technologies. In addition, our research group works with nanophotonic components used for high‑precision sensing.
I spent nearly eight years of my scientific career in England, where I completed my PhD in Physics in 2011 at the Centre for Cold Matter at Imperial College London. After an additional postdoctoral period in the field of “cold molecules,” I moved to TU Wien, where I began working on quantum emitters in solid-state systems. Since 2018, I have been a junior group leader for “Solid-State Quantum Optics and Nanophotonics,” and since 2022 I have been a recipient of the FWF Elise Richter Fellowship, which enabled me to take up an excellence career position.
What can be done to achieve more equal opportunities in physics?
To ensure equal opportunities, the visibility of women in science — both historical and contemporary — should be represented in teaching materials to the same extent as their male counterparts.
Furthermore, balancing family and career remains a challenge in research, one that affects women more for biological reasons, since the time of starting a family often coincides with the crucial phase of establishing oneself in academia. To avoid disadvantaging women and, more generally, all young parents, research funding is needed that specifically supports early‑career parents (regardless of gender), ensuring maximum flexibility in their professional lives.
If you would like to learn more about Sarah Skoff and her work, you can find the link to her team website here, as well as the link to her ORCID profile here.