Women in STEM professions at Heraeus

In a world where women are still underrepresented in technical and scientific professions, it is important to have role models. At Heraeus, Martina Humez, Khamsin Giedd, Elisabeth Hocke and Li-San Chan show how diverse and exciting STEM professions can be and what opportunities they offer.

A study by the US software company Microsoft shows that around two-fifths of young women surveyed are interested in STEM subjects, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, if they have a role model in the field - almost twice as many as those surveyed without a role model. In addition, female students with role models in these fields rate their overall performance in STEM subjects higher than those without role models. The studies show what experts have long agreed: female role models are crucial to young women's future career choices and can boost their confidence.

Microsoft Study: The When & Why of STEM Gender Gap

Successful STEM careers at Heraeus

In this series, we want to highlight women in STEM professions at Heraeus. We introduce female experts who are working on innovative projects and provide an insight into their daily work. The portraits of Martina Humez, Khamsin Giedd, Elisabeth Hocke and Li-San Chan show how diverse and exciting STEM careers can be and what opportunities they offer.

The semiconductor expert for smart electronics

Since she was a child, Li-San Chan always had a fascination for science and technology. Today, as Global Head of Semiconductor Materials at Heraeus Electronics, she is responsible for the development of semiconductor materials. Find out how the engineer from Singapore is driving innovation for 5G smartphones and electromobility.

The microbiologist who is researching for better medical care

Martina Humez, Manager Medical Training at Heraeus Medical, is an expert in bone cement, which is used in surgical orthopaedics. She not only conducts research in this field to constantly improve the products for the benefit of patients, but also trains her colleagues.

A chemist in search of the perfect recycling process

Precious metals are valuable and their resources are limited. As a specialist in precious metal recycling, Elisabeth Hocke works at Heraeus Precious Metals to improve the processes for recovering gold, platinum and other precious metals. Find out why the PhD chemist decided to pursue a STEM career in the industry.

The engineer who makes medical devices more efficient

As Director of Project Management at Heraeus Medevio, Khamsin Giedd optimizes processes in order to manufacture medical products more reliably and efficiently. Before the engineer switched to medical technology, she worked in the automotive industry. Find out how she is improving healthcare today.

Read more interesting articles about women in STEM at Heraeus

Why there is a lack of women in STEM professions

Technical and scientific professions are still a male domain. Only just under a third of students in STEM subjects are female. The percentage of women in apprenticeships is even less than nine per cent. What is the reason for this? In the first article of our series on women in STEM professions, we get to the bottom of this question.

Female scientist with glasses at work in a laboratory

Interview: Success through diversity

Muriel Thomas, Manager at Heraeus Printed Electronics, shares insights into her career and explains why women in STEM professions are essential to the success of a company.

News and Stories

At Heraeus, new ideas, fresh minds, and collaborative partnerships give rise to innovations that serve society.

Find out about the latest News and Stories from the Heraeus Group. You will get some insights of the company with innovation articles, press releases or people stories.