GD
Geodynamics

Katherine Villavicencio

Katherine Villavicencio is a geologist and an astrophysicist who has worked as a geophysicist performing modelling, interpretation and field work. Currently, she is doing a PhD in planetary sciences where she is carrying out a research on the hyperspectral analysis of the surface of Ganymede linked to a geodynamic model of the melt migration within the outer ice shell. Katherine is part of the GD blog team as an editor.

Science has no borders. Researchers do: a modern Odyssey

August 5, 2026
Science has no borders. Researchers do: a modern Odyssey
A conceptual illustration of the modern scientific journey, inspired by Homer's Odyssey, where the pursuit of knowledge unfolds alongside the challenges of international academic mobility. Image generated using IA.

When Homer wrote The Odyssey nearly three thousand years ago, he described a journey filled with storms, uncertainty, unexpected detours, and the relentless hope of eventually reaching Ithaca. Today’s journeys may no longer cross the Mediterranean, but they continue to test researchers’ resilience in unexpected ways. Not because researchers sail across unknown seas, but because the pur ...[Read More]

“You belong here”: reflections on gender inequality in Academia

and May 20, 2026
“You belong here”: reflections on gender inequality in Academia
Female support in STEM Earth Sciences. Image generated by IA.

Academia is often imagined as a space driven by merit, curiosity, and scientific collaboration. Still behind publications, conferences, and research achievements, many women in STEM continue to navigate environments shaped by subtle exclusion, normalized inequalities, and power imbalances that are not always openly discussed. In Earth Sciences, where collaboration and field-based research are fund ...[Read More]

The hidden effects of academic excellence: workaholism in Academia

and September 17, 2025
The hidden effects of academic excellence: workaholism in Academia
Figure generated using VEED IA.

Years have passed since I started my academic career, and I have come to realise that, in academia, excellence appears to come with a price tag. Stress and pressure have become commonplace for academics, often normalising certain behaviours such as workaholism. This essay explores how workaholism have become a common practice in these working environments. It was late, the library lights were blin ...[Read More]

Balancing pregnancy, family, and a scientific career: a look at the challenges faced by women in STEAM

and May 14, 2025
Balancing pregnancy, family, and a scientific career: a look at the challenges faced by women in STEAM
Women in STEAM: Balancing research with raising a family. (Image generated by SEAART.IA)

In this week’s blog post, Dr. Katherine Villavicencio (University of Pisa) explores how women in STEAM navigate pregnancy and family life while advancing in their careers and examines the support (or lack thereof) provided by academic and research institutions. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) careers are undoubtedly demanding. For women in these fields, juggling the ...[Read More]