A/Professor Veronica Garcia Hansen – A/Professor in Architecture
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It is a day to remember the work and sacrifices done by women before us to enjoy the rights we have today. It is also a day to remember all the things that still need to be done to achieve a safe world full of opportunities for the next generation of women.
What does it mean to be a woman in the Higher Education / Design sector?
It is an honour to have the opportunity to impact the education of the next generation of Architects and designers to be catalysts for creating a healthier and more sustainable built environment. It is also a responsibility to be a voice that brings to the front concerns and needs of women in the built environment realm.
Tell us about a recent Research highlight / achievement.
My recent research highlight has been to be awarded the Johnson & Johnson Women in STEM2D award. This international funding and mentoring program by J&J will support my research on the design of circadian effective lighting systems in hospitals that facilitate both patients’ recovery and health workers’ alertness and performance.
Tell us about a woman who inspires you.
Academically, the woman that inspired me was a Professor at the university where I did my undergraduate degree in Architecture. Her name is Eliana Bormida. She is an architect and academic. Her projects have received international acclaim, and as an academic, she was the expert in Latin- American Architecture. She stands for professionalism and excellence in a world that was pretty much a men’s world. As a young undergraduate, she showed us what was possible for us. I am also inspired by the women in my family. Starting with my maternal grandmother that travelled alone from Spain to Argentina after the first world war to start a new life, my mother that worked hard to get a university education, and my sisters, who are just two of the strongest, smart, and most resilient women I know.
.
