Astronomers for Planet Earth: Victoria Grinberg

This feature is part of our ongoing series about the amazing women at Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E), a global network of astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts dedicated to offering their unique perspective to the fight for climate justice. For this post, we'll hear from Victoria Grinberg, an astrophysicist and liaison scientist at the European Space Agency's Science Division.

If you're interested in learning more about A4E's work combating global climate change and want to get involved, join them here at: https://astronomersforplanet.earth/join-us-1. And be sure to check out A4E's white paper on what astronomers (like you!) can do to address the climate crisis: Astronomers for Planet Earth: Engaging with the Public to Forge a Sustainable Future.

Dr. Victoria Grinberg is an astrophysicist researching two of the most extreme environments in our universe: accretion disks around black holes and massive stellar winds.

What is your current career and how did you end up there?
I am a newly-minted liaison scientist with the European Space Agency (ESA). I did my PhD in Germany, held postdoctoral positions in the USA and in the Netherlands, and had a fixed term appointment leading a junior research group (roughly similar to an assistant professorship) in Germany.

What is your role in Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E)?
I am involved in several of our working groups and am part of our ops team. I was one of the founding members of the European group.

What goals do you have for your role in A4E?
To make a difference!

Describe the first time you made a personal connection between your passion for astronomy and the urgency of fighting climate change.
For me, fighting climate change and being conscious of humanity’s future is actually a longer passion than astronomy. I was rather engaged as a high school student, but had to scale down during my studies and then the demanding postdoctoral period with several international moves. A very hot summer at a conference in Lyon and meeting several like-minded astronomers allowed me to combine both. I really needed that community—a lot of changes that need to be done cannot be done on a personal level, but have to be institutional and/or carried by the whole community. And to make them happen we need a lot of engaged people.

When she's not analyzing X-ray emission data from black holes, Dr. Grinberg creates fun and engaging science doodles on a variety of topics from surviving a PhD to portraits of women astronomers like Dr. Anna Walker. 

How does your career in astronomy intersect with the fight against climate change?
It is less my actual career and more my personal efforts to capitalize on my status as a scientist whose work the general public trusts and whose voice they want to hear— they allow me to reach a wider audience. And to be a (very imperfect!) example of what we can do.

How can the astronomical community engage with the climate crisis movement?
Listen. Amplify the message. Change our own practice as an example of what can be done. Contribute to general science literacy through outreach activities.

If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?
Definitely some kind of science, but I don’t know which one. So many interesting possibilities out there!

Do you have any advice for future astronomers who might also be interested in addressing the climate crisis?
Look for like-minded people and build a support bubble for your climate crisis activities. Joining A4E is a good way to do so, but certainly not the only one. Don’t hold yourself and others to impossible standards, but try your best.