Women in Physics

Authors

Reinabelle C. Reyes ⋅ PH National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman Forum Moderator
Marissa Balatero ⋅ PH Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines Forum Discussant
Marienette M. Vega ⋅ PH Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of the Philippines Diliman Forum Discussant
Michelle Marie S. Villamayor ⋅ PH Department of Physics, Central Mindanao University Forum Discussant
Helvi Witek ⋅ US Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Forum Discussant

Abstract

This is a panel discussion with women physicists from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Our panelists will discuss their journey into physics, the challenges they have faced, and their advice for other women interested in pursuing careers in the field.

About the Speakers

Reinabelle C. Reyes, National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman

Reinabelle Reyes is an Associate Professor and member of the Gravity, Astronomy, Nuclear and Particle Physics (GANAP) Laboratory of the National Institute of Physics (NIP) in UP Diliman. She heads the NIP Data and Computation subgroup focusing on data-driven astronomy and computational physics research. She obtained her Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Princeton University in 2011 and became a postdoctoral research fellow at the Kavli Institute of Cosmological Physics (KICP) in the University of Chicago, USA. She received the Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS) award from the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) in 2023.
Marissa Balatero, Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines

Marissa Balatero is a faculty in the Department of Physics at University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Physics at Mindanao State University âˆ’ Marawi Campus and her master's degree at Mindanao State University âˆ’ Iligan Institute of Technology.
Marienette M. Vega, Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of the Philippines Diliman

Marienette Vega is currently an Associate Professor of the Materials Science and Engineering Program (MSEP) at the College of Science in UP Diliman. She earned her PhD in Nanotechnology from the University of Trieste in Trieste, Italy where she studied Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Biomedical Nanomaterials. Moe graduated with both BS and MS in Physics from NIP. She then earned another MS degree in Physics from the University of South Florida. Since moving back to the Philippines, she had been working to put up her own research lab in MSEP. She founded the NanoSpectroscopy Lab, which focuses on fabricating advanced nanomaterials as solutions for environmental remediation and sensor applications. She finds time to jog regularly and strives hard not to break her streak in Duolingo.
Michelle Marie S. Villamayor, Department of Physics, Central Mindanao University

Michelle Marie Villamayor is an Associate Professor in Central Mindanao University and a part-time lecturer at De La Salle University. She is a proud graduate of the University of the Philippines. She finished her BS, MS, and PhD Physics degrees at the National Institute of Physics. She was an exchange student researcher at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan. Her postdoctoral research experience started in LinkÃ¶ping University in Sweden, followed by a stint at the Center for National Scientific Research in Grenoble, France. Her third postdoc was conducted back in Sweden at Uppsala University before working as a production engineer for Chromogenics AB, a smart-glass manufacturer.
Helvi Witek, Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Helvi Witek is an expert on gravitational wave physics, numerical relativity, and strong-field tests of gravity. After receiving her PhD at the University of Lisbon, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge and the University of Nottingham. Helvi was a Marie-Curie Fellow at the University of Barcelona and a Royal Society University Research Fellow in London, before joining the faculty at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as an Assistant Professor. Helvi is co-chair of the LISA Waveform Working Group and co-principal investigator of the Einstein Toolkit cyberinfrastructure for computational astrophysics.

Published

2023-07-19

Issue

2023: Proceedings of the 41st Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas Physics Conference

Section

Panel Discussions, Workshops, and Tutorials

License

How to Cite

[1]

“Women in Physics”, Proc. SPP, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. SPP–2023, Jul. 2023, Accessed: Apr. 02, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://proceedings.spp-online.org/article/view/SPP-2023-2SA-01