Ivona

Hi, I’m Ivona! I’m a Physicist with a distinct interest in helping young people understand and appreciate the beauty and importance of Physics. After winning the National Physics Olympiad in her country – Macedonia, I was awarded a merit-based scholarship at Jacobs University Bremen – a unique, international university that celebrates diversity, critical thinking, and educational excellence. 

I hold a masters degree in Renewable Energy Engineering & Management, a master’s in Physics and a recently completed Ph.D. in Physics with a focus on the development and the physical understanding of relatively novel solar cell concepts at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin for Materials and Energy and the Technical University Berlin. During my Ph.D. research, I was also very active in supporting the academic community, raising awareness about diversity, mental health, and working conditions in academia within the three largest non-university research institutes in Germany: the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations and the Max-Planck Society. 

Throughout my studies, I got to learn a broad spectrum of Physics-related topics: from those that seek the answers to the secrets of our Universe to those which are less abstract and focus on more engineering and technology. I am a keen environmentalist, an avid reader, and a curious researcher, but above all – I am a kind and patient person who wants to help those who struggle with Math and Physics, and help them realize that everything that they are taught in school can be seen around them in their everyday life. I want to motivate young people to ask questions, and be open-minded critical thinkers. I am to encourage young people to understand how the natural sciences can be just as fun, creative, and empowering as any other subject.