We spoke with Emilia Calderón, a Physics major from Cuenca who works on the structural analysis of clay with carbon nanotubes.

Although Emilia Calderón was always interested in science, she didn’t know what to expect when she began her studies at Yachay Tech. She wasn’t sure about what exactly she wanted to study, so she found in Yachay Tech the opportunity to choose a little later.

Emilia comments that she never imagined that she would study Physics, but that she now feels very satisfied with her major. “I like Physics because you can explain a lot of things mathematically, you learn how the world works,” she says. Emilia remembers how she chose her major. She was always interested in renewable energies, so her professors recommended she choose Physics and later specialize in that field. However, once she began her major she realized there is a huge range of possibilities in that field, so she is not completely decided on what her next steps will be.

As she comes close to finishing her undergraduate degree, Emilia remembers that before she made a decision someone told her they were a Physics majors and she asked herself  “but, why Physics?”. Now she recognizes that it is a fundamental discipline for the development of the world. “All technology is linked to Physics. Without Physics the world would not be as it is” she says.

For her capstone project, Emilia is working on the structural analysis of clay with inner nanotubes. For this, she uses x-rays that provide data to perform calculations of how the internal structure of this material could be. She is working with Julio Chacón, Ph.D., a professor of the School of Physical Sciences and Nanotechnology.

Emilia seems ready when she talks about leaving. “Closing cycles is a bit hard at first, and I like being here, but I’ve been here for so long that I want to make my life elsewhere,” she says. Once she receives her undergraduate degree she hopes to continue studying. She hasn’t yet decided the field of studies but she has two main options: Renewable Energy, as it was what she wanted from the very beginning, or Biophysics, since having the ability to explain biological systems from the perspective of Physics seems quite interesting.