Women In Engineering: Patricia Silvana Carrizo
This profile series introduces leading materials scientists from around the world who happen to be females. Here we speak with Patricia Silvana Carrizo, chemical engineer, National Technological University Mendoza Regional Faculty, Mendoza Province, Argentina.
What does your typical workday look like?
I teach in the department of chemical engineering at UTN FRM as Professor of Materials Science Practical Works, and I work as a researcher in the electromechanics department within the metallurgy laboratory year-round.
What part of your job do you like most?
I particularly enjoy working in the area of archaeometallurgy where I examine and investigate the past of historical metallic objects. Studying how they were manufactured, the processes and raw materials used; these analyses are also useful when teaching metallurgy and metallographic techniques to students. The artifacts have a story to tell, and if you know how to read and more importantly interpret, you can extract very important information. Our metallurgy laboratory is a resource for failure analysis tests in the western part of the country, and I serve as a failure analyst mainly for the oil industries that bring their case studies to us.
What is your greatest professional achievement?
So far my greatest professional achievement was being hired by the Municipality of Luján de Cuyo to give advice and take charge of the restoration and external inspection of work on the old iron bridge over the Mendoza River, built in 1890. I enjoyed the magnitude of the work, the experience, and even though I was in charge of around 25-30 men, they collaborated well and respected the protocols and the instructions that I gave them. To my surprise, the workers there told me, “Patricia, you are no longer a Boss for us, we highly esteem you and you are already part of us!”
Favorite motto or quote:
“The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.” – African proverb
Are you actively engaged with ASM or its affiliates?
I have belonged to the ASM Failure Analysis Society on the International Relations Committee since 2019 and I’ve recently joined ASM’s IDEA Committee.
Do you know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Women in Engineering profile? Contact Vicki Burt at [email protected]
