{"id":1783,"date":"2024-05-06T13:05:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T11:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idealcofund-project.eu\/postdoc\/?page_id=1783"},"modified":"2025-10-09T13:49:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T11:49:54","slug":"maria-fernanda-florez","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/idealcofund-project.eu\/phd\/news\/meet-the-fellows\/maria-fernanda-florez\/","title":{"rendered":"Mar\u00eda Fernanda Florez"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; inner_shadow=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.26.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||12px|||&#8221; global_module=&#8221;509&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; gutter_width=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; width=&#8221;100%&#8221; max_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_divider divider_weight=&#8221;60px&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; width=&#8221;100%&#8221; max_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.26.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][lwp_divi_breadcrumbs home_text=&#8221;Inicio&#8221; use_before_icon=&#8221;off&#8221; link_color=&#8221;#89B7CA&#8221; current_text_color=&#8221;#001733&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.26.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/lwp_divi_breadcrumbs][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.26.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/idealcofund-project.eu\/phd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/P1013904-scaled.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;P1013904&#8243; align=&#8221;center&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.26.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.26.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"uk-margin element element-textarea \">\n<div class=\"contenido_ficha_people_descripciones\">\n<div class=\"uk-margin element element-textarea \">\n<div class=\"contenido_ficha_people_descripciones\">\n<div class=\"uk-margin element element-textarea \">\n<div class=\"contenido_ficha_people_descripciones\">\n<h4><strong>Mar\u00eda Fernanda Florez<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h4><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>EDUCATION<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bachelor\u2019s degree in Chemistry from Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia, where I conducted ab initio calculations on the dynamics of the HD\u207a molecular ion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Master\u2019s degree in Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling, part of a program offered by a consortium of nine degree-awarding universities in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy. My dissertation focused on the optical absorption of phenyl-based polymers at the University of Valencia.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Summer internship at the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), where I conducted research on the non-linear optical properties of conjugated molecules.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I also work part-time as an online Spanish teacher. I am passionate about language learning, literature, science communication, and philosophy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"uk-margin element element-textarea \">\n<div class=\"contenido_ficha_people_descripciones\">\n<div class=\"uk-margin element element-textarea \">\n<div class=\"contenido_ficha_people_descripciones\">\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>PROJECT<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Modelling Radiative and Nonradiative Processes in Conjugated Organic Materials<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">PI<\/span>:<\/strong> Prof Johannes Gierschner<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.26.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||20px||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>INTERVIEW<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Where do you come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I&#8217;m from the Colombian Andes, born and raised in a small town called M\u00e1laga. It sits at about 2,300 meters above sea level, and most people there make a living through farming and raising cattle. Thanks to public education, I was able to get into one of the top chemistry programs in the country, in the city of Bucaramanga and later I enrolled in an Erasmus master program here in Europe.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>What are your main personal and professional concerns?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I&#8217;m deeply concerned about the growing trend of anti-scientific thinking and the false sense of knowledge that comes with having access to vast amounts of information. Without critical thinking, it becomes nearly impossible to differentiate between truth, misinformation, and outright propaganda. As a science professional I try to emphasize the importance of the <em>method <\/em>we use, how careful and thorough we have to be in order to know something. How important it is to identify our biases and correct them. We live in an amazing time where we comprehend the world better than ever, so it\u2019s concerning to me how much people now believe the earth is flat and conspiracy theories as such.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>What does your research consist on?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">My research focuses on organic molecules and their interactions with light. Specifically, I study what happens when they absorb a photon and an exciton forms. What becomes of the exciton? Will there be charge transfer between states? How does the molecule&#8217;s geometry changes upon excitation? What insights can we gather from these changes? Will the molecule emit another photon, and if so, will it be fluorescence or phosphorescence? So far I have done research about the difference between through bond and through space conjugation and their impact on the optical properties of polymers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>What power does science have to transform the world?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I believe science is the most powerful tool we have to change the world. The technology we have today is incredible, and it\u2019s easy to overlook the significant advances we\u2019ve made in areas like medicine or infrastructure, just to name a few. Thanks to science, we can live longer, healthier, and happier lives. However, it\u2019s important to highlight that science isn\u2019t a <em>magical<\/em> tool for gaining knowledge; it\u2019s a rigorous way of thinking that is essential for the functioning of our social system. Without critical thinking true democracy doesn\u2019t really exist. I think we need to be more aware of this when we communicate science.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Where do you find inspiration?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I feel really lucky to have worked with some amazing people since I started my academic journey. From my high school teachers to my grad-school professors, I&#8217;ve been really inspired by how they share their knowledge and help students build better lives. I hope I can be a source of inspiration for future generations, too!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I also feel inspired by people in my community in Colombia. I have been able to work alongside groups of farmers that get together to push collective projects and that make a huge difference in the way we live there.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Where do you see yourself in the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I see myself as a teacher, as somebody that shares her passion for science and its importance in our society. I want to share the wonders of the natural world around us and how amazing it is that we can make an attempt to understand it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Why IMDEA Nanociencia?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I chose IMDEA Nanoscience because, in my experience as a theoretician, I have come to appreciate how much we can expand our understanding when working on interdisciplinary projects. It is easy to focus solely on our area of expertise, which sometimes leads to losing sight of the bigger picture and the broader implications of our work. I believe true growth lies in this wider perspective.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When I saw that IMDEA Nanoscience organizes its projects not by discipline but by a shared vision, I realized it was the ideal place for me. As a theoretical chemist, the opportunity to collaborate with experimentalists, physicists, and even biologists made me certain that I had found my dream job.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>More information on the IDEAL Fellowships Programme\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The IDEAL Fellowships Programme is supported by the\u00a0<strong>Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions<\/strong>\u00a0(MSCA) COFUND.\u00a0Grant agreement ID: 101034431.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"et_pb_module lwp_divi_breadcrumbs lwp_divi_breadcrumbs_0\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_module_inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lwp-breadcrumbs\"> <span class=\"before\"><\/span> <span vocab=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/\" typeof=\"BreadcrumbList\"><span property=\"itemListElement\" typeof=\"ListItem\"><a property=\"item\" typeof=\"WebPage\" href=\"https:\/\/idealcofund-project.eu\/phd\/\" class=\"home\"><span property=\"name\">Inicio<\/span><\/a><meta property=\"position\" content=\"1\"><\/span> <span class=\"separator et-pb-icon\">&amp;#x39;<\/span> <\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> Mar\u00eda Fernanda Florez EDUCATION Bachelor\u2019s degree in Chemistry from Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia, where I conducted ab initio calculations on the dynamics of the HD\u207a molecular ion. Master\u2019s degree in Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling, part of a program offered by a consortium of nine [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1469,"featured_media":0,"parent":2561,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1783","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mar\u00eda Fernanda Florez - IDEAL PhD Cofund<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mar\u00eda Fernanda Florez - IDEAL PhD Cofund\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mar\u00eda Fernanda Florez EDUCATION Bachelor\u2019s degree in Chemistry from Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia, where I conducted ab initio calculations on the dynamics of the HD\u207a molecular ion. 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