Catalina Jerez: Caregiver and Civil Engineer
The AWIS Caregiver Advancement Scholarship made it easier for her to attend conferences and protect dedicated time for her research.
What is your chosen field, and how does your work benefit society?
I am currently a PhD student in Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, and my work focuses on hydroclimate forecasting and water resources. In simple terms, I work on improving predictions of water availability, especially seasonal streamflow forecasts in the Colorado River Basin, using climate information and machine learning. Better forecasts can help water managers make more informed decisions, especially during drought and other periods of high uncertainty, which is increasingly important as climate variability and change put more pressure on water systems.
What challenges do you face as a caregiver, and how do they impact your career?
As the primary caregiver of my baby daughter (~4 months), balancing research and caregiving has been both beautiful and challenging. Early motherhood is incredibly meaningful, but it also changes the structure of each day in ways that can make academic work much harder to sustain. Research often requires long stretches of concentration, flexibility to attend meetings or events, and the ability to travel for conferences or collaborations. Without additional support, those things become much more difficult, and that can slow down progress at a very important stage of my career.
How will this award help you advance your career or follow your passion?
This award will help me create the space I need to stay actively engaged in my research. It will help cover caregiving-related expenses that make it easier for me to attend conferences and protect dedicated time for my research. Beyond the financial help, it also feels deeply encouraging to be recognized as someone trying to continue growing in science while caring for a young child. That recognition means a great deal to me.