Carolina Araujo Barcelos

Carolina Barcelos is part of the Fermentation and Product Recovery group at ABPDU. She focuses on process optimization for biofuels, bioproducts, and chemical precursors in a variety of bacterial, yeast and fungal expression hosts. Before joining the ABPDU team, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Joint BioEnergy Institute. Carolina graduated in Chemical Engineering and received her Ph.D. in Chemical and Biochemical Process Technology within the Department of Biochemical Engineering at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

What inspires you to work in STEM or operations?

I always loved mathematics and science at school and my teachers played an important role in my interest in these subjects. They always encouraged me and praised my efforts. At that time, it meant a lot to me. As a result, my grades were always better on these subjects compared to others. So, when I had to choose what to study at University, I just chose a subject that I enjoyed.

What inspire me working in STEM is that there is so much to discover and improve in our world. The opportunities are endless to create new knowledge.

What excites you about your work at Berkeley Lab?

What excites me most about my work at the Berkeley Lab is the ability to work on a wide variety of projects and with people from many different backgrounds. The science that you get exposed to is incomparable. Besides this, the culture in the lab supports learning and development on the job, which very much motivates me, and all my managers/supervisors have been an incredible source of encouragement and guidance.

How can our country engage more women, girls, and members of other underrepresented groups in STEM or operations?

I think one important factor is to ensure that every student is exposed to STEM experiences when they are very young to stimulate their interest in these subjects, mainly through programs that emphasize hands-on science.

Do you have tips you would recommend for someone looking to enter your field of work?

For someone to succeed in science and engineering, I recommend continuous learning and to always seek to broaden your skill set. Staying up to date with the latest developments and technologies in your field is essential to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

When you have free time, what are your hobbies?

Outside of research I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts, taking care of houseplants and exploring the bay area. There is never a shortage of things to do outside around here.