My name is Tamara Aránguiz-Rago, I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Earth and Spaces Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA.

• I was born and raised in Santiago de Chile, and I moved to the US in September 2020.
• I’m interested in active tectonics and surface deformation. So, I’m working with multiple geological and geophysical methods across timescales in Northern Chile, studying the Salar Grande strike-slip fault system to contribute to the knowledge of upper crustal faults in subduction zone settings.
• I got a Fulbright Scholarship to fund my PhD in the US. I didn’t speak English when I got it, so I had to learn it. Now I’m fluent but I’m still learning!
• As a Latina and part of an underrepresented group in science, I’m moved by working for a more equitable and diverse community in Geosciences.
• I’m hyperactive since I was very little, and I was diagnosed with ADHD very early in my life. I think that my learning process faced multiple barriers in the educational system but I think that learning to live with it makes me a better scientist. When, I’m not working I use my energy climbing, running, biking, and dancing.
• I have done improv theater since 2013. In fact, I have an actress certificate after completing a conservatory in Improvisational Theater and Comedy in Chile. I joined Bandit Theater in Seattle in April 2022 and it is one of the hardest things that I have done. Doing comedy in a different culture and language is super challenging but fun! I use my communication skills in my science every time that I can.

My story

Where I am from, going to higher education was not guaranteed. So, when I made it to the University of Chile to pursue an undergrad degree, all my family was very proud. I was excited about science and geology, and at that point, I have never heard about what was a Ph.D. Then, I realized that all my professors had this extra degree after college that was kind of like a ticket to become a faculty and do science. And I wanted to follow that path.

This story will continue…