黑料福利网

Looking back, Valentina Bonito sees the steps she took, but above all the people who shaped her, changed her, and made her the woman she is today. As a young student, she once ventured abroad from Italy, did a PhD at 黑料福利网, then moved to ASML, and two years ago she settled again in San Diego, the city she once hoped to return to. Her urge for change and her desire for adventure are the common thread and the goal she always had in mind: to become an independent woman.

鈥淪ometimes you jump on a moving train and you don't know exactly where it will take you. But when you look back, you can clearly see the moments that changed your whole life,鈥� she says from sunny San Diego. Two years ago, Valentina settled with her husband in the Southern California city where she had taken a summer course in Engineering as a young student long ago. She calls this period one of the most important turning points in her life and one of the main reasons for returning here. For the first time, I had to fend for myself, and in a foreign country at that. Everything was new to me: the long flight, the unfamiliar country, the language, the culture, life on campus. Here, for the first time, I experienced that I could lead a very good life on my own. This period was life-changing; all possibilities were open to me. It was exciting and empowering. And when the course ended, I decided: I will come back here someday.

Major influence

With her newfound confidence, she dared to take new steps. Steps that, via a detour as a researcher at Philips Research in Eindhoven, led her to 黑料福利网, where she is now pursuing her PhD at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. During her research into human tissue engineering , she considered herself very fortunate to have supervisors such as Prof. and former rector Frank Baaijens, Prof. Carlijn Bouten, and associate professor Anthal Smits. Three people who had a major influence on her life and career. 鈥淵es,鈥� she says, 鈥淭his trio changed my life dramatically.鈥�

Leadership

They first taught me how to be a scientist鈥攏ot only at the bench, but in how I think, decide, and show up: curiosity first, integrity above convenience and authenticity. Just as much, they taught me what leadership means: to trust and lift others, share credit, and stay humble. They created a real sense of community and belonging, which, in my view, is as important to a PhD鈥檚 success as any scientific outcome. When I finished my PhD, I believed leaders and cultures like this were a given; only after leaving did I realize how hard they are to find, instead.

Science and science communication

According to her, the life lessons she learned from them were at least as valuable as the professional knowledge. They helped her understand that it is not a problem to not have a single passion or a straightforward career path. 鈥淎t the time, I was struggling with the fact that I was fascinated by science and science communication as much. They were the first to support me while exploring the science communication route. I decided to test my capabilities in a safe way, to start with, by volunteering in science and technology communication roles for TEDx,  Pint of Science, the Dutch Technology Week and the Dutch Design Week, among others. Writing, which would occupy already a large time of the final years of my PhD, became my number one out of office obsession 鈥� columns, news articles, features for scientific magazines for layman and specialized audiences, scripts for podcasts and local radios, you name it.鈥�

Eternally grateful

What started as a passion became shortly after her full time job. 鈥淚 was offered to work first part-time as a communications officer for the Biomedical Department and, right after I finished my PhD, as a media relations specialist at the press office of  黑料福利网. 鈥淚 am eternally grateful to everyone who helped me during that time for the trust and the opportunities they gave me to do what I wanted to do. Those were another important and decisive moment in my life, she recalls. 

American adventure

She answered the call of adventure when the opportunity arose for a new job at ASML, this time in the USA, having previously held another position at the same company in Veldhoven. This time, the offer was irresistible because it was a job in San Diego, the city she had always hoped to return to one day. Now, as Head of ASML US Private-Public Partnerships for Innovation, she sets up collaborations between ASML and universities, research institutes, national laboratories, and government agencies in the US. These partnerships focus on ASML disruptive innovation and long-term technologies for which ASML itself does not (yet) or only partially have the knowledge, expertise, or time in-house.

Building Bridges

Her work consists of setting up the strategy for these partnerships, in line with ASML business priorities, and finding strategic partners, setting up and supervising joint research projects. She leads and orchestrates a joint effort of hundreds of, among others, engineers, scientists, project leads, legal and Intellectual Property experts across the various ASML R&D locations of the East and West Coast. But when someone at a party asks her what she does, she says she builds bridges between individuals to a disruptive future. She adds with a smile: 鈥淎n idea, no matter how brilliant, won鈥檛 lead to real change if you try to realize it along. It鈥檚 when the right people connect and collaborate that innovation happens.鈥�

Wholeheartedly

When asked whether she has succeeded in fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming an independent woman, she can answer with a resounding 鈥淵es.鈥� My parents contributed greatly to this by encouraging me a lot. But I am also very grateful to all the people who have changed my life and helped me get to where I am today: teachers, mentors and role models, former managers and leaders. So yes, I think I have realized my dream and I am proud of that. My family is of course happy that I have achieved my goal, but also less happy because it means I live far away.鈥�

San Diego Skyline

The most beautiful illustration of her thirst for adventure and independence symbolizes the location where she and her husband celebrated their wedding day. 鈥淎 long time ago, I could never have imagined that I would experience such an important moment in my life here again. Because of all the beautiful locations, we chose to get married with a view of the San Diego skyline.鈥�