Stralia was founded in 2016 by Maria Sovago, a scientist with passion for education and theatre.

Dr. Maria Sovago

maria.sovago@stralia.nl | + 31 (0)61 375 8335

I am passionate about science, education and theatre. I have a PhD in Physics from AMOLF in Amsterdam and worked for several years in industry as a researcher, a team leader and a strategy advisor. My technical background is in Spectroscopy, Microscopy and Imaging. Next to my activities at Stralia, I am a Physics Lecturer at Delft University of Technology.

Outside office hours, you can often find me playing amateur theatre on Dutch national stages, where together with a group of theatre enthusiasts we inspire our audience to feel and see the world from a different angle.  

WE HAVE a CHANCE to REINVENT OURSELVES

18 MAY 2020 | Interview at Delft University of Technology

Some of us are struggling because we have to deal with a completely new situation. A situation we have no control over. How we cope with the COVID-19 outbreak at home depends on our mind-set, our expectations and how we deal with changes in general.

I thought at the beginning: I must prepare myself! This new situation will be with us for quite some time. It will take months before we reach the new normal. We now have a chance to reinvent ourselves. How can we prepare ourselves for the post-lockdown world? What will the new normal look like? What will we be leaving behind and what will we be doing that is new?

What helped me was to recognise the stages we go through when facing a change. We experience a period of temporary excitement and then a temporary dip, following the shape of a potential well. Scientists will know what I am talking about. The emotional phases we are going through can be described by the Kübler Ross Change Curve. At the first excitement, we start preparing ourselves for the lockdown by stockpiling food. We are excited to see our colleagues during online meetings and we get comfortable working from the home office. Do you recognise it as well? And then, slowly, our energy level sinks, down through denial, irritation, anger and madness to depression. We become scared, frozen, alone and isolated. We run away from others, we turn off our video mode during meetings and keep quiet. Or we do not even show up.

We might have the feeling that we are the only ones not coping. We see everybody smiling. But if we start sharing our thoughts with others, we discover that we are not alone in this situation. We start seeing the problem more clearly, and what is great: we concentrate on finding solutions. Together! We accept the change and that allows us to summon up more energy so that we can move on.

Some people go through this process of excitement–despair–hope in five minutes, whereas it takes others as long as five years. And when we manage to cope with the new situation, a new change comes along. And yes, this happens now more often than before, doesn’t it?

I went through this process myself. When I started working from my home office, I was very worried. I am an extreme extravert. I get my energy from interacting with others. I was frightened I might start feeling alone. But being in virtual meetings with our colleagues all day is also very tiring. And not a complete solution. I realised I had to develop a different daily routine. I decided to structure my day: I start work at nine o’clock, I take regular breaks, I go outside for a walk and I finish at six. And then – and this is very crucial – during the day I turn off my phone and email programme and concentrate on my work for at least two hours. Then, when six o’clock rolls around, I have the feeling I have achieved something. What is your routine?

I am very happy to see others opening up during our virtual meetings. It is fantastic! I have once again seen the strength of sharing: we feel boosted. So, let’s talk about what we’re going through. Don’t hesitate: reach out! Make a phone call! We need to support each other to see the new reality. We should pay attention to our colleagues and take care of our emotional wellbeing.

This transition phase to the new normal will allow us to connect differently with each other and to build stronger working relationships. From nano-Relationships to Giga-Relationships! Let’s take the time to really connect. We can avoid slow online meetings by using a higher tempo and engage the others as well. And let’s encourage and empower! Let’s give each other more compliments! In a tough and competitive working environment, we tend to forget it. Even criticism can be formulated as a compliment. It is a present.

Now we have the chance to reinvent ourselves and connect with each other on a deeper level. 

At the beginning of the lockdown in 2020, we have created STRALIA ACADEMY ONLINE, with instructive videos about the work we are doing. Short acting scenes in front of the camera are also included, to bring culture to our living room.

STRALIA ACADEMY YouTube Channel →

EDUCATION MATTERS

23 JUNE 2021

Portrait Interview at Delft University of Technology (adapted)

Education, Education, Education! It keeps me busy every day.

This last year it has been special for all of us! It was February 2020, I remember the moment vividly. Together with a few colleagues, we just started our brand-new course in Systems Engineering. After three lectures we heard: next Monday we teach online! It was half-March. I am sure you recognize the thought: Let’s make it happen! During the weekend we made the switch, arrange everything, and off we went! What an experience! Everyone reacted quickly, it was incredible! And how open-minded and flexible our 250 students were. I am so proud of them!

Teaching and coaching from home was fun!

Looking back at the rainy days and thinking:

yes, we did it together!

Who am I? I am an Educator. From top-to-bottom. I have made it my life’s mission to make knowledge accessible for everyone. I am coaching scientists to share their knowledge in an inspiring way.  I know quite well how difficult it can be to explain a clear concept I already understood, leave alone an idea that is not crystalized yet. With a background in physics, I have noticed that we, scientists, are struggling at times to reach our audience. Do you recognize it?

While playing theatre though – I am performing as an amateur for the last 10 years – I have discovered a new world, a new way of expressing myself. And I thought: why not translate these theatre techniques to the science world. As such, I have founded my company Stralia. I am ‘travelling’ around reaching and teaching as many scientists as possible, so that their ideas and thoughts are reaching others.

This video made our days easier during online TEACHING.

culture was back in our living room.

What will the future bring us? Well, human interaction is vital in all aspects of my work: from teaching students to coaching researchers. Looking ahead, I think the way we work together and interact will be very different from now on! These times taught us new ways of connecting. We reinvented ourselves! Our workplaces will become a place to meet and engage, not only a place to work. I am convinced we can combine the best of both worlds: the online tools and the physical teaching. Flexibility – what we learned and proved the last year – will stay with us!