Marga Gual Soler

Biography

Marga Gual Soler‘s research focuses on how science diplomacy can advance scientific cooperation and stabilize relations between countries with discordant political ideologies to address challenges that transcend disciplinary, geographical and cultural divides. She designs and implements innovative training initiatives for scientists and engineers from Latin America and the Caribbean that provide policy, communication, leadership and cross-cultural skills to understand the role and implications of science in society and prompt STEM graduate students to become agents of change and broaden their societal contributions.

Trained in four continents, Marga’s professional, research and travel experiences span more than 30 countries. Prior to joining ASU she was a visiting Research Scholar at the Center for Science Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a Global Competitiveness Leadership fellow at Georgetown University, a program dedicated to empower the next generation of leaders in the Ibero-American region. At the United Nations, Marga explored the role of science in global sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals, and in collaboration with UNESCO, she founded the Latin American Network of Young Scientists  and the Science Slam Festival, which combines science with performance and improvisation to help STEM students and professionals improve their communication skills.

She also writes, speaks and tweets about science communication and the role of women in STEM disciplines, with articles appearing in the Huffington Post, Scientific American and Science magazine, and was recently named one of 25 Women in Science Worth Promoting. She has delivered dozens of lectures and workshops at universities and conferences throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and frequently appears in Spanish language television and online interviews.

Marga obtained her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland in Australia and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in molecular biology at the University of Barcelona in Spain.