BEYOND THE LAB COAT – ELIANA VALE
Eliana Vale is a key person at INEB and one of our main “lifeguards”, due to her great and invaluable capacity to solve all our problems at the lab always readily, quickly and most importantly, with a smile!
Eliana was born in 19th of January of 1981 in Alfena. In 1999 she started her studies at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP) in Chemical Engineering - Technologies for Environmental Protection. During her studies Eliana had the opportunity to visit INEB in the scope of a curricular unit. At the time, the persons currently at INEB and the enthusiastic way they introduced the lab and the work, made Eliana imagine herself walking through those halls one day. We can say, it was love at first sight!!! As soon as she completed her bachelor degree in 2003, she handed her CV and here she is, for more than 10 years! Although, in the first years, it was not an easy path since Eliana did her masters degree at night while doing her work at INEB. In her own words: “no minutes were spared, but it was worth it!” and we are all grateful for that, because that passion and strong motivation is really reflected in her way of working and leading with her colleagues everyday.
Since 2006, Eliana holds a Quality Manager position which in other words, makes her responsible for managing the quality system implementation at INEB, particularly in Services Unit for Macromolecules and Interfaces, SUIM. She is also responsible for the general and technical organization of the laboratory, in processes of equipment acquisition, management of the image of the Institute and webpage, among others. During these years, Eliana has also been involved in other activities, namely the participation in several University of Porto “showrooms”, representing INEB and visits to secondary schools, disclosing a little of what is our research to new possible students. So when we say she is a key-person, it really means, a big key! Working in a place with so many researchers would be also most impossible without such an organization and management that facilitates everyone’s work, and Eliana is one of the main responsible for keeping the lab in such a way.
Main Challenge
In my daily activity, there is no such thing as routine, and that is one of the things that please me the most.
Dealing with researchers, with their problems and try to help them, maintaining the organization of the laboratory, makes each day different from the other. My specific area (quality management) is considered, in general, a "boring activity" specially for those who have to follow all the standards. However, I love it when a researcher goes abroad to a different laboratory and asks me for an equipment use registry form or questions me about the calibration of an equipment, because it is already strange if it is not implemented. When this happens, then, yes, I can say that my efforts are not in vain.
INEB in one word
In one word it is hard to describe ... but if I may say three, it comes to my mind evolution, learning and family.
Since I came to INEB (and now it has passed already almost 11 years!), the number of people at the lab has increased almost exponentially. And as it has increased in number of people it also has increased in the number of spaces and multidisciplinarity. This evolution helps me every day to go home with a little bit more of knowledge. Everyday I deal with different issues and different people who challenge me. From day one, I realized that INEB has a special environment that goes further beyond professional relationships: at INEB there is much more! So much, that in a certain way, makes me feel like belonging to a second family.
Beyond the lab coat...
At this point in my life, what really gives me the most pleasure is spending quality time with my son, playing and walking outdoors with him, being with my family and having family and friends over at home.
I love the sea; whenever I need to refresh ideas or make important decisions, it is in the sea that I find my answers on a walk in the evening!
The Movie
Life Is Beautiful, 1997, Roberto Benigni.
The Book
Five Quarters of the Orange, by Joanne Harris
The Trip
Although I know it could sound strange, I would really like to have a second honey moon! In the sense of the newly conquered happiness, the freedom, but also the responsibility for the future.
If I wasn’t a scientist, I would be...
I really like what I do and at the moment I do not see myself being anything else. I specially enjoy the daily interaction with so many people. But, if I had to be something else, I would probably be a teacher.