Don't hold yourself back or believe people who might say that this or that field isn't for a woman. As long as you're curious and motivated, there will definitely be a place for you!
What is your educational background?
After three years in preparatory classes, I was admitted to the ENS through the Saphire application process. Afterward, I decided to pursue civil engineering. At the end of my first year, I took the second entrance exam and was accepted.
For my first year of master’s studies (M1), I chose to focus on materials and structures. I then did a 10-month internship in the structural engineering research group at Polytechnique Montréal under the supervision of Jean-Philippe Charron. I discovered the experimental side of research, which I really enjoyed.
Finally, to complete my academic journey, I pursued the M2 program in “Materials and Structures in Their Environment” at Centrale Nantes. At the end of that final year, Jean-Philippe Charron offered me a thesis opportunity, co-supervised by his research associate Clélia Desmettre. Cécile Oliver-Leblond joined the project, contributing the digital aspect.
I received a specific École Normale doctoral contract (CDSN) from the École to fund my dissertation at the Paris-Saclay Mechanics Laboratory (LMPS) in a joint supervision arrangement with Polytechnique Montréal, under the supervision of Professor Farid Benboudjema and the co-supervision of Associate Professor Cécile Olivier-Leblond.
What are the main areas of your research?
Making structures more sustainable
Many French civil engineering structures are made of reinforced concrete, that is, built with concrete containing steel reinforcement. Over the course of a structure’s lifespan, cracks naturally form in the concrete due to mechanical, thermal, and hydrological stresses. However, in coastal and northern regions, salt can be found in the environment (sea salt or de-icing salt). This salt contains chlorides, which are highly detrimental to steel because they cause corrosion. Cracks in structures act as entry points for chlorides to reach the steel reinforcement. Over the long term, structures can suffer significant damage from the penetration of chlorides into the concrete.
For example, in a parking garage at Syracuse University in New York, corrosion of the steel reinforcement—caused by de-icing salts brought in by cars—led to the collapse of the slab.
Currently, to quantify concrete’s resistance to this problem, it is possible to measure the rate at which chlorides penetrate the concrete using a parameter called the diffusion coefficient. However, these measurements are taken on uncracked concrete that contains no reinforcement and is not under mechanical load—unlike the conditions found in actual structures. The objective of my thesis was to develop an experimental setup capable of measuring the rate at which chlorides penetrate reinforced, cracked concrete under mechanical loading. From a numerical perspective, the goal was to incorporate chloride penetration into an existing code to explore the impact of crack shape on the rate of propagation.
Thus, my work has shown that cracking increases the rate at which chlorides propagate through concrete. The presence of a mechanical load also promotes chloride penetration into concrete, but to a lesser extent. Finally, numerical simulations demonstrated that the shape of the crack also affects chloride propagation.
What are your future career plans?
I don't know yet. I'm focusing on finishing my dissertation, and I'll see what happens after that.
Do you have any advice for female students (or prospective students) at ENS Paris-Saclay?
Don’t hold back, and don’t believe people who might say that a particular field isn’t suited for women. As long as you’re curious and motivated, there will definitely be a place for you!
Awards and Honors
2023: Winner of the 2023 Jeunes Talents France Award “For Women and Science”
First of all, it’s important to know that the award is given to 35 women—doctoral and postdoctoral students—from all fields of science. For four days, we all participate in a training program together on various topics, ranging from negotiation and communication to responding to gender-based violence. The training sessions are very enriching, and the speakers are top-notch. These few days away from my daily routine allowed me to meet some wonderful women who face the same challenges as I do in their careers, even though they’re in completely different scientific fields.
This award is a true honor for me because it is so prestigious. It recognizes both my scientific work and the commitment I’ve shown throughout my career to sharing my passion for science with younger generations.