Sophie Papin

"I trained as a chemist and without a doubt turned to geology for my thesis out of curiosity. The decision to leave the university environment was not easy, but I felt the need for a more dynamic professional context with concrete challenges.

My application for a position with Saint-Gobain Recherche was self-evident; the study of a material such as glass combines my interest in mineralogy and characterization techniques. I was recruited into the Assessment Department to handle services and certain research projects. I soon felt at ease with the approach in this department where the various members, in providing assistance service for the plants, couple their observations and measurements with interpretation based on experience. Contact with clients sometimes involves a degree of urgency and their satisfaction is the reward for the effort made. I rapidly became aware of the activities and concerns of Saint-Gobain's various branches.

Along with this service activity, I am involved in various research projects, all of which aim to improve the understanding of glass (production, devitrification, sources of defects, etc…). All resources are made available to us: from documentation all the way to the many technical facilities at the Center."