Akansha Mehta and Zulema Vargas received the L’Oréal – UNESCO For women in science award

In today’s times of climate crisis, uncertain economic forecasts or the increase of civilizational diseases, scientific progress is more important than ever before.

According to Petr Štěpánek, PhD., scientific director of L’Oréal in Slovakia, the representation of women in science is gradually increasing, but there are still fewer of them compared to male colleagues. That is why the aim of the L’Oréal – UNESCO For Women in Science project is to support female researchers working in Slovakia and to recognize their important work. The program cooperates with the Slovak Commission of UNESCO, the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Slovak Organization for Research and Development activities (SOVVA).

 Its 7th year has already recognized three laureates under the age of 40, who carry out their research at Slovak scientific workplaces. The award-winning scientists shared the sum of 15,000 euros, which they can use for professional and personal development. In total, almost 40 female scientists participated in the program this year. The prizes were awarded in 3 categories: Life sciences, Physical and formal sciences, and Engineering sciences and technologies.

We are very proud that 2 women from FunGlass were successful in the category of Engineering sciences and technologies:

1st place: Akansha Mehta with the project: Sustainable upcycling of pharmaceutical glasses to highly porous photocatalytic ceramic membranes for wastewater treatment, where she transforms waste pharmaceutical glass into highly porous photocatalytic ceramic membranes, which are intended for wastewater treatment under the influence of solar radiation.

3rd place: Zulema Vargas Osorio with the project Development of multifunctional theranostic platforms based on bioactive SBA-15 nanorods with dual antibacterial and magnetic response for personalized medicine

The award ceremony took place on September 6 in Bratislava in the presence of representatives of all cooperating institutions.

Congratulations and thanks for the great job, women!

Gallery: HERE

Video: HERE

More info: http://www.unesco.sk

From left: Prof. Ľubica Lacinová, DrSc. (member of the SAS Presidium), Brigitte Streller (General Manager L’Oréal Slovakia), Assoc. Prof. Miroslava Rabajdová, (laureate in the category of science about living nature ), Ing. Ľubomír Bilský (Executive Director SOVVA), Dr. Olga Vyviurska (laureate in the category of physical and formal sciences), Prof. Pavol Šajgalík, DrSc. (chairman of the SAS), Dr. Akansha Mehta (laureate in the category of engineering sciences and technologies), JUDr. Ľubica Erdelská (general secretary of the Slovak Commission for UNESCO)