On December 14 , the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao hosted the delivery of the first Very Young Scientists Awards , an award whose main objective is to give visibility and recognize the work of young Spanish scientists . The candidates, up to 45 years old, have been selected for their work in areas and disciplines in which the presence of women is still a minority.
The jury, made up of the editorial committee of Muy Interesante magazine, has taken into account their professional career and their dissemination activity alike, and has sought to reward the dedication and excellence of some professionals who have become a role model for the girls and adolescents who will make up the generations of scientists of tomorrow .
The awards consisted of seven categories (research in renewable energies, robotics, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, Earth sciences, space research and entrepreneurial R + D + I) and the award ceremony took place after the celebration of HOMO CURIOSUS, an event dedicated to scientific dissemination promoted by Muy Interesante and Odisea .
Before announcing the winners, the mathematician Clara Grima (who was a speaker during the HOMO CURIOSUS outreach event) gave a brief talk claiming the presence of more female referents in the STEM disciplines (Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths).
Almudena González González, 34 years old. Renewable Energy Research Award
Expert in the treatment of agro-industrial by-products through biomethanization. Entrepreneur, in 2013, together with other colleagues, formed the Metanogenia spin-off. This biotechnology company – in which Almudena is responsible for R + D + i -, is specialized in the development of biological products for the generation of biogas from agro-industrial by-products, and in the provision of services for the monitoring and operation of plants of this fuel. He participates regularly in conferences to disseminate science in Extremadura in the field of renewable energy sources, both in talks and round tables. It also takes part in activities to promote scientific vocations in young people, particularly in girls and adolescents.
Ester Martínez Martín, 38 years old. Robotics Award
A computer engineer, her research focuses on lines related to the use of vision in robotic tasks such as object detection and action recognition. His most recent research has a high social component: the development of an assistive robot for the promotion, monitoring and follow-up of active aging and physical rehabilitation. He has participated in different scientific outreach events and for several years organized a fire extinguisher robot competition.
Elena Pinilla Cienfuegos, 41 years old. Nanotechnology Award
He develops his research area in the design, characterization and manufacture of nanophotonic devices, integrated with new nanomaterials, to make them smaller, more robust and efficient and more respectful with the environment. She is vice president of the Royal Spanish Physical Society and an expert in the Girls4STEM initiative to promote the visibility of women in science. He has participated in television programs and in major science outreach events such as Pint of Science and TEDx.
Emilia López Iñesta, 41 years old. Prize in artificial intelligence
His research focuses on computational thinking and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to different contexts , such as education and citizen science. She also investigates gender diversity in ICT and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). She is a Scientix ambassador in Spain, the science teaching community in Europe, and the promoter of the Girls4STEM project to promote scientific vocations. He also collaborates in the project STAT WARS: the empire of data , a dissemination project to bring statistics and its applications in artificial intelligence to ESO and high school students.
Janire Prudencio Só Señora, 34 years old. Prize in Earth Sciences
Janire is a pioneer in the study of the internal structure of active volcanoes through the use of attenuation tomography techniques , which has made it possible to advance the knowledge of active volcanoes throughout the world, from Antarctica to Japan and from Italy to the United States. United. She is the first woman in the world to apply this type of advance, and has made her way into a discipline until now monopolized by men. As a member of the Dissemination Commission of the Andalusian Institute of Geophysics and Seismic Disaster Prevention, he also stands out in his informative work on the volcanic phenomenon. He actively participates in days of scientific dissemination and is a reference in volcanology for different media.
Marina Díaz Michelena, 44 years old. Prize in space research
An expert in space magnetism, she designs magnetometric devices for space and planetary applications , particularly for Mars and the Moon. He is currently developing the NEWTON magnetometer, candidate for the geological module of the Luna 28 mission and the AMR instrument for the Exomars 2020 mission. He has developed magnetometers for the artificial satellites NANOSAT 01, NANOSAT 1 B and OPTOS, and participated in the development of the OSIRIS instrument for the ROSETTA mission.
Luz Rello Sánchez, 36 years old. I + D + i entrepreneur award
Researcher and professor in the Information Systems department of the IE Business School , in Madrid, and founder of Change Dyslexia, a social company that designs computer applications to help people affected by this learning disorder that involves difficulty in reading as a result of trouble identifying speech sounds and understanding how they relate to letters and words. In Spain, it is estimated that 10% of the population is dyslexic, which means that it affects more than 4.6 million people and 800,000 school-age children, according to the Dyslexia Platform.
#homocuriosus
On December 14, the Euskalduna Jauregia Palace of Congresses and Music in Bilbao was the scene of a day dedicated to science, knowledge and, above all, to the curious nature of the human being. It is precisely this curiosity that makes the world and society move forward, which is why the event has wanted to become a meeting point for all those lovers of knowledge who wish to expand their knowledge and spend a day enjoying outreach talks given by experts in their respective fields or documentaries who manage to bring the viewer closer to the most diverse topics through a completely immersive experience.
The event was supported by Muy Interesante , a magazine founded in 1981 that has become the undisputed leader in scientific dissemination in the Spanish language with more than 62 million monthly contacts, and Odisea , a documentary channel for the 21st century that brings the present, technology and nature to the population with its own language and the most advanced technology .
HOMO CURIOSUS has been organized by Zinet Media Group , a publishing group to which Muy Interesante belongs, and AMC Networks , producer of Odisea . It is also sponsored by BBK and has the collaboration of the Diputación de Vizcaya, the Bilbao City Council and Orange.
