New award honors women in science in Brazil

Three women scientists in Brazil have been recognized with the inaugural C&EN/CAS Awards for Brazilian Women in Chemistry & Related Sciences.

The winners are Clarissa Piccinin Frizzo of the Federal University of Santa Maria, Cristiane Aparecida Furtado Canto of Oxiteno and the State University of Campinas, and Susana Inés Córdoba de Torresi of the University of São Paulo. They were honored during a symposium and award ceremony held at the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) in Brazil on Sept. 11.

The awards aim to promote gender equality in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Brazil, as well as to develop a more advanced perspective in understanding the impact of diversity on scientific research and in the field of chemistry. The awards are sponsored by Chemical Abstracts Service, a division of the American Chemical Society, and Chemical & Engineering News, with support from the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ) and ACS; FAPESP hosted the awards. Each winner receives a $2,000 cash award, a SciFinder ID valid for three years, ACS membership for three years, and an award certificate.

“In this first edition of the award, the judges have selected an outstanding trio of winners that represent the great chemistry that Brazil is exporting to the rest of the world,” says Bibiana Campos-Seijo, editor-in-chief of C&EN and vice president of C&EN Media Group. “We are delighted to team up with our colleagues at CAS and the other supporting organizations to launch this award that recognizes the accomplishments of emerging and veteran female chemists in Brazil.”

“CAS wants to strengthen its relationship with the scientific community in Brazil,” says Denise Ferreira, CAS’s country manager for Brazil. “We want to acknowledge the research of women scientists and their contributions to the Brazilian society.”

Piccinin Frizzo is the winner of the award in the emerging leader in chemistry and related sciences category. The award recognizes the achievements of an outstanding chemical scientist or entrepreneur younger than age 40. Piccinin Frizzo is being honored for her leadership in the design, preparation, and application of new methods to heterocyclic synthesis.

Furtado Canto is the recipient of the award in the Leadership in Industry category. This award recognizes an individual working in the chemical industry whose research and creative innovations have led to discoveries that contributed to commercial success, and consequently, to the good of the community and society. Furtado Canto is being honored for leading and implementing innovation initiatives in multinational companies such as Unilever.

Córdoba de Torresi is the winner of the award in the Leadership in Academia category. This award recognizes an established academic who has made an important contribution with a global and societal impact to scientific research in chemistry or a related science. Córdoba de Torresi is being honored for her work on electroactive materials applied to molecular recognition and energy.

Nominations for next year’s awards will begin next summer.