The “Woman of Science” and “Young Woman of Science” awards were presented during the press conference on October 28, 2022, organized at ExMà in Cagliari, where professors Maria Maddalena Becchere, current president of the ScienzaSocietàScienza association, and Carla Romagnino, honorary president and jury president, explained to journalists the extensive offerings of the Science Festival, which will open on November 11 and, as usual, will feature numerous activities from INAF: workshops for children, visits to the Sardinia Radio Telescope, astronomy-themed exhibitions, role-playing games, and much more.
The “Woman of Science” award was given to Giulia Manca, a professor and researcher at the University of Cagliari affiliated with CERN in Geneva, for her research in particle physics. The equivalent “Young Woman of Science” award dedicated to young researchers went to INAF researcher Maura Pilia for her studies on Fast Radio Bursts (FRB) and her significant contribution to the technological development of observation instruments like the Sardinia Radio Telescope in San Basilio, a flagship of INAF.
“I am very honored,” commented Pilia, “for this recognition that gratifies me as a woman and as a Sardinian. One of my greatest aspirations is to be an example for young women who are facing life choices and who sometimes risk being overwhelmed by a feeling of inadequacy, which does not reflect our true potential. This award should show everyone that we must give our passions a chance to create a better future.”
This is the first time a female figure from INAF has been awarded this prestigious recognition, and there is no lack of satisfaction from the Director of INAF Astronomical Observatory of Cagliari, Emilio Molinari: “I am really happy for Maura and for the Observatory, which has been able to highlight female excellence in the field of scientific research, which is much needed. I would like to thank the organization of the Woman of Science Award, an initiative that becomes more important every year.”
The “Woman of Science” award was established in 2019 by the ScienzaSocietàScienza Association and included a prize of two thousand euros for women distinguished in scientific research. In 2020, the award was doubled thanks to the contribution of the Equal Opportunities Department of the Municipality of Cagliari in collaboration with the Equal Opportunities Commission of the city council, with the creation of “Young Woman of Science,” which awards another thousand euros to the winner. The award, now a reference for female excellence in Sardinia, has received the patronage of the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari, the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), and the local Microbiology branch of the National Research Council (CNR) in Monserrato. Each of these entities appoints a delegate to join the competition jury, which also includes former Rector of the University of Cagliari Maria Del Zompo, a representative of the journalists GiULia Sardegna (Giornaliste Unite Libere Autonome), and Silvia Rosa Brusin, a science journalist who served as editor-in-chief of RAI’s TGR “Leonardo.”
INAF was represented on the jury by Marta Burgay, also a researcher at INAF in Cagliari, originally from Aosta Valley but now a Sardinian and Cagliari resident in every way for almost twenty years, who comments on the awarding of her colleague Maura Pilia: “I am very happy that the award was given to Maura, on whose name the jury unanimously agreed. She is a truly capable and deserving young colleague with whom we have collaborated for years on a multitude of astronomical objects. The research she conducts with both the Sardinia Radio Telescope and other instruments, including satellites, is considered true scientific frontiers.”
The official award ceremony with the presence of the winners is scheduled for Sunday, November 13, during the conference “30 Years of Science on TV” with Silvia Rosa Brusin.