Re-elected last April for a second mandate of the Portuguese Materials Society (SPM), a position that she combines with the Portuguese coordination of the Emerging Technologies Programme that involves the University of Texas at Austin (USA) and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Paula Vilarinho is the only Portuguese scientist to be honoured by Lynnette D. Madsen.
“I was very pleased with this honour. It is, on one hand, an international and above all independent recognition of what I have been doing since I decided to pursue a career as researcher in the field of materials. On the other hand it is a recognition based on values I cherish for my personal and professional life: merit, commitment, persistence and honesty”, says Paula Vilarinho.
On the world group of 100 female researchers highlighted in the book there are names such as Uma Chowdhry (Dupont), Nava Setter (Switzerland), Mildred Dresselhaus (USA), Noemi Elisabeth Walsöe de Reca (Argentina), Jing Zhu (China) and Helen Lai Wa Chan (Hong Kong), Alexandra Navrostky (USA), among others. “To see my profile among the profile of women from all over the world with a remarkable scientific history, some of them considered for Nobel prize nommination, is very rewarding”, recognises Paula Vilarinho.
The book was launched earlier this week during the annual meeting of the American Ceramics Society (ACERs), Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) and Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (MST) held in Ohio (UAA).