08/10/2024

The "Women in Mathematics" award announces the names of the winners.

Da esquerda para direita: Maria José Pacífico (UFRJ), Juliana Theodoro Lima (UFAL) e Maria Soledad Aronna (FGV). Fotos: Solange Marcon/SBM

Researchers Maria José Pacífico (UFRJ), Maria Soledad Aronna (FGV), and Juliana Theodoro Lima (UFAL) were the scientists honored in the first edition of the "Women in Mathematics" award – an initiative of IMPA and SBM (Brazilian Mathematical Society), supported by MCTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation). The distinction was created to celebrate and recognize the exceptional contribution of women in the field.

Maria José Pacífico (UFRJ) was selected in the category "Outstanding Mathematical Scientist of Brazil" . The researcher has been a professor at UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) since 1982. A full member of the ABC (Brazilian Academy of Sciences) and a member of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) , she holds a master's and a doctorate from IMPA. A leading figure in Dynamical Systems, Maria José has published works in highly prestigious journals.

"She is a prominent researcher in human resource development, having supervised numerous doctoral students throughout her career. Her work continues to be widely cited, highlighting the relevance and impact of her contributions to mathematics. Extremely active as a researcher, she is recognized nationally and internationally as one of the leading figures in the field, exerting a strong influence on the development of this area over decades," emphasized the award's evaluation committee.

Maria Soledad Aronna (FGV) was awarded in the category "Outstanding Young Scientist in Mathematics in Brazil". A specialist in Optimal Control and Mathematical Biology, with an emphasis on Modeling and Analysis of problems related to vector-borne diseases in Brazil, Soledad was coordinator and professor at the School of Applied Mathematics of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro. In February, she was awarded the "Young Woman Scientist" prize by the Rio de Janeiro State Research Foundation (FAPERJ) . According to the Committee, " Maria Soledad demonstrates solid academic independence, with well-established and impactful research, evidenced by the significant number of citations of her work."

Juliana Theodoro Lima (UFAL) was awarded in the category “Makes a Difference in Mathematics”. An adjunct professor and vice-director of the Institute of Mathematics at the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), she is the creator and coordinator of the extension projects “Women in Exact Sciences, Engineering and Computing at IM/UFAL” and the digital platform for disseminating mathematics “Painless Math”. The researcher holds a Master's degree in Mathematics from ICMCUSP (2010) and a PhD in Mathematics from ICMCUSP (2014) with a sandwich period at UBC-University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. According to the judges, Juliana “ leads high-impact projects that promote the inclusion of girls and women in STEM fields, with special emphasis on students who are also mothers. Furthermore, her efforts go beyond science, including initiatives focused on the education of female inmates”.

The competition included nominations for women working in the fields of Mathematics, Statistics, and Probability, who possessed profiles consistent with one of the three categories mentioned and had been permanently employed by Brazilian institutions for at least three full years. Maria José, Maria Soledad, and Juliana will each receive a prize of R$ 10,000, in addition to a diploma.

The awards ceremony took place at the State University of Maringá (UEM) on October 2nd, during the 1st SBM Workshop on Women in Mathematics, an initiative conceived by the organization to promote greater recognition of women in the scientific field throughout the country. The event also included a lecture by each of the award-winning researchers.