The physicist Beatriz Roldán Cuenya, wins this year's “ACES – Margarita Salas” Award in Physics, Mathematics and Engineering. The Jury thus has valued the excellence and impact of her scientific contribution in the field of catalytic nanostructured materials, at the interface between physics, chemistry and materials engineering. Prof. Dr. Roldán Cuenya is director of the Interface Science Department at the Fritz Haber Institute Berlin, where she and her team work on understanding catalysts “at work” using sophisticated synthesis methods and in situ / operando characterization techniques. We are pleased to have her as a UniSysCat group leader and we warmly congratulate her on this great award!
The “ACES - Margarita Salas Awards” are organized by the Association of Spanish Researchers in Sweden (ACES) and sponsored by the Margarita Salas Foundation, the Ramón Areces Foundation and the Spanish Embassy in Sweden. The jury recognized in their laudatio the research excellence of Prof. Roldán Cuenya “in the area of nanostructured materials and their effect on catalytic performance, where she integrates multidisciplinary approaches from physics, chemistry and materials engineering to reveal in situ and in operando the mechanisms of catalysis in surfaces”. Her contributions have large impact for the development of environmentally and industrially relevant energy conversion processes mitigating climate change. The jury also highlighted "her mentoring activities for the development of scientific vocations in the area of physics". The candidacy of Prof. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya has been proposed by the Association of Spanish Researchers in Germany (CERFA), with which UniSysCat has good contacts.
According to Professor Roldán Cuenya “it is a great honour and a very special pride to receive this award, which bears the name of an illustrious Spanish scientist who has served as an inspiration and role model for many women like me, within and outside our borders. Like Dr. Salas (after which the award is named), I also grew up in Asturias in northern Spain, and I fondly remember my university stay in Oviedo and the great support I received from my professors, which motivated me to expand my knowledge outside my country and embark on the journey for self-improvement and daily sacrifice that a scientific career entails. My greatest satisfaction is knowing that my knowledge can be useful in solving some of the challenges that our society faces, including how to develop a fair energy transition while fighting the consequences of climate change."
The “ACES - Margarita Salas Awards” were created in 2021, promoted by the Association of Spanish Researchers in Sweden (ACES), with the objective of recognizing the excellent scientific work carried out by researchers of Spanish nationality with recognized impact at an international level. The awards take as a reference the figure of Margarita Salas, researcher at the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center (Madrid) and who is considered one of the most relevant Spanish scientists. The uniqueness of the “ACES - Margarita Salas Awards” lies in the fact that they are organized by Spanish researchers abroad, in order to recognize the excellence and universality of Spanish scientists and their contribution to society. The “ACES - Margarita Salas Awards” are sponsored by the Margarita Salas Foundation, the Ramón Areces Foundation and the Spanish Embassy in Sweden. The “ACES - Margarita Salas Awards” ceremony will be held in early 2025 in Stockholm (Sweden).