Yvonne Mascarenhas wins Fifth Carolina Bori “Science & Woman” Award

Yvonne Mascarenhas, a pioneering Brazilian crystallographer, has won the Fifth Carolina Bori "Science & Woman” Award in the area of ​​Engineering, Exact and Earth Sciences. The award, a tribute from the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SBPC) and named after the society's first female president, recognises outstanding Brazilian scientists and future Brazilian scientists of notable talent.

The Award ceremony, which was part of the celebrations of the centenary of Carolina Bori's birth, took place on 6 February 2024 in São Paulo and was broadcast on the SBPC YouTube channel. In the video, Professor Mascarenhas, who was nominated for the award by the Brazilian Association of Crystallography and the Brazilian Societies of Physics and Research in Materials, gives a message of encouragement to young women who wish to pursue a scientific career.

When talking about her work as a professor, Mascarenhas told the SBPC how happy she was to have trained a “reasonable” number of masters and doctors who work in Brazil and around the world, and who helped to found and establish a community in this multidisciplinary area. “This is my immediate and most important contribution to society,” she said.

Reflecting on her career, Professor Mascarenhas said she feels privileged. “I didn’t need to break the famous glass ceiling, because my laboratory was the only one – with support from CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) and FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) – of crystallography in Brazil and, as a result, I had to interact with many areas and this interaction opened doors for me. People liked my work and so I progressed in my career very smoothly, without any setbacks and often with the support of other people. Even for administrative positions, such as IFSC Management, I was approached and asked if I would like to take over. But it’s not like that for everyone,” she admitted, recognizing the struggle of many women to pursue a scientific career. “We have had fantastic women. Therefore, I recommend that young women, when making their choices, do so in the best way possible, analyzing their options. And, more than anything, we need to focus, because life, especially for us women, is not peaceful. We cannot give up on starting a family and having children, because this is all part of life. But, if a person wants to have a scientific career, they need to have focus and persistence, even in the face of difficulties”, she concluded.

At the age of 92 Professor Mascarenhas is still active, as a collaborator and retired professor, at the São Carlos Physics Institute (IFSC). See more information about her career here.