New York, NY, May 22, 2008 – Today, Laurent Attal, President and CEO, L'Oréal USA, and Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone, President, National Academy of Sciences, honored the 2008 recipients of the esteemed L'Oréal USA Fellowships For Women in Science at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. These women were recognized for conducting innovative and breakthrough research across a range of disciplines, including neuroscience, oceanography, and aerospace engineering. Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was also honored with the L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Role Model Award, for raising awareness of the critical role that women play in the sciences.
The prestigious L’Oréal USA Fellowships For Women in Science, now in their fifth year, provide support to postdoctoral women scientists who are undertaking cutting-edge research with practical applications in today’s society. By researching such current pressing issues as Parkinson’s disease and the reduction of fuel consumption, these Fellows represent the next generation of women scientific role models, following in the footsteps of chemist and physicist Marie Curie, and Elizabeth Blackwell, who, in 1849, became the first woman to graduate from medical school. Awardees each receive $40,000 to be used toward independent scientific research. In addition, recognizing that funding is just one of several components necessary to help women build successful careers in the sciences, the L’Oréal USA Fellowships For Women in Science also offer professional development workshops for awardees, and help these Fellows build networks with accomplished women leaders in corporate, academic, governmental and scientific fields.
“Women scientists are making amazing progress, forging ahead and overcoming obstacles as they dispel the gender stereotype that women are not equipped to excel in the sciences,” said Laurent Attal. “L’Oréal USA is proud to help foster and recognize the success of women scientists at all levels. We believe the world needs science, and science needs women.”
The 2008 L’Oréal USA Fellows are:
The Fellows were selected from a competitive pool of candidates by a jury of nine eminent scientists presided over by Dr. Cicerone. These Fellows have earned some of the highest honors in their fields and have been published in respected peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Neuroscience; Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems; and the AIAA Journal.
“The L’Oréal USA Fellowships For Women in Science program is vital for supporting women scientists at the postdoctoral level, and for retaining women in the sciences,” said Dr. Cicerone. “We must engage the many intelligent young minds in our field. A diverse scientific community produces more cutting-edge research, which is essential to solving some of the world’s most complex problems.”
The awards ceremony was preceded by a panel discussion, which included Dr. Jackson; Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, Morris Herzstein Professor of Biology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco and 2008 L’ORÉAL-UNESCO For Women in Science North American Laureate; Helen Greiner, Co-Founder and Chairman, iRobot Corporation; Danica McKellar, accomplished actress, mathematician and author; and Isha Himani Jain, 2008 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology individual award winner. The panel was moderated by Dr. Emily Senay, Assistant Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The panel focused on dispelling the gender myths that undermine women’s potential in the sciences. Panelists discussed how they overcame challenges to achieve successful careers in their fields.
ABOUT THE L'ORÉAL USA FELLOWSHIPS FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE
The L'Oréal USA Fellowships For Women in Science program is designed to recognize, reward and advance the role of women in scientific research. Each year, this annual awards program honors five American women at the beginning of their scientific careers. Recipients receive $40,000 each toward independent scientific research. Launched in 2003 as the U.S. component of the UNESCO-L’ORÉAL International Fellowships program, the program aims to raise awareness of the contribution of women to the sciences, and to identify exceptional female researchers to serve as role models for young women and girls.
Since the L’ORÉAL-UNESCO For Women in Science international program’s inception in 1998, 52 Laureates and 120 International Fellows have been recognized from around the world. National Fellowship programs have also been established in 35 countries and have awarded fellowship grants to more than 340 young women researchers.
ABOUT L'ORÉAL
L'Oréal is a worldwide leader in the cosmetics industry, developing innovative products to meet the diverse needs of customers in 130 countries worldwide. Over 3,000 people work in the Group’s 16 research centers, located on three continents. Their findings are responsible for the registration of hundreds of patents annually. L'Oréal also devotes over 3% of sales annually to research and development – an investment unmatched anywhere else in the industry. Women represent 55% of L'Oréal’s research and development workforce. For more information, please visit: www.loreal.com
For more information or to arrange interviews with the Fellows, L’Oréal USA or members of the Jury, please contact:
EDELMAN
Vijay Jesrani
Tel: 212-704-8297
vijay.jesrani@edelman.com
L’ORÉAL USA
Jennifer S. James
Tel: 212-984-4414
jsjames@us.loreal.com< /p>