“We’ve got the power!” Women scientists in Brazil punching above their weight, in technology.

The original idea for this project came from the joint interest of the Brazilian government to establish innovative ways to stimulate the participation of young adult women in Science and Technology. Different partnerships have been established since then, and now, high school students, and teachers from public schools in Brazil are having an unique opportunity. They’re the pioneers of an age (thanks, Giovanna Machado!) – women coming from limited-resorces settings are been offered the chance to learn and work in science, thanks to the largest Center for Technology in the North-Northeastern regions of Brazil, CETENE. CETENE is a research centre developing technological innovations for the development of the North-Eastern region of Brazil. It is the North-Eastern branch of the National Institute of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology. They have an institutional network in the North East and rest of the country. They have a biofactory (Biofabrica) of scaled up production of sugar cane, pine-apple, banana, orchids, flowers and new development of other materials. The biodiesel unit is operational and a new, larger one is under construction. The network Rede NanoCETENE is linked to the nanotechnology and electron microscopy lab (LAMM). Research fields include nanobiotechnology and nanostructured materials. This network is open to anyone who is interested in cooperation, also with Europe. The focus is on applying natural resources of the North-Eastern region of Brazil.

This month, the Center of Technology received the visit of 8 US women scientists, who came as part of this project for “Future Scientists”, which offered me the opportunity to get to know a bit more about the innovative work that’s been carried out at CETENE. See below some of the images from our visit, as well as the guest participants, from different research institutes in the USA, with different backgrounds, but all of us sharing the same goal: improving the participation of women in Science & Technology; recognizing the work that’s already been done, and preparing the future generations for an equal and fair tomorrow… 😮

Guests/Visitors:

1-Lauren Armstrong – PhD candidate in chemical engineering
Nanotechnology for the United States Army, New Jersey

2- Candace Caroll, PhD – Postdoctoral fellow
Biochemistry at St. Jude’s Hospital, Tennessee

3-Parinaz Massoumzadeh, PhD – Researcher
Radiology at Washington University, Missouri

4-Ofelia Olivero, PhD – Associate Scientist
Cancer biology and genetics at (NIH), National Institute of Health, Maryland

5-Amelia Patrick, MS – Structural and civil engineer for Walter P Moore, Texas

6-Erin Pettit, PhD – Assistant Professor
Geophysics and glaciology at University of Alaska, Alaska

7-Donnette Sturdivant, MS – Environmental Engineer
Air quality monitoring at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), North Carolina

8-Diane Wray-Cahen, PhD – Science Advisor
Animal biotechnology at (USDA)United StatesDepartment of Agriculture Washington, DC

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