The L'Oréal-UNESCO prizes "For Women in Science" are awarded each year, successively in different fields of science, to five women scientists of the five continents: Africa and Arab States, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

On 18 March 2015, a ceremony was held in Paris, France, where the laureates were presented and interviewed. The Latin American prize was awarded to the physics and astronomy Professor Thaisa Storchi Bergmann, from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Prof. Thaisa Storchi Bergmann is being honored for her work leading to the understanding of massive black holes, one of the most enigmatic and complex phenomena of the Universe: she was the first researcher to discover that matter could escape from black holes. Passionate and determined, she is convinced that education for all is the key to a better world and, through her work, she hopes to contribute to promoting science as a captivating and fun career path.

Links

• L'Oréal Press Release

Contacts

Raquel Yumi Shida
IAU Deputy Press Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 320 06 177
Email: rshida@eso.org