What pride! The Guatemalan scientist Lucía Arana won an award from the Estonian Academy of Sciences 2024, standing out among the five best foreign doctoral students by participating in the first edition of the competition «Science in 3 Minutes».
Guatemalan scientist Lucía Arana won an award from the Estonian Academy of Sciences
Lucia Aranathe Guatemala’s first female medical physicisthas been awarded by the Estonian Academy of Sciencesa prestigious association of scientists founded in 1938. The Guatemalan participated in the first edition of the “Science in 3 Minutes” contestthe English version of this competition that aims to train young researchers in presenting their research to the public.
The competition began in May with training, while the final gala was held on October 18, bringing together 19 foreign doctoral students studying at Estonian universities. At the event, the best five presenters were awarded and among them the participation of Lucía Mariel Arana Peñawho represented Tallinn University of Technology.
During the final, participants had to summarize their years of research in three minutes, creating an engaging and understandable speech for all listeners. In the case of the Guatemalan, her presentation was titled “Caring through quality: improving mammography from a distance.”
In addition to the Guatemalan, Francis Gracy Arockiaraj, from India, was also recognized; Baiba Brumele, from Latvia; Mehruba Shabaab Haque, from Bangladesh, and Sarib Khan, also from India.
Standing out among the best foreign students in Estonia
The 19 finalists of the contest had to pass internal competitions at the participating universities and training courses on presentation and writing skills, organized by the aforementioned academy.
Now, as one of the winners, the Guatemalan will participate in one of the most important events on scientific communication: the conference of the Network for the Public Communication of Science and Technology -PCST-. This event will be held from May 27 to 29, 2025 in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The first Guatemalan woman specialized in Medical Physics
Lucía Arana is a Guatemalan with a passion for helping others through her skills. With her profession as a Medical Physicist, she seeks to advance knowledge about the safe use of radiation to improve breast imaging methodologies in medical care.
In addition to being the first Guatemalan woman to specialize in medical physics, Lucía is a proud representative of Guatemala, mother, researcher and promoter of the participation of women in this branch of knowledge, as detailed by the Estonian Academy of Sciences on its website. .
In April 2024, the scientist participated in the 60th anniversary of the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics -ICTP-, held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. What a chilero! Thanks to her work and the recognitions she has received, Lucía Arana has become a source of inspiration for young Guatemalan women interested in pursuing a related career. With his example, he shows that it is possible to achieve dreams and stand out in the scientific field.
Did you know that the famous reality show Shark Tank coming to Guatemala? It will be the first country in Central America with its own version and it will definitely be the ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs to present their ideas to potential investors. Find out how to apply and all the related news in the Shark Tank special that we have prepared for you.
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