L’Oreal’s FWIS Honors First Filipina National Fellows

Today, more and more women are making their mark in different fields globally including the sciences. For many years, the field of science has been a man’s world, in fact since 1901 there have been over three hundred recipients of the Nobel Prize in the sciences. Only ten of them - about 3 percent - have been women. However, today, more women scientists are breaking ground and making a name for themselves, overcoming biases and lack of opportunities to maximize their potential.

As a testament to this movement, twelve years ago, two organizations came together sharing a vision to identify, reward and encourage women scientists. The unique partnership of L’Oréal, the worldwide leader in cosmetics, and UNESCO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, resulted in one of the most prestigious international programs, For Women in Science (FWIS).

The first of its kind, FWIS, has vigorously been promoting excellence among young women scientists worldwide for more than a decade. It has become one of the most anticipated annual events in the scientific community in more than 93 countries. To date, nearly 1,100 women have received FWIS awards – 67 laureates from 30 countries and over 1,000 fellowship awardees.

In 2010, L’Oréal Philippines, in unison with other participating countries joined the battle-cry, “The world needs science...Science needs women,” bringing the ambitious program to the local scene. For Women in Science National Fellowships – Philippines 2010 in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and UNESCO Philippines was launched in the search of exceptional women in the Life and Material Sciences.

Luc Olivier-MARQUET, Managing Director of L’Oréal Philippines says, “Scientific excellence has always been at the heart of L’Oréal and everything we do. We invest heavily in research and innovation to ensure that we provide the best in the cosmetics industry. We launched the FWIS National Fellowships in the Philippines in order to recognize and award Filipina scientists, in the hopes of encouraging broader involvement of women at all levels of the scientific community.”

The first L’Oréal Philippines National Fellows

Today, L’Oréal Philippines proudly announces the first FWIS National Fellows, Dr. Maria Corazon De Ungria & Dr. Laura T. David. Both women are awarded fellowship grants worth PhP400,000 each, after a tedious judging by an esteemed jury chaired by none other than Professor Lourdes Cruz, the first Filipino and first ASEAN Laureate of the FWIS L’Oréal-UNESCO Awards.

Luc adds “We are deeply pleased to award Dr. De Ungria and Dr. David for their ground-breaking work and unfailing commitment to science. These women are inspirational role models chosing the road less taken and even with that seemingly daunting decision, they have contributed much through their hard work in their chosen fields of study.” Dr. Maria Corazon De Ungria is a Professorial Lecturer for the Science and Technology Series at the College of Science and Head of the DNA Analysis Laboratory at the Natural Sciences Research Institute of the University of the Philippines. She is awarded the FWIS National Fellowship grant for her research proposal in Mitochondrial DNA Diversity of Philippine Negrito Populations. The project is part of an overall program aimed to study Philippine genetic diversity for anthropological, forensic and medical applications.

The second FWIS National Fellow, Dr. Laura T. David is a Professor at the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines and is an active member in the Technical Committee on Climate Change of the Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology and IGBP-Land Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone Project SEAsia Node Core group. Her research proposal in Endeavoring for Wise Mariculture, a study the different regions in the Philippines vis-à-vis their physical characteristics to evaluate the appropriateness of each site as a mariculture park; won her the prestigious award.

The Search for the 2011 FWIS National Fellows

In 2011, L’Oréal Philippines is once again in the search for the next FWIS National Fellows. This year, the FWIS National Fellowships – Philippines will accept research proposals related to the Life and Material Sciences from applicants who hold a Ph.D. degree in any field of science and are not more than 45 years old. Two fellowship grants worth PhP400,000 each, will be given to two deserving women based on the judging criteria of an esteemed jury composed of representatives from L’Oréal Philippines, UNESCO and the DOST. Nominations will be accepted from November 2011 to February 2012.

To expand its search for women scientists to the rest of the country, L’oreal Philippines will be embarking on an Academic Tour covering Manila, Cental Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao from October to November 2011.

L’Oréal Philippines is deeply committed to providing opportunities for Filipina scientists. Truly, wherever science is becoming a priority, L’Oréal and UNESCO are there to support the women who dream of making a difference in the field. To know more about FWIS National Fellowships – Philippines, please email the FWIS Secretariat at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Submission of entries is extended until April 30, 2012

Contact:

Karen Sales-Carvajal
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EON, The Stakeholder Relations Firm
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Dang Villanueva Account Manager
EON, The Stakeholder Relations Firm
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Pam Picazo-Garcia

Corporate Communications
L’Oréal Philippines
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