NEWS Professor Emerita Asta Pellinen-Wannberg at Umeå University has been awarded the President’s Award from the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) for her work promoting and supporting women in radio science.
Asta Pellinen-Wannberg is being honoured for her commitment to women in radio science. Here she is delivering her acceptance speech.
ImageURSIThe award was presented at the opening ceremony of the URSI General Assembly and Scientific Symposium in Kraków on 16 August.
In its citation, URSI highlights Asta Pellinen-Wannberg’s long-standing commitment to encouraging and supporting women researchers, as well as her contributions to Women in Radio Science (WIRS), an international initiative that promotes the inclusion and visibility of women in the field.
“It is remarkable that a question I raised publicly in 2015 about where all the talented women in this heavily male-dominated field could be found has grown into a global initiative. I am deeply honoured to receive this award,” says Asta Pellinen-Wannberg of the Department of Physics.
What began as a column in the Radio Science Bulletin later developed into dedicated WIRS sessions at URSI’s international conferences. Today, there are 16 local WIRS chapters around the world.
Radio science encompasses the study of electromagnetic fields and waves and their many applications, ranging from communications and radar to space research.
The International Union of Radio Science (URSI) is an international, independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing research, international collaboration and the exchange of knowledge within the field. URSI is a member of the International Science Council.
The URSI President’s Award was established in 2017 to recognise individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the organisation and its mission. The award is normally presented to one recipient once every three years.
