- The Banco Santander Foundation has sponsored seven editions of the SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award, being today when the winners of the fifth and the seventh editions have collected their awards: Spanish researchers Prof Susana García López and Dr Nuria Tapia Ruiz.
- Prof García López was awarded the 2020 SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award for her innovative research on mechanisms to capture carbon dioxide to fight climate change, while Dr Tapia Ruiz has been this year’s awardee for her outstanding research on developing a new generation of batteries that last longer, deliver higher energy density, and are safer and cheaper than the current ones.
- The Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK (SRUK/CERU) and Banco Santander Foundation keep their joint mission of supporting young Spanish researchers with an outstanding scientific career in the United Kingdom, which in turn promotes new collaborations between academic institutions and enterprises both from Spain and the UK.
London, 14th November 2022. This Monday, the SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award ceremony took place at the Spanish Embassy in London, recognising the outstanding contributions to research of Prof Susana García López and Dr Nuria Tapia Ruiz, winners of the 2020 and 2022 editions, respectively. The SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award, which celebrates its 7th edition this year, is part of the collaboration between the Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom (SRUK/CERU) and the Banco Santander Foundation.
The award ceremony counted with the presence of His Excellency Mr José Pascual Marco Martínez, Spanish ambassador in the UK; Mr Rodrigo Echenique Gordillo, president of the Banco Santander Foundation; and Dr Claudia Román Montañana, president of SRUK/CERU. During the reception, Mr Echenique Gordillo remarked that “It is essential to continue investing in research to ensure a more sustainable and efficient future. The commitment to young scientists is one of the Foundation’s priorities”.
Dr Nuria Tapia Ruiz is the recipient of this year’s edition of the 2022 SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award for her exceptional career in the field of Fundamental Materials Chemistry and Energy. Contributions of Dr Tapia Ruiz include the development of new materials for sustainable energy storage technologies to promote the transition to renewable energy generation to fight global warming. Dr Tapia Ruiz works on the creation of a new generation of batteries that last longer, deliver higher energy density and are cheaper and safer than the common ones. Dr Tapia Ruiz highlighted that “I am deeply honoured to receive the 2022 SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award. I would like to thank past and present members of my research group without whom this award would not have been possible, as well as SRUK/CERU and the Banco Santander Foundation for providing me with this wonderful recognition”.
The recipient of the 2020 SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award, Prof Susana García López, had the opportunity to finally collect her award in person, as the 2020 ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prof García López was awarded for her excellent research career in the field of Chemical Engineering and climate change, with which she aims to solve one of the main global issues: the continuous release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. Her research focuses on advancing materials and separation processes for energy, industrial, and environmental applications through the integration of process engineering and basic science. One of her most recent contributions has been the design of new materials capable of capturing carbon dioxide more efficiently than those currently available. In the words of Prof García López, “I am delighted to have collected in person the 2020 SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award. Reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere is the greatest challenge our generation faces, and pushing forward the required transition to clean and sustainable energy is the goal of my research. The recognition of this work by SRUK/CERU and the Banco Santander Foundation back in 2020 was a great encouragement to continue our fight against climate change”.
With the SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award, SRUK/CERU’s commitment to support and give visibility to Spanish scientists carrying out their research in the United Kingdom, while promoting collaborations between these two countries, is consolidated one more year. Dr Claudia Román Montañana, president of SRUK/CERU, stated that “The SRUK/CERU Emerging Talent award ceremony is one of the most highly anticipated dates in our calendar, but this year has been even more special as we have had the opportunity to meet, not one, but two outstanding and distinguished researchers with impressive career tracks focused on the environmental challenges that we face globally. This award showcases the huge contribution that Spanish scientists and researchers bring to the UK, and will help both awardees to develop their portfolio whilst improving the visibility and dissemination of their research to both Spanish and British societies. Both awardees are committed to raising awareness to the public and funding agencies of the importance of energy research to tackle climate change whilst elevating women in STEM subjects and serving as role models to inspire future generations”.
Image credit: © Kristina Sarkisyan (@christina_sarkisian).
