UNS – Lecturer of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Dr. Witri Wahyu Lestari, succeeded in winning achievement through research publication in the prestigious awards of the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World 2018. Witri won the award after competing with scientists from various Asia Pacific countries such as India, Pakistan, China, Iran, Bangladesh, Nepal, Philippines, Turkey, Srilanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and Uzbekistan.
Witri Wahyu Lestari’s Research on Metal Organic Framework (MOFs), Awarded OWSD – Elsevier Foundation Award 2018
The competition is based on indexed scholarly publications and divided into five regions of developing countries: Asia Pacific, Africa, Arab Countries, Latin America and the Caribbean. Witri as the Indonesian representative was finally selected as the winner along with four scientists from Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ecuador, and Guyana.
The jury of this award consists of research scientists from the International Research Centers located in Trieste, Italy. The handover of certificates and USD 5000 was held on February 17, 2018, in a series of the American Association’s Annual Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) Annual Meeting event in Austin, Texas, USA. However, Witri was unable to attend directly due to 37 weeks pregnant; therefore, she received an award via Skype at that time.
Witri is an Inorganic Chemistry lecturer at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sebelas Maret. Her research focuses on the field of organometallic and chemical coordination, especially the type of material Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) with its application in the field of sustainable development. The selection process in this competition is required to attach a list of 10 scientific publications. In addition, it must be nominated by 3 people who include experts in related fields and university leaders by including a letter of recommendation and nomination form. Three of these experts are two seniors from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Prof. Ari Handono Ramelan, Prof. Sentot Budi Rahardjo and Prof. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins (University of Leipzig, Germany).
Witri said that this award is a catalyst for her to be more productive and can inspire lecturers and students of UNS, especially in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. She proved that actually Indonesian scientists are not inferior to other countries, as long as they have the spirit to move forward and actively build a network. (HUMAS UNS)