ASU researcher Trembath-Reichert wins international L’Oréal-UNESCO 'For Women in Science' award

ASU Assistant Professor Elizabeth Trembath-Reichert, ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration. Image courtesy of Fondation L’Oréal

By Karin Valentine |
February 17, 2020

On the occasion of the 2020 International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO revealed the winners of the 22nd international “For Women in Science" awards.

Arizona State University Assistant Professor Elizabeth Trembath-Reichert of the School of Earth and Space Exploration was honored with the “For Women in Science” Rising Talent award.

Trembath-Reichert is one of 15 international researchers who have been selected to be honored at a ceremony at the French Academy of Sciences in Paris on March 12.

“Professor Trembath-Reichert’s research provides a window into the Earth’s subsurface and gives us a view of how tiny organisms can survive in that environment,” said School of Earth and Space Exploration Director Meenakshi Wadhwa. “Her work is impactful because it can give unique insights not only into life’s evolution on Earth, but also into how life might exist in similar environments elsewhere in the solar system.”

Since 1998, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO have been actively supporting women in science, to give them more visibility, raise awareness of their talent and inspire more women to enter science.

“I enjoy every opportunity to talk about my science and how amazing our planet is, with its vast diversity of life in all forms and places,” said Trembath-Reichert. “I also look forward to gaining an international cohort of scholars through this program and the awards week.”

When asked by the foundation what have been the biggest challenges she has faced in pursuing a career in science, Trembath-Reichert said, “The challenge is to persevere and become comfortable being uncomfortable. There is a lot of rejection and a lot of unknowns; however, the flip side is that the unknowns make it exciting.”

Since the creation of the For Women in Science program, the Fondation L’Oréal has honored and supported 112 laureates and more than 3,300 talented young female scientists, including doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers, in more than 118 countries.