Daily Image
16-04-2014
Gabby Aitink-Kroes wins Engineer PowerWoman Award 2014
| Submitter: | Ramon Navarro |
| Description: | The prestigious Engineer Powerwoman Award 2014 has been won by our very own Gabby Aitink-Kroes. The award ceremony took place at the WoMenPower Fachkongress in Hannover, Germany, on Friday 11 April 2014. This was the high point of the closing day of the Hannover Messe, the world's largest industrial fair (250.000 visitors), where NOVA and ASTRON present their scientific and technological highlights. The award is given each year to a woman who is unusually successful in the areas of mathematics, ICT, the natural sciences or technology, and who has contributed significantly to the mission of her employer through dedication, ideas and results. For those who know Gabby, her reaction was rather typical: "The chance of being nominated seemed very small to me, so the fact that I have won is an immense surprise". Gabby has been employed as mechanical ingenieur by NOVA and ASTRON since 1997. She has played a key role in the development of the MIRI mid-IR imaging spectrometer for the ESA/NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). By means of the clever use of symmetry she was able to advance and improve the design, production and testing of the instrument. In addition, she contributed to the development of many instruments for ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. She currently leads the development of the mechanical part of the METIS instrument for the future European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). Gabby is more than a role model. She is an active member of the ASTRON/JIVE Diversity Committee, which, among other things, is involved in the discussion on gender equality in science & technology. Of course she participates in the yearly ASTRON/JIVE Girl's Day for secondary school students. This is part of the national VHTO Spiegelbeeld project, which aims to stimulate enthusiasm among girls and women for mathematics, the natural sciences and ICT. The next Girl's Day will be very soon, on thursday 24 April 2014. Perhaps we will find another one. |
| Copyright: | Ronald Halfwerk |
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