The Suffrage Science award celebrates women in STEM.

The Department of Computing’s Professor Nobuko Yoshida, of Imperial College London, has been chosen to receive a prestigious award celebrating the achievements of women in STEM. 

Professor Yoshida was honoured at the third Suffrage Science Awards for Mathematics and Computing online celebration on Friday 6 November 2020. 

11 mathematicians and computer scientists, who work in STEM fields across the world, were recognised for their scientific achievements and the work they do to promote maths and computing for the next generation. The Suffrage Science awards scheme, curated by the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, celebrates women in STEM subjects, and encourage others to enter scientific fields and reach senior leadership roles. 

The 11 awardees are chosen by the previous award holders for their scientific achievements and ability to inspire others. This scientific “relay” takes place every two years and creates an inspiring network of women connected by their link to the scheme. 

Nobuko said: "It is grateful to receive this award from Professor Ursula Martin. This award encourages me to work on mentoring female students and postdocs, not only in my team but also across the world including Japan where a number of female academic staff is very small. Recent double-blinding review process in major CS conferences helps me to publish our work in many different venues. I am grateful that the society recognises an importance of fair reviews in science and technologies."

Professor Ursula Martin of the University of Oxford, nominated Professor Yoshida.

Professor Martin said: “Professor Yoshida is a distinguished computer scientist, currently holder of a major fellowship from UKRI, a distinguished mentor to many students and postdocs, especially to women, and to members of the Japanese research community.” 

The award is a hand-crafted item of jewellery created by Emine Gulsal from which the award scheme takes its name. 

The Maths and Computing 2020 awardees will be celebrated at a virtual event alongside the 2020 Life Sciences recipients on 6 November 2020. 

The Suffrage Science scheme was founded nine years ago by the Medical Research Council’s London Institute of Medical Sciences (then Clinical Sciences Centre). It celebrates and inspires women in science, creating a self-perpetuating cohort of talent that will encourage others to enter science and reach senior leadership roles.