Meet The Malaysian Scientist Who Made It To IUPAC's Periodic Table Of Younger Chemists
She is the first Malaysian scientist to receive this international honour.
By Sadho Ram — 21 Feb 2019, 07:11 PM
This is Dr Magaret Sivapragasam
Dr Magaret is a Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) postdoctoral research scientist working at the Centre of Research Ionic Liquids.
Dr Magaret, who has won multiple awards and honours in the past for her incredible body of work in science, has represented Malaysia as a young scientist in many international conferences speaking on her research in ionic liquids.
One of her projects which involved the removal of dye from industrial wastewater produced by the batik-dyeing industry in Malaysia won her several awards including Stage Two of the Shell Ideas 360 Innovators Challenge and an honourable mention in the Yale University Green Chemistry Challenge, according to a Bernama report.
The Malaysian scientist has now been included into an international 'Periodic Table of Younger Chemists', which honours a diverse group of 118 outstanding younger chemists from around the world
The "Periodic Table of Younger Chemists" was created by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN) in celebration of IUPAC's 100th anniversary, the international organisation said.
It features a group of 118 young chemists who embody the mission and core values of IUPAC, highlighting the diversity in careers, creativity, and dedication.
According to IUPAC, Dr Magaret is a champion of female scientists in Malaysia and works towards ending the stereotyping of women scientists.
In her profile, the international organisation also stated that the Malaysian scientist aims to curb the issue of pollution in small villages, which is a rampant issue here.
In response to the honour, the postdoctoral research scientist said that she feels really humbled and hopes that her achievement will inspire more young women to take up science-related courses
"It is really humbling to receive the award and a great honour to be part of the Periodic Table of Younger Chemists. I am thrilled to put Malaysia and UTP on such a distinguished global platform," she was quoted as saying by Bernama on Wednesday.
"We need more women in science roles to make scientific innovations, and more importantly, address global challenges. Institutions like UTP create a nurturing and inclusive environment to ensure that women have the opportunity to develop their scientific interests and abilities as well as research capabilities," she added.