An award addressed to young women graduates and PhDs who have distinguished themselves not only for their academic results, but also for their involment in the social field: the Nellie Award Italia , which in its first edition was given to three winners, girls "with extraordinary talents who cultivate their dream as scientists with strength and determination, with a strong vocation to develop innovative solutions for the benefit of others.
Tracy Bassil , Marine Kerdaffrec and Elena Redaelli presented very different dissertations, but all joined by the desire to promote female empowerment and an ever increasing sensitivity towards the environment and to society, perfectly chenneling the values of the initiative.
The awarding of the awards was approved by a Commission composed of members of The Circle Italia Onlus , of Tiffany & Co. Italia and of Politecnico di Milano . The commission identified the three graduates who received the award from over seventy applications received.
"The commitment of the Politecnico di Milano in favor of merit - comments Donatella Sciuto, Vice Rector of the Politecnico di Milano - is enriched thanks to this initiative which, not surprisingly, has met with great success within of our university. In fact, over seventy girls who are involved in research and study projects have responded, expressing not only their talent, but also and above all the ability and willingness to put it at the service of others.
The success of the announcement shows the desire to affirmation of a new generation of graduates and doctoral students aware of their ambitions and ready to get involved. It is time for women to give a voice to women and this collaboration with The Circle Italia and Tiffany & Co. Italia is the clear demonstration of this".
“In addition to the degree thesis, to participate I had to send a video and a motivation letter. - explains Tracy Bassil , Alumna Product Service Design and Management Engineering from Lebanon -. The jury's criteria were not limited only to the academic achievements of the participants but also to their role in the social field and how their solutions applied in helping others ".
In his thesis " AFTERMATH ", Bassil focused on coming up with a solution capable of addressing the housing crisis after the explosion of the Beirut harbour in 2020.
“I have many plans for the future , but one of the things I would like to accomplish is to develop my thesis project into a fully functional platform. This could be possible by joining forces and finding the right team that can make it a reality. "
Elena Redaelli , Alumna biomedical engineering, with her thesis has developed a method to improve the lives of people operated on with the TEVAR technique (a surgical operation that consists in inserting a self-expandable stent-graft inside the aorta), choosing the device suitable for the particularity of the person. The method is in fact patient-specific, that is, applicable to each patient based on his own clinical parameters.
"I decided to participate because from the experiences of volunteering in the educational-parish field and in the Ambrosian Caritas I understood how essential it is to operate with an open gaze to the individuality of the other - adds Redaelli - Furthermore, working with others and for others brings out the best in me in every field ”.
Alumna is currently continuing her path with a doctorate in Zaragoza, with the aim of studying the biomechanical properties of the eye using the same computational method on which she began working during her thesis.
Marine Kerdaffrec, Alumna in Integrated Product Design, won the award thanks to her thesis that explored the links between the environment and health : designing a device that serves to link asthma monitoring and air pollution detection, to joint control of air quality levels and asthma symptoms.
The three Alumnae won for being deserving "from a professional point of view and for having great sensitivity", as Adelaide Corbetta, president of The Circle Italia states:
"Thanks to them, to all the candidates and their commitment, we find hope and enthusiasm; they are the best witnesses of the future for The Circle Italia Onlus, the network of women committed to helping women ”.
By supporting the GIRLS @ POLIMI project you can contribute together with other donors to create scholarships to support girls enrolling in engineering degree courses with low female attendance. Donate now .
