METU Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Feyza Kazanç Özerinç from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been awarded in the “For Women in Science” program with her project titled “Porosity and Surface Design of Biomass-Based Carbon Nanostructures.” The “For Women in Science” program, organized for the 21st time this year by L’Oréal Turkey in collaboration with UNESCO Turkey National Commission, aims to support women’s contributions to science and facilitate the creation of role models by raising awareness about gender equality in the field. Within the framework of the program that aims to increase the recognition of young female scientists, award-winning researchers are provided with a grant of 150,000 TL to support their scientific research studies.
Assoc. Prof. Feyza Kazanç Özerinç, expressing her pride in having her work appreciated by independent scientific committees and being deemed worthy of an award, stated that the award she received could help her expand her research on a broader scale, establish international collaborations, and gain new opportunities. In addition to highlighting the significance of such awards for motivation as an academic and scientist, Dr. Kazanç Özerinç said that receiving this award which aims to make women more visible in science has also made her particularly pleased with the prospect of it inspiring young women to pursue careers in science. Emphasizing the fact that grants of this kind will encourage young female scientists to focus on their work and contribute to the realization of their scientific potential, Dr. Kazanç Özerinç stated that this award is part of an initiative to support women in the field of science and thus holds great significance in the fight against gender inequality.
Assoc. Prof. Feyza Kazanç Özerinç’s project titled “Porosity and Surface Design of Biomass-Based Carbon Nanostructures” aims to provide solutions to challenges encountered in agriculture, water filtration, and energy storage by enabling the production of innovative and efficient materials to be used in advanced technology applications. The project has the potential to promote the production of environmentally friendly materials by reducing fossil fuel consumption and enhance the sustainability of materials used in advanced technologies. As a result, the project, which will allow for more efficient solutions in areas such as energy storage, catalysis, and medicine transportation, may also have positive environmental effects through the utilization of local resources in the production of more sustainable materials. Additionally, the project can potentially facilitate the domestic production of predominantly imported non-porous carbon structures, thereby contributing to the economy of our country.
