Dr. Magaret Sivapragasam, a postdoctoral researcher on the UTP Ionic Fluid Research Center, has been included on the distinguished periodic table of junior chemists by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
She is the one and first-ever Malaysian awardee chosen by IUPAC to represent ytterbium (Yb), the seventieth chemical element on the periodic table.
This was announced on February 11 on the International Symposium on Setting the Table: Women and the Periodic Table, held in Murcia, Spain.
The Periodic Table of Junior Chemists was created to have a good time the one centesimal anniversary of IUPAC and International Periodic Table Day. Each of the chosen elements of the periodic table will likely be represented by certainly one of 118 exceptional young chemists from world wide. The resulting periodic table will highlight the range of careers, creativity and commitment of young chemists who represent IUPAC’s mission and core values.
“It is truly humbling to receive this award and a great honor to be part of the Periodic Table of Junior Chemists. I am thrilled to have Malaysia and UTP on such a unique global platform,” Magaret said.
She hopes that her achievement will encourage young minds, especially young women, to imagine in themselves and all the time strive for more.
She also hopes it is going to encourage young women to change into excited about and pursue science-related studies.
“We need more women in science to drive scientific innovation and, more importantly, address global challenges. Institutions like UTP create caring and inclusive environments to ensure women have the opportunity to develop their scientific interests and skills, as well as research opportunities.” she said.
Magaret’s research focuses on the usage of ionic liquids as a dye removal system and oil dispersant, while examining their ecotoxicity profiles. One of her projects involves removing dye from industrial wastewater from the batik dyeing industry in Malaysia, where she has won several awards, including the second stage of the Shell Ideas 360 Innovators Challenge and an honorable mention from the Yale University Green Chemistry Challenge. Its aim is to cut back the issue of pollution in small villages, which is an issue in Malaysia.
In 2017, she was awarded the distinguished Science Finder CAS Future Leader award by the American Chemical Society. She was recently featured within the “Science and She” social media campaign launched by the International Agricultural and Biotechnology Applications Acquisition Service (ISAAA) and its network of Biotechnology Information Centers world wide.
As a young scientist, she represented Malaysia at many international conferences, speaking on her research on ionic liquids.
Her passion is science communication, where she has published several articles within the American Chemical Society (ACS) Axial, MDPI, The Petri Dish, and plenty of others.
An energetic member of the Malaysian chapter of ACS, he often gives talks encouraging the usage of social media to disseminate scientific information. At his university, he organizes bimonthly science communication sessions called “Let’s talk over tea” to offer young scientists with a platform to discuss their science. An advocate for ladies scientists in Malaysia, she works to dispel stereotypes about women scientists and commenced the Twitter trend #scientistscanwearmakeup.
Source : UTP official website
