Report from the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards Ceremony

By now you may have heard that AirUCI founder and co-Director Barbara Finlayson-Pitts has received the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Award for 2025!   You can read the details of the award here, but this is the full report from the awards ceremony events held in Paris, France during the week of June 9 - 13, 2025.

The L’Oréal-UNESCO team provided months of preparation for Barbara, including a film crew that was sent to AirUCI arriving at the end of March.  For three days they followed Barbara as she sat for interviews, conducted research in her labs, taught her Chemistry class, led her weekly group meeting, and interacted with researchers, students, and collaborators.  The crew used their footage to produce a biographical film which was shown at the awards ceremony.  Watch the film

Barbara invited family and members of her research team to attend the events surrounding the awards ceremony.  During the week she was a guest of honor at several receptions and tours of famous Paris landmarks.  She also gave a number of interviews with French and international media. 

Along with the other laureates, on June 10th she presented Une Lecture Extraordinaire, shown here,  to the Institut de France and the French Academy of Sciences as well as diplomats, dignitaries, and members of the L’Oréal-UNESCO jury.  The grand building—filled with marble floors and furnishings, wood paneling, and portraits of legendary men of science—was an appropriate setting for such a formal lecture.  Those in attendance could not help but smile to think that Barbara now belonged among the portraits of those illustrious scientists!

The awards ceremony was held at the International Headquarters of UNESCO in their massive auditorium.  The room was packed with additional diplomats, dignitaries, L’Oréal corporate leaders, UNESCO directors, and other international VIPs.  Each of the laureates gave their acceptance speeches and their biographical videos were shown.  These exceptional scientists who happen to be women were deeply inspirational as was evidenced by the numbers of young scientists who approached them after the ceremony to express their admiration.  There was extensive media coverage of the event, and the after party lasted well into the evening.

It was a splendid week of celebration, both for Barbara and of her, and an honor well deserved for her amazing science over her long and influential career!