Phoenix Award ceremony celebrates a passion for glass
Professor Alicia Durán has received the 49th annual Phoenix Award at a ceremony in Madrid, supported by colleagues and friends. In an acceptance speech that emphasised her passion and support for glass and for members of the international glass community, Professor Durán confirmed her commitment to achieve a series of goals while President of the International Commission on Glass. This includes the realisation of the ICG2030 project and support for the International Year of Glass 2022 proposal.
Professor Alicia Durán has enjoyed a highly successful career in the world of glass science and technology, bridging the gap between industry and academia. A Research Professor at CSIC, she has developed her entire professional career at the Institute of Ceramics and Glass in Madrid, Spain. The Phoenix Award Committee selected her for this year’s prestigious award in recognition of her extensive work in the furtherance of glass, glass-ceramics and sol-gel materials research. Much of her work has related to some of the industry’s most pressing issues, including the development of opportunities to enhance energy savings in furnaces, environmental issues and emissions control, recycling systems and the certification of food safety of glass containers.
Alicia Durán is the second woman to be elected ICG President and the second to receive the Phoenix Award. The standard bearer in both instances, Alev Yaraman, was present in Madrid to support her long-time friend as she received this year’s award. Mrs Yaraman was one of five previous Phoenix Award winners in the audience, the other industry luminaries being Surasak Decharin, Javier Gutierrez, James O’Callaghan and Helmut Schaeffer.
Jean-Luc Logel, Chair of the Phoenix Award Committee for 2019, emphasised that Alicia Durán has made an outstanding contribution to the world of glass science and technology throughout her career and is recognised as a worthy winner of the 2019 Glass Person of the Year. “Her extensive knowledge is matched only by her great simplicity and exceptional generosity” he confirmed. “As a scientist and as a human being, Alicia embodies the PAC’s values perfectly.”
The accompanying photograph shows Professor Durán receiving her award from Jean-Luc Logel.
