Tor Vergata honours Rosalind Franklin and celebrates women in research
Monday, 24 November 2025 from 10:00, at the Vilfredo Pareto Library, School of Economics
Tor Vergata University of Rome brings together science, merit, and a commitment to gender equality in a high-profile event. On Monday, 24 November 2025 from 10:00, at the Vilfredo Pareto Library of the School of Economics, the award ceremony for the Rosalind Franklin Prizes will take place—an initiative carrying special significance on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Established within the framework of the Gender Equality Plan, the prizes honour the memory of Rosalind Elsie Franklin (1920–1958), whose legacy has become a symbol of the need to fully acknowledge the role of women in science. Franklin, a British chemist and crystallographer, provided the crucial experimental data that led to the discovery of the DNA double-helix structure—a fundamental contribution that, unfortunately, did not receive due recognition during her lifetime, partly because of the gender dynamics that dominated the scientific world at the time.
The event acquires even greater importance due to its proximity to 25 November. Highlighting the injustice experienced by Franklin becomes a powerful metaphor against all forms of undervaluation and violence—whether physical, psychological, or professional—endured by women. The award ceremony is not merely an academic act but a concrete commitment to career equity and the recognition of merit.
The morning will open at 10:00 with greetings from the Rector of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Nathan Levialdi Ghiron, and from the President and Honorary President of the Committee for Equal Opportunities (CUG), Virginia Tancredi and Elisabetta Strickland. At 10:30, Professor Simona Ranallo of the Department of Chemical Science and Technologies will deliver a lecture entitled: “The next twist of the double helix: building smart molecular systems from DNA”, providing an inspiring prelude to the award ceremony. The winners of this first edition are Dr Nicole Bertani and Dr Giorgia Silvestrini.
The Committee for Equal Opportunities
(Translated from the original article)