Awards and distinctions

LAWRENCE R. FALVELLO, HONORARY DOCTORATE AWARDED BY PAVOL JOZEF ŠAFÁRIK UNIVERSITY IN KOŠICE (SLOVAKIA)

Professor Lawrence R. (Larry) Falvello, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Zaragoza, has been awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by Pavol Jozef Šafárik University (UPJŠ) in Košice, Slovakia. The academic ceremony took place on 21 October 2025 in the Historic Auditorium of the UPJŠ Rectorate in Košice and was presided over by Rector Daniel Pella, who presented him with the diploma and medal attesting to the distinction. The ceremony was attended by members of the UPJŠ International Council, other distinguished representatives of UPJŠ and other universities, as well as representatives of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Numerous members of the academic community and former students of Professor Falvello were also present.

Professor Falvello is an internationally recognised expert in the fields of X-ray and neutron crystallography and coordination chemistry. For the past two decades, he has maintained a very close relationship with UPJŠ, particularly with the research group led by Professor Juraj Černák. This collaboration has included research visits, joint projects, and the training of postgraduate students.

Professor Roman Soták, Dean of the UPJŠ Faculty of Science, delivered the laudatio. He highlighted Professor Falvello’s major scientific contributions and emphasised his role as a mentor and guide to young scientists, as well as the generosity with which he has shared his knowledge and time with students and colleagues. He noted that the collaboration between the University of Zaragoza and UPJŠ, fostered through Professors Falvello and Černák, has been productive, enduring, and mutually enriching. Together, they have trained new generations of scientists, developed collaborative projects, and built bridges between the two institutions, creating an environment in which students learn to think critically, work with precision, and communicate internationally.

The UPJŠ Faculty of Science in Košice had previously awarded Professor Falvello a Bronze Medal (2013) and a Gold Medal (2018) in recognition of his contribution to the development of doctoral studies within the Faculty, his scientific cooperation, and his role in promoting UPJŠ in Spain, the United States, and other countries.

Professor Falvello expressed his deep gratitude for the honour bestowed upon him. He reflected on the early stages of his scientific career in crystallography and on how this technique has become indispensable for the structural characterisation of molecules. He also described how his scientific interests broadened over time to include the study of magnetic properties and the preparation of new compounds. He stressed the importance of collaboration between institutions and welcomed the outstanding results of his long-standing partnership with UPJŠ as an example for young scientists in their professional development.

JOSÉ MARÍA DE TERESA, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY (EPS)

José María de Teresa, Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA), a joint institute of CSIC and the University of Zaragoza, has been appointed President-Elect of the European Physical Society (EPS) at the meeting of its Governing Council, held in Copenhagen on 16 and 17 May 2025.

In accordance with the Society’s customary succession procedure, De Teresa will serve on the EPS Executive Committee as President-Elect for one year. He will then assume the full responsibilities of President for a two-year term, followed by a one-year mandate as Vice-President. He will become the 27th President of the European Physical Society and the first Spaniard to hold this position. The current President is Mairi Sakellariadou (King’s College London), who will remain in office until the next EPS Governing Council meeting, scheduled for May 2026.

The European Physical Society was founded in 1968 with the aim of promoting the advancement of physics in Europe and neighbouring countries, providing both a forum for the discussion of issues of common interest and a framework through which international initiatives can be undertaken. At that time, the Second World War was still a recent memory and the Cold War was at its height. The founders of the EPS believed that a European physical society could serve as a unifying force among different countries, in a role that today might be described as a form of soft power.

The EPS brings together 42 national physical societies, including the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG) in Germany, the Institute of Physics (IOP) in the United Kingdom, and the Royal Spanish Physical Society (RSEF) in Spain. It also includes several associate member institutions, such as CERN, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), IBM, and the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), as well as individual members, representing a total membership of more than 120,000 physicists.

The Society is organised into 18 divisions and thematic groups. Between 2021 and 2024, José María de Teresa served as Chair of the Condensed Matter Division, one of the largest and most active divisions within the EPS.

MARÍA JOSÉ MARTÍNEZ PÉREZ, PÉREZ AWARDED THE 2025 NATIONAL RESEARCH AWARD FOR YOUNG RESEARCHERS

María José Martínez Pérez has been awarded the 2025 National Research Award for Young Researchers, presented by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, in recognition of her contributions to the field of magnetism, particularly to superconductivity at the nanoscale, from an original and unconventional perspective.

The physicist from Huesca, who conducts her research at the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA), a joint institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza, has become the first researcher from Aragón to receive this prestigious award. The prize recognises her outstanding career in advanced scientific instrumentation, her decisive contributions to research infrastructures and technology transfer, and her demonstrated scientific independence.

ROSA I. MERINO, AWARDED THE GOLD EPSILON PRIZE OF THE SPANISH CERAMIC AND GLASS SOCIETY

Researcher Rosa I. Merino has been awarded the Gold Epsilon Prize, a distinction presented every two years by the Electroceramics Section of the Spanish Ceramic and Glass Society to individuals or organisations that have made outstanding scientific contributions to the field of electroceramics.

The award was presented during the closing ceremony of the 17th Electroceramics Conference (Electrocerámica XVII), held in Pamplona from 25 to 27 June 2025. The prize recognises Professor Merino’s significant scientific achievements and her contribution to advancing research in electroceramic materials and technologies.

“LIQUID HELIUM MADE IN ZARAGOZA” AWARDED THE ARAGÓN INVESTIGA “RAMÓN Y CAJAL” PRIZE FOR KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER RESEARCH PROJECTS

The Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA), a joint institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza, together with the General Research Support Service (SAI) of the University of Zaragoza, has been recognised at the 15th Aragón Investiga Awards Gala, which celebrates excellence in research in Aragón. The ceremony was presided over by Claudia Pérez Forniés, Regional Minister for Employment, Science and Universities.

The project “Liquid Helium Made in Zaragoza” received the Aragón Investiga “Ramón y Cajal” Prize for Knowledge Transfer Research Projects in recognition of the development and worldwide commercialisation of a pioneering technology for the efficient recovery and reliquefaction of helium. This line of work, led by researchers Conrado Rillo Millán (CSIC researcher at INMA), Javier Sesé Monclús (CSIC researcher at INMA) and Miguel Gabal Lanau (SAI, University of Zaragoza), has established Aragón as an international benchmark in sustainable helium recovery and liquid helium production technologies.

CONRADO RILLO, MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF ZARAGOZA

The Royal Academy of Sciences of Zaragoza held an extraordinary public session on 7 May 2025 in the Assembly Hall of the Faculty of Science for the formal admission of Conrado Rillo Millán as a full member of its Physics Section. During the ceremony, he delivered his inaugural lecture, entitled “An Exciting Journey Through Innovation: Liquid Helium Made in Zaragoza”, and received Medal Number 23. On behalf of the Academy, the response address was given by fellow academician Juan Bartolomé Sanjoaquín.

With this appointment, the Royal Academy recognises Professor Rillo’s outstanding contributions to applied physics and his role in advancing scientific and technological development from Aragón to the international stage.

Rillo is regarded as one of the leading pioneers of low-temperature physics in Spain. He played a key role in the design and construction of the first superconducting magnet developed in Spain, a milestone that helped establish the country’s ability to supply superconducting magnets and cryostats to organisations such as CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland and other major research centres.

His work on the recovery, purification and liquefaction of helium has had a significant impact across numerous scientific disciplines. Biologists, chemists, physicists and materials scientists all rely on low-temperature environments for their research, yet until recently helium, the essential element for achieving such temperatures, was effectively a non-renewable resource. Professor Rillo’s innovations have made helium recovery possible, helping to mitigate supply shortages and expanding access to liquid helium and low-temperature physics for research laboratories as well as medical facilities using technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) systems. Given that helium is both scarce and indispensable, these advances are of considerable scientific and technological importance.

JESÚS CARRETE, HONOURED BY THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF EXACT, PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES OF ZARAGOZA

On 25 November 2025, the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical, Chemical and Natural Sciences of Zaragoza presented its 2025 Academy Research Awards in the fields of Mathematics and Physics.

In the Physics category, the award was presented to Jesús Carrete Montaña, a researcher at the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA), in recognition of his scientific contributions. During the award ceremony, he gave a presentation outlining the research work that had earned him this distinction: “Ab-initio thermal transport calculations in single-crystals and beyond: a review”.

ALBERTO CONCELLÓN, WINNER OF THE INMAGINA 2025 AWARD 

On 27 June 2025, during the 6th Nanotechnology Gala organised by the SAMCA Chair, the INMAGINA 2025 Award was presented to Alberto Concellón Allueva for his project “Portable Optical Detection of PFAS in Water Using Liquid Crystal Emulsions (SENDROPS)”.

Alberto proudly received the award, which recognises his outstanding work in the development of innovative solutions for the detection of water contaminants. His project contributes to advances in applied nanotechnology and promotes environmental sustainability through the creation of portable and efficient technologies for monitoring water quality.