Our alumni

At the Elsevier Foundation, we believe meaningful progress is driven by knowledge, collaboration and strong networks.

Through our Elsevier Foundation alumni and Elsevier communities, we help impact-makers build relationships, share expertise and extend their impact.

2019 Chemistry Challenge alumna Ramia Albakain was awarded the prestigious French award “Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite” in 2023.

2022 OWSD-EF Awards alumna and TWAS-EF Climate Women alumna Heyddy Calderon was named Minister for Environment and Natural Resources of Nicaragua 2022-2025.

2023 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards alumna Gabriela Montenegro-Bethancourt was elected Guatemala Secretary of Science and Technology 2024-2026.

2024 Falling Walls Foundation Women Impact Award alumna, Antonia Morita Iswari Saktiawati, received the Young Leaders in Global Health Award at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2025.

2015 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards alumna Rabia Sa’id was appointed to the United Nations’ 20-member Independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War, by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in 2025.

2025 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards alumna Reem Obaydo was honored as Levant Young Talent in the Unesco-L’Oréal Women in Science program in 2025.

Article. Women scientists challenge ‘tokenistic’ media coverage (Research Professional News). At the World Conference of Science Journalists 2025, OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards alumnae Eugénie Kayitesi (2023), Augustina Alexander (2024), Halima Twabi (2025) discussed representation in the media.

Article. Science in exile: how displaced African researchers are rebuilding careers abroad (Nature). Sudanese OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards alumna Nashwa Eassa (2015) shares her experience with adapting to unfamiliar research systems, and rebuilding professional identity.

Article. “You Cannot Conserve What You Do Not Know” (Frontiers). OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards alumna Narel Paniagua-Zambrana (2019) on documenting plant knowledge to protect culture and biodiversity.

Podcast. In conversation with… (The Lancet Global Health). OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards alumna Alejandra Paniagua-Avila (2025) discusses her work on advancing equity in implementation research with Indigenous populations in Guatemala.

Webinars and panels highlighting alumni’s expertise

• RELX Inspiration Day 2025. Panel: Better Health: Exploring the intersection between philanthropy and global health. Featuring Elsevier Foundation partners Dr. Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO, Amref Health Africa and Dr. Angela Chaudhuri, CEO, Swasti.
• Confidence in Research series:
  • Talking about the quality and reliability of evidence. Featuring OWSD-Elsevier Foundation award winner Alejandra Paniagua-Avila (2025) and Falling Walls Female Science Talent Champion Zainab Kidwai (2023).
  • Communicating what research is and isn’t. Featuring OWSD-Elsevier Foundation award winner Alejandra Paniagua-Avila (2025).
• Unlocking opportunities: crafting award-winning proposals – insights for early career researchers. Designed to equip researchers with proven strategies for developing competitive proposals. Featuring Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge winners Ramia Albakain (2019), Ankur Patwardhan (2019) and Chioma Chikere (2017).
  

Alumni in leading journals’ Editorial Boards

• Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy:
  • Reem Obaydo (OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award winner 2025)
• Sustainable Chemistry One World:
  • Mokgadi Miranda Hlongwane (Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge winner 2025)
  • Pooja Singh (Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge winner 2025)
  • Nimanthi Jayathilaka (Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge finalist 2025)
  • Pham Hong (Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge winner 2022)
  • Ramia Albakain (Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge winner 2019)
  • Ankur Patwardhan (Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge winner 2019)
  • Chioma Chikere (Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge winner 2017)
• Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering:
  • Zubeda Ukundimana (OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award winner 2024)