Dr. Magdalena Lenny Situmorang, the name of this woman figure may not be as famous as celebrities or officials who often adorn the small screen, even so beauty, we need to be proud you know have a female researcher like her.
Lenny, as he is familiarly called, is a Lecturer at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). She specializes in microbial biotechnology, a science that is rarely mastered by women. And now, Lenny is one of the 4 four Indonesian research woman who gets awards L’ORÉAL-UNESCO FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP 2021.
Judging from his academic track record, Lenny earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Department of Biology at the Bandung Institute of Technology in 2006, then continued his master’s studies in Aquaculture and received his degree in 2008.
As if not satisfied with his academic degree, Lenny continued his doctoral studies and earned his Ph.D. in the field Applied Biological Sciences in 2015. Meanwhile, he completed both degrees at Ghent University, Belgium.
What makes me proud is that in 2017, Lenny was awarded the Carolina MacGillavry Award: Best Application for Collaborative Research bestowed by International Foundation for Science (IFS) and The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
So, what inspired Lenny to become one of the female lecturers and researchers who make Indonesia proud?
Lenny admitted that he grew up with his mother who worked as a scientist. Lenny said he had been interested in science since he was a child, where he had been very exposed to his mother’s work and was driven to have the same ideals.
“I was more open to the world of science when I was in school until I continued my study in Biology, which then opened up many opportunities to realize my dream as a scientist,” explained Lenny, during the L’ORÉAL-UNESCO FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP 2021 event. , recently.
Over time, continued Lenny, he also received a VLIR-UOS master’s scholarship to study aquaculture in Belgium. After his master’s studies, his supervisor during his undergraduate studies at ITB, namely Prof. Dr. Gede Suantika, who also brought him to study the world of aquaculture, convinced himself to become an Academic Assistant at ITB.
“After one year as an Academic Assistant, I then received a doctoral scholarship from The World Bank to continue my studies and study aquaculture in Belgium,” added Lenny.