Simonetta Di Pippo, WIA Europe President, has been awarded with the ‘Silver Medal of the President of the Italian Republic’ for her contribution to the Space Engineering sector.

On 29 May 2010 the 28th edition of the ceremony for the delivery of the International Prize “Sebetia-Ter 2010” took place in Naples at the Villa Doria d’Angri in the Lectio Magistralis room at the University of Napels Parthenope.

ESA Director of Human Spaceflight Simonetta Di Pippo was awarded with the ‘Silver Medal of the President of the Italian Republic’ (Prize: “Professor Engineer Luigi Napolitano”) for her contribution to the Space Engineering sector.

The “Sebetia Ter” is an apolitical association with which was officially founded in 1805; its main objective is to diffuse and support the development of the Beaux Arts and to be an instrument of information and exchange in the scientific, artistic and cultural domains. This organisation is represented in Italy and many different cities worldwide (i.e. Milan, Rome, Palermo, Paris, London, Madrid, New York etc).

“Merito al femminile”

On 15 June 2010, the official presentation of the book “Merito al femminile – Talenti di donne tra lavoro e vita privata” took place at the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Offices, in Rome. The book was developed and promoted by the Ministry of Labour, Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Equal Opportunities and by the “Industrialists Union” (Uir) and by businesses in Rome, Plural female Strategic Committee Uir. This book is a collection of the biographies of 54 “talented women” who excelled in their respective professional field, in politics, university, sport, ranging form science to culture and art. The common denominator amongst all these women is their ability to reconcile their professional life with their private one. WIA President, Simonetta Di Pippo, is also featured in this book.