Lorenzo Mendoza Fleury Science Prize

Lorenzo Mendoza Fleury

The Lorenzo Mendoza Fleury Science Prize,^[1] also known as the "Premio Fundación Empresas Polar" is the most important award offered by the private sector to contemporary scientists from Venezuela who have shown outstanding talent, creativity and productivity during a given period.

History

The prize was created in 1983 by "Fundación Empresas Polar"^[2] and is named after the founder of Empresas Polar,^[3] a Venezuelan corporation owning one of the largest breweries in the country but whose operations also include an array of industries, mostly related to food processing and packaging. The award was established as part of the Corporate social responsibility of the group.^[4] Every two years since 1983 the prize has been systematically awarded to Venezuelan scientists in the fields of Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and their interdisciplines. For each biennial edition, the Board of Directors of Empresas Polar Foundation appoints a Selection Committee composed of seven scientists having extensive academic experience in their respective research fields. This committee then propose candidates, evaluate nominees, select winners, and write and submit the verdict to the Board of Polar Foundation. The selection process evaluates the talent, creativity and productivity of each candidate in their respective specialties. Besides giving public recognition to the awardees, the prize also includes a diploma and a freely spendable amount of cash to each one of them.

Award statistics

Since the prize started in 1983 until 2013 awardees had the following specialties: Biology:28, Physics:19, Mathematics:17 and Chemistry:16.^[5] Awardees have been members of the following institutions:

• Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC): 31
• Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV): 16
• Universidad de Los Andes (ULA): 12
• Universidad Simón Bolívar (USB): 10
• Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomia (CIDA): 4
• Universidad de Oriente (UDO): 2
• Universidad de Carabobo (UC): 1
• IBM: 1
• Intevep: 1
• Universidad del Zulia (LUZ): 1
• Instituto de Estudios Avanzados (IDEA):^[6] 1

Award recipients

A list of scientists who have received the prize since 2005 is shown below

• Year 2005.^[7]
  • Manuel Bautista, physics
  • Pedro Berrizbeitia, mathematics
  • José Bubis, biology
  • José Luis Paz, chemist
  • Félix J. Tapia, biology
• Year 2007.^[8]
  • Carlos Uzcátegui, mathematics
  • María Antonieta Sobrado, biology
  • Alejandra Melfo, physics
  • Gustavo Benaím, biology
  • Juan Anacona, chemistry
• Year 2009.^[9]
  • Mireya Rincón de Goldwasser, chemistry
  • Stefania Marcantognini, mathematics^[10]
  • Flor Pujol, biology
  • Anna Katherina Vivas, astrophysics
  • Juan De Sanctis, biochemistry
• Year 2011.^[11]
  • Carenne Ludeña, mathematics
  • César Briceño, physics
  • César Lodeiros, biology
  • Joaquín Brito, chemistry
  • Luis Rincón, chemistry
• Year 2013.^[12][13][14]
  • Trino Baptista, biology
  • Ismardo Bonalde, physics
  • Jimmy Castillo, chemistry
  • Jon Paul Rodríguez, biology
  • Víctor Sirvent, mathematics

References