Assistant Professor Iris Yu (Civil and Environmental Engineering) has been presented with the prestigious L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Singapore award for 2024, recognising her work in biomass utilisation and biorefinery, which aims to sustainably convert biomass into energy, chemicals and useful materials.
One of three female researchers to receive the award this year, each recipient also received a S$10,000 endowment to advance their research. The award presentation ceremony was held on 28 November 2024. The L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science programme is a world-renowned programme that has been pivotal in their support of women scientists over the past 25 years, providing them with a wealth of resources and opportunities to continue pushing the boundaries of research. Award winners undergo a rigorous selection process, ensuring that the award is conferred on the crème de la crème of scientists.
Tomas Hruska, Managing Director for L'Oréal in Singapore, said that the award helps bridge the gender gap in STEM industries. "Women bring unique perspectives and innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, yet they remain underrepresented in the field," he said. "We at L’Oréal are committed in empowering women to lead, innovate, and inspire the next generation, because the world needs science and science needs women.”
Asst Prof Yu is currently working on solutions to sustainably manage biomass waste in an urban setting like Singapore, which has been a longstanding challenge due to the wide variety of waste types. Her project aims to utilise microwave-assisted processing – a process which converts biomass feedstock into energy and other products. An emerging technology, microwave-assisted processing is a promising alternative to conventional approaches due to its higher heating rate, resulting in shorter reaction durations and greater energy savings.
One such output is bio-oils, a potential fuel/chemical product with market value creating a circular bioeconomy. This new technology could revolutionise the landscape of biowaste treatments in Singapore, in which anaerobic digestion and composting are currently the key players but face space constraints in highly populated urban areas.
Asst Prof Yu’s research aims to incubate new engineering solutions, complementing existing options, to establish a network of diverse treatment technologies for sustainable bioresource management. “To advance the field, my lab is trying to understand the fundamentals of these problems and pave the way to solutions,” said Asst Prof Yu, who has been working on biomass utilisation since her PhD.
Speaking after the award presentation, she said, "I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by many nice, brilliant people, who lift me up in different ways. I want to pass on their good energy and encourage the young ones, not just by being affirmative, but also by sharing the ups and downs in my journey.”
