Seven Students Honored with Female Student Travel Award 2025

Among the institutions jointly presenting the award are the Collaborative Research Centre CROSSING, the LOEWE Centre emergenCITY, the cluster project 3AI, the Hessian Centre for Artificial Intelligence (hessian.AI), and the Zuse School ELIZA.

Each recipient receives travel support to attend a leading conference focused on connecting and empowering women in tech. The winners may choose from events such as the Ada Lovelace Festival in Germany or the Grace Hopper Celebration in the US, selecting the format that best aligns with their academic and professional interests.

The 2025 awardees, all from TU Darmstadt, are:

• Isabelle Clev, M.Sc. Cognitive Science (award presented by ELIZA)

• Ruth Hartmann, M.Sc. Cognitive Science (ELIZA)

• Linyin Huang, M.A. Data and Discourse Studies (hessian.AI)

• Noreen Mehler, M.Sc. IT Security / M.Sc. Computer Science (emergenCITY)

• Anna Oeckl, M.Sc. IT Security (CROSSING)

• Helena Sax, M.Sc. Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik / M.Sc. Energy Science and Engineering (emergenCITY)

• Samea Yusofi, M.Sc. Computer Science (3AI)

‘We want to encourage young women to pursue careers in research and to build strong international networks early on,’ said Professor Thomas Schneider, who led the initiative in 2025. ‘All seven awardees impressed us with their academic achievements and their clear connection to the research topics of our projects, such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and resilient infrastructures.’

The awards were presented following the Ruzena Bajcsy Lecture on Communications and Resilience, held by Professor Katja Mombauer (KIT) and organised by emergenCITY. A networking lunch prior to the ceremony gave the winners the opportunity to connect with researchers, peers, and representatives of the participating institutions. The Female Student Travel Award aims to encourage careers in academia and to strengthen the visibility and networks of women in technology-related disciplines. It forms part of the gender equality initiatives of the participating research projects.