Puri García, Dona de Ciència

An unforgettable 11 February, one of the happiest days of my career and one of the most beautiful gifts I have ever received in my entire life! Behind these words is Purificación García Segovia, researcher at the University Institute of Food Engineering – FoodUPV, and from today, 11 February, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the new protagonist of the UPV's Dones de Ciència project.

This morning, the Valencian researcher unveiled the spectacular, colourful mural that Dones de Ciència pays tribute to her with. Located at the CEIP El Crist de Meliana, the mural is the work of artist Ana Corazón.

It features the smiling figure of Puri García, surrounded by different foods that directly refer to her research, and dressed in her researcher's coat, which also contains a detail laden with symbolism: a small microphone, like those used in television interviews. 'The microphone symbolises Puri's commitment to dissemination, her passion for communicating science to all audiences, both in the media and in any other forum, such as schools like this one,' explained Ana Corazón.

And Puri García demonstrated this once again this morning. During the unveiling of the mural, she told all the children at the school how her curiosity has remained intact since she was a child; She also told them what sparked her interest in science – 'the natural sciences course was my favourite course at school,' she told them – and gave a masterclass on the food of the present and the future, and the importance of eating well: 'I work with food, so that what we eat helps us to be healthy and learn better,' explained Puri García.

'Energy, joy and feminism'

Ana Corazón said that painting this mural has been an "unforgettable" experience for her. "Every day, the children asked me who I was painting, who she was, why I was using those colours and many other things. Their curiosity is endless, and it's really nice to be able to explain what we do to them. For me, being part of this project, which breaks down barriers and raises the profile of women in science and art, has also been a real gift because of everything Puri represents as a role model and because of the opportunity to soak up her professionalism and her way of experiencing science," said Ana Corazón.

The muralist from Jaén also explained that the choice of colours and elements is not accidental. "The mural connects science with the region, Valencian gastronomy and a form of research committed to everyday life. At the same time, they are a must when talking about Puri García: energy, joy and feminism. The persimmon, a fruit of Valencian origin that is traditionally secondary to other, more "glamorous" products, symbolises a science that does not seek to shine, but to be useful: thinking about how to make the most of resources, increase efficiency, and solve specific problems. It is this quiet uniqueness that the mural highlights, and it is very much in line with the career of Purificación García Segovia," said Ana Corazón.

And tomorrow, the inauguration of the mural in tribute to Valery Naranjo

And as part of the events organised by the UPV within the framework of the International Day of Women and Girls in Sciences, tomorrow, Thursday, the 48th mural of the project will be inaugurated. Located at CEIP Jaume I El Conqueridor, in Catarroja, it is the work of artist Anna Repullo. It is dedicated to UPV researcher and national leader in the world of telecommunications, Valery Naranjo.

The inauguration will take place at 11 AM, at the foot of the mural.

With these two murals, the project promoted by the Universitat Politècnica de València, in collaboration with the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, now has 48 murals, created by as many artists.