February 11th has been the International Day of Women and Girls in Science since 2015. The OSN declared it with the aim of drawing attention to the important role of women in science, making their scientific work visible, and supporting women's full and equal access to employment in this field. The Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Slovak University of Technology also supports the message of this international day, including by commemorating the achievements of its female employees in the field of science over the past year.
In the field of technical sciences, women have traditionally been underrepresented. However, women bring a different perspective or different skills to technical fields. The Slovak University of Technology and the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the STU strive to create fair working conditions for women who have the ambition to apply themselves in the field of science in technical fields, and to support their equal application. At the Faculty of Civil Engineering, the area of science and research is specifically addressed by a female Vice-Dean for Science and Research, Prof. Ing. Kamila Hlavčová, PhD.
One of the measures of scientific research work is publication outputs published in renowned scientific journals. In 2024, 21 female colleagues published in scientific journals belonging to the highest quality level Q1. One output represented an independent publication by the author doc. Mgr. Andrei Stupňanová, PhD. (Department of Mathematics and Descriptive Geometry), three authors published in co-authorship with an authorship share of more than 50%: doc. Ing. Zuzana Štefunková, PhD. (Department of Water Management of the Country), Ing. Nikola Gajdošová (Department of Mathematics and Descriptive Geometry), Ing. Katarína Lacková (Department of Mathematics and Descriptive Geometry).
Other colleagues also published their works in Q1 journals as co-authors: prof. Ing. arch. Jana Gregorová, PhD., prof. Ing. Silvia Kohnová, PhD., prof. RNDr. Anna Kolesárová, CSc., doc. Ing. Dana Baroková, PhD., doc. Ing. Helena Ellingerová, PhD., doc. Ing. Ľubica Hudecová, PhD., doc. Ing. Yvonna Koleková, PhD., Ing. Lea Čubanová, PhD., Ing. Silvia Ďubek, PhD., Ing. Lucia Paulovičová, PhD., Ing. arch. Ing. Ema Ruhigová, PhD., MSc. Svitlana Shvydka, PhD., Mgr. Maryna Babenko, Ing. Barbora Považanová, Mgr. Dominika Sónak Ballová, Ing. Andrea Vargová, PhD., Ing. Miriam Zaťovičová.
In the past year, successful project proposers and principal investigators were Prof. Ing. Silvia Kohnová, PhD., with two projects, Prof. Ing. Katarína Gajdošová, PhD., doc. Ing. Andrea Zuzulová, PhD., and Ing. Michaela Červeňanská, PhD., who received a grant from the NextGenerationEU scheme.
The results achieved in research work are rewarded in scientific and pedagogical growth. In 2024, Prof. Ing. Katarína Gajdošová, PhD., from the Department of Concrete Structures and Bridges in the field of engineering structures and transport structures, received the title of professor. The title of associate professor was awarded to doc. Ing. Alena Golian-Struhárová, PhD., from the Department of Materials Engineering and Physics in the field of civil engineering.
The university and faculty also support and appreciate beginning female researchers. The faculty's doctoral students are successful in applying for support for their research projects. Four doctoral students received financial support from the Early Stage Grant scheme aimed at retaining excellent researchers and innovators: Ing. Jana Pijáková, Ing. arch. Ing. Martina Kalivodová, Mitra Tanhapour and Ing. Katarína Lacková. Ing. Barbora Považanová, a doctoral student in the field of landscape architecture, received the Student of the Year award presented by the STU rector and also the award of the Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of STU on the occasion of International Student Day for excellent results. The same award from the Dean was also received by Mgr. Maryna Babenko, a doctoral student in the field of construction technology.
We congratulate all established and emerging researchers at the faculty on their achievements.
