Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) together with the City Council of Valencia today inaugurated a mural which, through Valencia Innovation Capital, pays tribute to the researcher Concha Monje, Professor in the Department of Systems Engineering and Automation at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). The work of the Mexican artist Paola Delfín, it is the 40th mural painted as part of Dones de Ciència, a prominent project aimed at scientific dissemination and highlighting contributions by women in science and art.
The mural is located in the lobby of UPV’s School of Aerospace Engineering and Industrial Design (ETSIADI). Painted exclusively in black and white and clearly inspired by illustration and comics, Paola Delfín depicts in it the past, present and future of Concha Monje's work. Surrounding the central figure of the researcher, as a symbol of the importance of women in science - “and in all disciplines”, the artist adds -, are some key objects and developments from her life story.
“I wanted to create a timeline of Concha's life, both personal and professional. Her passion for science and electronics comes from when she used to explore the inside of radios with her father in their house, which is why I included one in the mural. And we can also see TEO, her autonomous robot, and all the work she has done in the field of robotics with soft robotic joints. I’ve been very lucky to be able to work with Concha, to represent her career through my work and to do so in this setting, right in front of a reproduction of the Guernica, which has also been a great inspiration for me”, said Paola Delfín last September.
During the unveiling of the mural, held today as part of the “UPV Women, STEAM University” conference, Concha Monje said that “for me, starring in this mural is a recognition of the work I’ve been doing for years with my research team on the development of soft robotic joints, with the aim of building robots with greater assistance capabilities and safer interaction with humans. Paola Delfín has been able to capture the essence of this work and to do so in a very original fashion in a mural that moves me greatly”.
For the researcher from Badajoz, being part of the Dones de Ciència project is not only a wonderful opportunity to showcase her team’s contribution to assistive robotics at the UC3M Robotics Lab, but also to highlight female talent. “I feel very flattered to partner with the ETSIADI students through this mural, and at the same time I feel a greater responsibility and a stronger commitment, if possible, to my research work and its impact on society”, she adds.
Meanwhile, Juan A. Monsoriu, director of ETSIADI, said that the mural symbolises the school's commitment to science and technology and, in particular, to robotics, within the framework of an inclusive education that promotes the need for women in science. “It represents the essence of ETSIADI as an open-door school committed to the needs of society. Concha Monje is a great example of this commitment, as she always places people at the centre of her scientific work in the development of assistive soft robots”. The director of ETSIADI also pointed out that Concha Monje is the patron of the robotics and inclusive technology courses that the Bylinedu Association has been teaching at ETSIADI since 2019. “In these courses, aimed at children and young people - especially those with greater difficulties accessing technology - Concha always manages to excite and motivate them in equal measure, showing her commitment to teaching and dissemination in the context of STEAM”.
Researcher in robotics and professor in the Dept. of Systems Engineering and Automation at UC3M, Concha Monje holds a PhD from the University of Extremadura (2006), with an Extraordinary Doctorate Award and European Doctorate Mention. She is currently working in the RoboticsLab group at UC3M. Her work in soft robotics and control systems is internationally recognised. She has actively collaborated with research centres in the United States, France, Germany, Italy and Singapore and is leading significant projects on the development of soft assistive robots. Her research work has been recognised with awards such as: Finalist Talgo Award for Professional Excellence for Women in Engineering (2022, 2023, 2024), Top 100 Women Leaders in Spain (2021), “Gigante Extremeño” Award (2019), Ada Byron Award for Women Technologist from the University of Deusto (2019), Excellence Award for Research from UC3M (2018), Women and Technology Award from Fundación Orange (2018) and Best Contemporary Scientist Award - Spanish Science Selection (2017), awarded by the popular science magazine QUO in collaboration with the CSIC. Beyond her research work, as a scientist she is highly committed to university teaching and scientific dissemination. She has participated in more than a hundred dissemination activities, including her collaboration in the science section of the radio programme “Julia en la Onda”, with Julia Otero on the Spanish radio station, Onda Cero. She also worked as a scientific advisor for the film Autómata, produced by and starring Antonio Banderas.
Dones de Ciència is an initiative of UPV and the innovation centre Las Naves of the City Council of Valencia, with the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The project has a twofold objective: to highlight and pay tribute to women who are leaders in their respective fields and to condemn the consequences of gender inequality, both in the construction of scientific and research vocations, and in the development of women's professional careers in these areas. The initiative has received several awards, including the prize for the best singular project of the Prismas Casa de las Ciencias a la Divulgación 2022, the most prestigious awards in Spain in relation to scientific dissemination and culture. In addition, in 2019 it was chosen as the best science dissemination project by the Spanish Network of Scientific Culture and Innovation Departments (UCC+i).
Video: https://youtu.be/vy_K97iklcc