BANGKOK, August 23, 2016 -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the U.S. Mission to ASEAN  and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with UL, announced nine finalists for the second ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women, this year’s competition focused on sustainable energy research.

ASEAN continues to look for ways to increase the diversity of its energy supply and to reduce the environmental impact of energy use in the region, and the Science Prize recognizes some extraordinary women behind those efforts. As Asia is a large energy-consuming region, it is essential to provide scientists with the tools and motivation they need to help society build a sustainable future.

The 2016 Prize supports promising, early-career women scientists in the ASEAN region and encourages collaboration between ASEAN member states and the United States around sustainable energy solutions.

The nine finalists are:

Dr. Reasmey Tan of Cambodia
Dr. Tan is a researcher and lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Technology at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, working to turn volatile fatty acid and biomass into renewable energy resources.

Dr. Witri Wahyu Lestari of Indonesia
Dr. Lestari is a lecturer at Sebelas Maret University focusing on the conversion of abundantly available Indonesian resources, such as palm oil, into biofuel.

Dr. Latsamy Phounvisouk of Laos
Dr. Phounvisouk is a researcher at the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, studying biogas technologies applicable for those living off the grid in rural areas.

Dr. Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi of Malaysia
Dr. Alwi is a director and professor at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia focusing on sustainable energy research including CO2 emission reduction in energy utilization, energy efficiency for industry and buildings, and integrated design tools for combining renewable energy solutions with traditional fossil fuel-based energy.

Dr. Thi Thi Soe of Myanmar
Dr. Soe is a deputy director in the Department of Research and Innovation in the Ministry of Science and Technology working towards advancing the use of wind energy to power rural areas of Myanmar.

Dr. Kathleen Aviso of the Philippines
Dr. Aviso is an associate professor of chemical engineering at De La Salle University working on mathematical models for environmental decision making in the Philippines.

Dr. Ho Ghim Wei of Singapore
Dr. Wei is an associate professor at the National University of Singapore working on the forefront of sustainable solar technologies to meet Singapore’s ever-increasing energy demand.

Dr. Worajit Setthapun of Thailand
Dr. Setthapun is the Dean of Asian Development in the College for Economy and Technology at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University focusing on affordable and appropriate sustainable energy systems to enhance the livelihood and occupation of small and rural communities.

Dr. Phung Le of Vietnam
Dr. Le is an associate professor in the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology studying the science behind turning agricultural waste from plants like rubber seed oil, ground coffee beans and fruit into biofuel.

To learn more about the finalists, follow @USAIDAsia and #SciencePrize on Twitter and Facebook. Each week, we’ll feature one of the finalists running up until the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology in late October where the winner will be announced.

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