Inmaculada Alva: "Piedad De la Cierva is a reference for many young women who want to dedicate themselves to science".

"Piedad De la Cierva's greatest contribution was herself, because she is a point of reference for many young women who want to dedicate themselves to science". With these words, Inmaculada Alva, researcher at the Center for Josemaría Escrivá Studies (CEJE) of the University of Navarra, opened the round table "Women who inspire", the inaugural event of the exhibition Piedad de la Cierva: Pioneer, visionary and scientist.

The exhibition, which will remain open at the Central Library of the University of Navarra until March 14, 2025, pays tribute to this scientist from Murcia (1913-2007), a pioneer in Spanish research. Organized by the Josemaría Escrivá Study Center, in collaboration with the Science Museum, the University Museum and the Women for Science group, it offers an overview of her career and contributions in fields where she broke scientific barriers, such as X-rays, optical glass and refractory bricks. It also recreates the research environment in which she worked with original materials and objects from the mid-twentieth century. This initiative is supported by the Government of Navarra, through the Cosmos 2024 program grants, aimed at promoting scientific culture and STEM vocations.

"Piedad de la Cierva began her scientific career in a context in which it was not common for women to study a career, much less a scientific career. She belonged to a group of pioneering women who began to make their way," said Inmaculada Alva at the beginning of the round table. In her case, she had the support of her father and other professional colleagues who helped her to continue her research career. 

Breaking barriers and blazing trails

During the round table, moderated by Eliana Fucili, CEJE communicator, Inmaculada Alva highlighted the obstacles that Piedad de la Cierva faced throughout her career: "She had many inconveniences, but what motivated her to continue her research was the love she felt for science and her deep faith. She marveled at discovering how God manifests Himself in nature, as when she calculated the distance between the chlorine atom and the sodium atom in a salt crystal. These details allowed him to rediscover the order and beauty with which everything has been arranged". Alva based her research on the scientist's memoirs, collecting the milestones and challenges that marked her professional life.

The round table also included the participation of experts such as Sergio Barbero, researcher at CSIC; Gurutze Pérez, director of the Chair of Women, Science and Technology at the Public University of Navarra; and Ana Rouzaut, professor of Biochemistry and Genetics at the University of Navarra. Together they reflected on Piedad de la Cierva and her legacy for women scientists. 

Ana Rouzaut highlighted a decisive moment in Piedad de la Cierva's career: her attempt, in the 1940s, to gain access to a university chair, which she did not achieve. This limitation prevented her from directing doctoral theses, although she found male colleagues who recognized her talent and worked alongside her. "She was an example of tenacity, capable of reinventing herself again and again when doors were closed to her, helping and training other women along the way," said Rouzaut.

For her part, Gurutze Pérez stressed the importance of making female references in science visible: "Figures like Piedad inspire new generations and show that it is possible to overcome barriers".

Sergio Barrero referred to the research carried out by the Murcian scientist, especially in the field of optical glass, a key material for the manufacture of binoculars and telescopes. "They were instruments that required exceptional transparency and, in those years, were imported from the United States. The contribution of Piedad de la Cierva was essential, as it developed this material in Spain, promoting the industrialization of the country," said the CSIC researcher.

At the end of the round table, the more than 100 people who attended the inauguration toured the exhibition to learn about the details of his scientific work and the impact of his legacy on the history of Spanish science.