Zohra ben Lakhdar
Zohra ben Lakhdar Akrout | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 12, 1943 Tunisia |
| Occupation(s) | Spectroscopy expert, Professor |
| Known for | Advanced spectroscopic techniques to assess environmental contaminants; L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science (2005) |
Zohra ben Lakhdar Akrout (; born 12 March 1943) is a Tunisian expert in spectroscopy who focuses on creating advanced spectroscopic techniques to assess the effects of contaminants on the quality of air, water, and vegetation. In 2005, she was honored with the distinguished L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science.
Career
After completing her studies at Pierre and Marie Curie University in 1968, Ben Lakhdar obtained her doctorate there in 1978, presenting a dissertation on the investigation of the 4047Å mercury spectral line through the use of a tunable magnetic field. Upon returning to Tunisia, she joined Tunis University as a professor in 1982 and led the Laboratory of Atomic Molecular Spectroscopy and Applications (LSAMA). She played a key role in establishing both the Tunisian Physics Society and the Tunisian Astronomy Society.
Honours
In 1992, she was inducted into the Islamic World Academy of Sciences, and in 2006, she was named a fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. Additionally, she holds a senior associate membership at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). Her pioneering contributions to infrared spectroscopy and its use in detecting pollution and medical applications earned her the L’Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science in 2005. Furthermore, The My Hero Project recognized her as a Science hero.