Birzeit University graduate awarded the Mileva Einstein-Marić Prize for research excellence

Montaha Anjass, a chemistry graduate from Birzeit University, was recently awarded the Mileva Einstein-Marić Prize by Ulm University for her groundbreaking Ph.D. research in battery technology.

The Mileva Einstein-Marić Prize is awarded by Ulm University for women who exhibit excellence in research and play a great role in laying the groundwork for the university’s future as a scientific research institution.

Anjass took pride in being the first Arab and the first Palestinian to be honored with the award. She thanked the Chemistry Department at Birzeit University, where her academic career started, saying, “Being awarded the 2017 Mileva Einstein-Marić Prize at the same time as my Ph.D. in chemistry is a source of great pride.”  

“I am grateful for everyone who taught me, guided me, and supported me throughout all of my career. Ulm University has awarded this prize for my excellence in scientific research and my ability to reconcile it with my family responsibilities, and for that I am most grateful,” she added.

Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Birzeit University Dr. Talal Shahwan congratulated Anjass on her achievement, saying “Anjass is persistent, persevering, and has a high sense of responsibility and commitment. She is a role model of the Palestinian woman who can reconcile her academic and professional career with her family commitments and responsibilities. Her well-deserved recognition is an inspiration for many of our students.”

Anjass graduated with honors from Birzeit University in 2011, enrolled in the university’s Applied Chemistry master’s program and graduated from it in 2013, and was awarded a scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry from Ulm University.

“I never taught Montaha, but, as a teaching and research assistant, I cooperated with her on a few projects. She always had high hopes and ambitions. She traveled to Germany, despite not being able to win a scholarship (perhaps due to family circumstances), and was quickly awarded a scholarship by Ulm University, followed by this prestigious award,” said Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at Birzeit University Dr. Jamil Harb.

“Montaha is a source of pride for us all and a testament to the caliber of students at Birzeit University. My deepest and most sincere congratulations to you Montaha and to your family and chemistry professors,” he added.