Professor Maria Grever receives first Athena Award

Maria Grever, Professor of Theory and Methodology of History, is the first person to receive the new Athena Award. The award will be presented during the Dies Natalis on 9 November.

The Athena Award is a prize that was recently instituted by the Erasmus Network of Female Professors (ENVH) and is intended for employees who have made a special contribution to the promotion of female talent. According to the jury, Grever is receiving the award ‘because of her extraordinary commitment to the position of women in science in general and to Erasmus University in particular’.

Visibility and appreciation of female scholars

The jury calls Grever ‘an initiator, a woman of the initiatives, a champion and a true world-class talent’. Grever played an important role in the promotion of young and experienced female talent, reflected in her efforts to acquire grants, funds and awards for female PhD candidates and employees. In addition, the jury values her public appearances as a historian which have made a positive contribution to the visibility and social appreciation of female scholars.

Grever was one of seven nominees and will receive the Athena Award during the Dies Natalis on Monday, 9 November from Rector Magnificus Huib Pols and ENVH chairwoman Hanneke Takkenberg. The award includes a painting by Sofja Wolsky, especially made for the occasion and a certificate.