Women's Journal — Health, Beauty, Fitness & Lifestyle
Five Women Scientists Win $75K Each in L’Oréal USA Awards
Women scientists at five U.S. institutions have been named recipients of $75,000 grants through L’Oréal USA’s 2026 For Women in Science program. The October 20 announcement covers research into vaccines, spinal cord injuries, crop protection, wildlife microbes and exoplanets. The awards also include mentoring and professional development for the selected researchers. Key Takeaways L’Oréal USA announced five $75,000 research grants on October 20, 2026, totaling $375,000 The awardees work at UC Berkeley, MIT, Princeton, Caltech and Ohio State University Projects involve immune-cell biology, AI-assisted crop protection, wildlife microbiomes and exoplanet imaging L’Oréal USA reports awarding more than $5.6 million to over 115 women scientists through the U.S. program since 2003 An awards ceremony is scheduled for October 22 in New York City L’Oréal USA has selected five postdoctoral researchers for grants totaling $375,000, with each scientist receiving $75,000 to support her research. The recipients work at the University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, California Institute of Technology and Ohio State University. The grant recipients are Danielle Stevens, Anna Romanov, Katherine Lagerstrom, Clarissa Do Ó and Tana Pottorf. Their projects examine different scientific problems, from biological defenses against infection to the difficulty of directly observing planets outside
Monique Rodriguez Commits $2 Million to Maternal Health
Entrepreneur Monique Rodriguez has committed $2 million to birthFUND, a maternal-health organization founded by Elaine Welteroth. The multiyear commitment will support expanded access to midwifery-led care and establish a scholarship program designed to help train future midwives, connecting Rodriguez’s business leadership with maternal-health initiatives. Key Takeaways Monique Rodriguez committed $2 million to birthFUND through a multiyear pledge. The funding will support access to midwifery-led prenatal, birth and postpartum care. A portion of the commitment will establish the Milan Rodriguez Midwifery Scholarship Program. The scholarship initiative is being developed with the Black Midwifery Collective. Rodriguez is the founder of Mielle Organics and previously worked as a labor-and-delivery nurse. Monique Rodriguez Commits $2 Million to birthFUND Monique Rodriguez’s maternal health commitment will provide $2 million to birthFUND, an organization founded by journalist Elaine Welteroth. The multiyear pledge is directed toward maternal healthcare access and the development of the midwifery workforce. The funding will support midwifery-led prenatal, birth and postpartum care. It will also support an education initiative focused on future midwives, giving the commitment both a healthcare access component and a workforce-development component. Rodriguez is the founder of Mielle Organics and previously worked as a labor-and-delivery nurse. Her professional background connects her
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Women Leaders Share Time Management Strategies
Members of the Bizwomen Leadership Council have shared strategies for managing competing demands while preserving access to colleagues and employees. The discussion focuses on practical leadership boundaries, communication habits and protected work time, offering specific approaches for professionals handling increasingly fragmented schedules. Key Takeaways Members of the Bizwomen Leadership Council shared approaches to protecting leadership time while remaining accessible The discussion focuses on boundaries around meetings, decisions, communications and personal time Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index found Microsoft 365 users were interrupted every two minutes on average during an eight-hour workday Nearly half of employees surveyed by Microsoft said their work felt chaotic and fragmented The council members’ approaches focus on preserving focused work without cutting off access to colleagues and employees Women Leaders Address the Demands on Executive Time Members of the Bizwomen Leadership Council have shared practical approaches for protecting focused work time while remaining available to colleagues, employees and stakeholders. The September 28 discussion examines the time pressures created by meetings, decisions, communications and expanding executive responsibilities. The council’s discussion involves seven members who describe ways they maintain boundaries without becoming inaccessible. Their approaches address the need to decide which demands require direct attention while preserving relationships
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