News item 2021-10-04
https://www.osgeo.org/foundation-news/malena-libman-receives-the-2021-sol-katz-award/
Malena Libman is the Sol Katz Award winner 2021. The prize was presented
at the FOSS4G closing session and handed over to her friends & family
who accepted the award on her behalf since we sadly lost Malena in April
2021 to COVID-19.
It’s a time-honored OSGeo tradition to present the annual Sol Katz Award
for Geospatial Free and Open Source Software to individuals who have
demonstrated leadership in our community. This year, the award ceremony
was part of the online FOSS4G2021 conference and was presented by last
years’ recipients Anita Graser and Even Rouault.
The call for nominations is open to the whole OSGeo community and many
great candidates are nominated every year. (Thank-you to everyone who
submitted a nomination!) The winner is determined by the Award Selection
Committee made up by former recipients of the award.
The nomination presented for Malena (Nomination Malena Libman
https://wiki.osgeo.org/w/images/b/b0/Sol-Katz-2021-Malena-Libman-nomination.pdf)
stood out on more levels than just one. It was signed by 147 members of
the OSGeo community.
The final voting of the past awardees who represent the selection
committee showed overwhelming support for Malena Libman.
Malena Libman was the President of OSGeo Argentina Local Chapter’s NGO
Geolibres, Chair of FOSS4G + SOTM 2017 Argentina. She was an SDI
specialist involved in the National SDI working towards building better
FLOSS solutions. She inspired so many of our community.
Some quotes from the nominations should show the great role of Malena
Libman.
“We believe that the Sol Katz Award is the recognition that Malena
deserved, for her trajectory and for her incomparable spirit dedicated
to the OSGeo community; sadly we lost her suddenly in April to COVID-19,
may her soul rest in peace.”
“This request seeks to honor, not only the memory of Male, but also all
of her efforts that she made during her lifetime to expand the geo
community in Argentina, Latin America and worldwide.” […]
[…] “She was a reference for many people, especially women in the
Geomatics and OpenStreetMap communities, and she will always be
remembered as a great teacher, companion and above all, a wonderful
friend.”
Malena’s dream was FOSS4G 2021
“Through this award, we want to thank and acknowledge her efforts, her
always constructive leadership as chairwoman of the FOSS4G 2021 (Buenos
Aires), her compassion, and at the same time share all the learning and
knowledge that she imparted in life to all communities.”
“Among her great achievements is her research work on Spatial Data
Infrastructure (IDE) designed by the Spatial Data Infrastructure of the
Argentine Republic (IDERA), as well as the cartographic editing
automation project for the Institute of Geography of Argentina.”
Malena’s friends Andrea Trovant, Ariel Anthieni and Horacio Castellaro
joined the award ceremony and took the award on behalf of Malena.
Andrea assigned some words to remember Malena.
“It’s an honour for me to receive this award on behalf of Malena. We
were not only colleagues, we were friends too.
Honestly, it’s difficult to talk about her, (that’s why I prepared a
text, in case Male wins the award)… I am grateful that the FOSS4G team
and her family are present today, listening and supporting such a
special moment, on the other side of the screen.
Malena’s arriving to the geospatial world was only by chance, in 2011,
as part of her long search for his vocation … She was always curious
about the world around her!!
Then, she began her studies in Geographic Information Systems at the
General Sarmiento University in Buenos Aires, becoming the first
graduate of the career.
In those years, Male participated in a volunteer service and presented
his project at the National Cartography Congress. During the event, she
met the “Geoinquiet@s”, the GeoGeeks, from the local communities.
From this days, her career was on the rise, and we were the privileged
ones to be able to see its growth up close.
Her work experience was infinite, she worked at the Argentina Center for
Cartography, in the National Educational Map Program, in different
municipalities of the state. She worked for almost 3 years at the
National Geographic Institute of Argentina, while she focused in Spatial
Data Infrastructure.
Malena gave GIS and SDI workshops for different institutions, she was
part of Geochicas OSM and more and more things.. I could talk about her
for a whole day..
At every step she took, she was always promoting free and open source
software and the strengthening of the geospatial communities.
No more, no less… She was part of the organization of FOSS4G 2016,
FOSS4G 2017, FOSS4G 2019. She travelled to represent us at the global
FOSS4G 2018 in Dar Es Salaam, and Bucharest too, but apart from all
this, I know how much she deserves to win this award. Male was an
exemplary leader, she was an honest, transparent person…and she excited
all the people who crossed her (it is my case, thanks to her I got to
know the community).
Finally, she became President of “Geolibres Asociación Civil”, an
association that organizes this FOSS4G together with OSGeo.
And here we are, last year we sent the proposal to become the host of
FOSS4G this year… despite the difficulties, we are here making Male’s
dream come true… in every step we take, Malena is present, pushing us.
Thanks OSGeo and thanks to male, for everything she taught us and gave
us.
If there was a beautiful person award, she would win it too.”
We will miss Malena.
About the award
---------------------------------
The Sol Katz Award for Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial
(FOSS4G) is awarded annually by OSGeo to individuals who have
demonstrated leadership in the FOSS4G community. Recipients of the award
have contributed significantly through their activities to advance open
source ideals in the geospatial realm. The award acknowledges both the
work of community members, and pay tribute to one of its founders, for
years to come.
https://www.osgeo.org/community/awards/
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