She won the prize for her services to science and her inspiring example. In her acceptance speech she stressed the need to invest in education for 15 million indigenous Mexicans, the poorest sector of the country’s population. Martinez is one of the few who have managed to escape that predicament. She has been working on her PhD with the Knowledge, Technology and Innovation chair group in Wageningen since 2013. Martinez is thinking of spending some of her prize money on a documentary about social injustice in Mexico.
Mexican PhD candidate wins prize
PhD candidate Tania Martinez received Mexico’s National Youth Prize personally from President Enrique Peña Nieto.
