The sixth edition of 'I'm a Scientist. I Live in Your Neighborhood' returns in 2026 with new female scientists as relatable role models.

The campaign, launched by the University of Zaragoza to mark February 11th, includes the ophthalmologist from the IIS Aragón. Elena García-Martín among the scientists who star in this exhibition

For the sixth consecutive year, the University of Zaragoza is organizing, in commemoration of February 11 (International Day of Women and Girls in Science)The 'I'm a Scientist. I Live in Your Neighborhood' campaign, a street exhibition with large-format photographs of 12 researchers, taken outside the laboratory and performing everyday activities, to offer real and relatable role models to girls and teenagers.

This initiative seeks, on the one hand to reflect the closeness and proximity to the scientists, as real-life role models. and, on the other hand, to break with counterproductive stereotypes, which present female scientists as heroines, geeks, or people with little social lifeThis can discourage girls and teenagers, causing them to give up on their potential scientific vocation.

This photographic exhibition, which is also being developed on social media, hashtag #ScientistInYourNeighborhood, search to reclaim the role of women in science, break down the gender gap, and offer relatable role models for girls and teenagers.

This graphic exhibition originated in February of the 2021 in an attempt to overcoming the limitations resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, designed by the Scientific Culture Unit of the Aragonese public campus, in collaboration with the Zaragoza City Council, the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Government of Aragon and the Ibercaja Foundation. 

This time, the campaign has had the collaboration of professional photographer, Aránzazu Navarro, who takes up the mantle of Rocío Badiola (2025), Marta Marco (2024), Chus Marchador (2023) y Fabián Simón (2021-2022).

This campaign has been very well received since its launch and several awards – Third Millennium Science Communication Award in Aragon (November 7, 2022) and second most innovative science communication activity in Spain at the annual Science Communication Network (Comcired) conference, with professionals from the 116 Scientific Culture Units (UCCs), organized by FECYT (October 2022). Furthermore, in 2023 it was replicated on bus shelters in the city of Vigo, as well as by the Manuel Viola Residents' Association of the Delicias neighborhood of Zaragoza, with an exhibition in its facilities (2023, 2024 and 2025), and was part of the Science-themed walks in the MadeinZgz shop windows - 11F 2023.

Source: University of Zaragoza