Europlanet Mid-Career Medal
The Europlanet Mid-Career Medal, launched in 2025, is awarded annually to honour outstanding contributions in scientific excellence, community building, and outreach from individuals up to a scientific age* of between seven years and 22 years. The Mid-Career Medal comes with a plaque and a registration waiver for the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC). Recipients are invited to give a medal lecture at EPSC.
The Europlanet Mid-Career Medal honours the memory and the outstanding figure of Paolo Farinella (1953-2000), an extraordinary scientist and person, in whose name the Paolo Farinella Prize (2011-2024) was previously awarded.
* The scientific age of a researcher at time of submission, which is calculated from the year of the last degree in scientific education (MSc, PhD) without counting the time being on leave (parental [+ 1 year/child] / health [variable]) or time working primarily outside science.
Recipients of the Europlanet Mid-Career Medal
2026
Dr. Ana Catalina Plesa has been selected as the recipient of the Europlanet Mid-Career Medal in recognition of her outstanding contributions to planetary geodynamics, decoding the interior structures and dynamic histories of Mercury, Venus, the Moon and Mars, bridging numerical modelling with geophysical and geological observations, and leading to significant advances in our understanding of planetary interiors and evolution. Her 3D thermal evolution models are widely used as reference models within the planetary science community. She has done pivotal research on the long-term thermal evolution of Mars, being the first to couple 3D crustal structure (accounting for lateral variations in crustal thickness, enrichment in radioactive elements, and thermal conductivity) with fully dynamic mantle evolution models. In addition, Dr. Plesa’s work has been instrumental in interpreting seismic data from the InSight mission and she has taken on the major responsibility of serving as instrument lead scientist for the Venus Emissivity Mapper (VEM) aboard NASA’s VERITAS mission, a role she has embraced with exceptional leadership and effectiveness.
Alongside her scientific achievements, she is deeply committed to community service and outreach, contributing with remarkable energy and dedication. She currently serves as Chair of ESA’s Solar System and Exploration Working Group and as a member of the Space Science Advisory Committee. Her dedication to fostering talent has also been formally recognised through her selection as a Humboldt Scout, a distinction that enables her to nominate outstanding international researchers for Humboldt Fellowships. The significance of her scientific achievements and her outstanding contributions to the community, makes Dr. Ana Catalina Plesa a deserving recipient of the Europlanet Mid-Career Medal.
2025
Credit: Eloise Hernandez/Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur.
Dr. Benoit Carry’s selection as the recipient of the Europlanet Mid-Career Medal is a testament to the remarkable breadth and depth of his contributions to planetary science, particularly in the study of asteroids and small bodies. His work spans a wide array of topics, including asteroid composition, density, taxonomy, internal structure, and binary systems. He has played a pivotal role in interpreting data from major space missions such as Gaia and Euclid, and has significantly advanced our understanding of the Solar System through both observational and theoretical approaches.
What sets Dr. Carry apart is not only the scientific impact of his research but also his leadership in building critical infrastructure for the planetary science community. He was instrumental in developing the FINK broker, and SsODNet (incl. SsoCard), tools that enable real-time classification of astronomical alerts and provide comprehensive data on over a million asteroids and dwarf planets. His commitment to open science and international collaboration is evident in his leadership roles in initiatives like the FINK broker, but also the Gaia follow-up network for Solar System Objects (Gaia-FUN-SSO), as well as his mentorship of young scientists. This impressive combination of scientific excellence, technical innovation, and community engagement underscores why Dr. Carry is a deserving recipient of the Europlanet Mid-Career Medal.
Back to Europlanet Medals Main Page
