2 February 2026 – During the recent KM3NeT collaboration meeting in Valencia, the awardees of the third edition of the Giorgos Androulakis Prize were announced.
With this prize, KM3NeT recognises “exceptional contribution to the KM3NeT project that has a particularly high impact on the success or progress of KM3NeT”.
The prize is named after Giorgos Androulakis, the late KM3NeT Quality Manager, in order to commemorate Giorgos’ dedication to the project. The prize is awarded in two categories: Early-Career Scientists and Technicians & Engineers.
The competition this year was so hard that the award committees decided to give the prize to two winners in each category. The awardees of the third edition of the KM3NeT Giorgos Androulakis Prize are:
- in the category Early Career Scientists: Alfonso Garcia Soto and Lizeth Morales Gallegos
- in the category Technicians and Engineers: Irene Sgura and Alexander Enzenhöfer
Here are exerpts from the motivations of the awards:
Alfonso Garcia Soto – Alfonso not only has a broad overview of neutrino physics, in KM3NeT but also in other experiments including T2K and IceCube, but he is also a leader in these activities. He has taken initiatives such as improving high-energy neutrino simulations in GENIE, developing BDTs for astronomy event selection, and he was an early developer of the Aanet framework for diffuse and point-like sources. He is co-convener of the DM/Exotics group, and particularly valued by his colleagues as a mentor to master and PhD students.
Lizeth Morales Gallegos – Liz has established the complex QA/QC framework for the Caserta multi-integration site (one of the most prominent within the collaboration) as well as for the European Central Storage facility at the Capacity Laboratory, where thousands of components are prepared, inspected, and dispatched to integration sites all across Europe. She has also joined the KM3NeT Project Office as the KM3NeT QA/QC Officer. Her role within KM3NeT is truly central, and her work is highly valued and appreciated.
Irene Sgura – Irene has been deeply committed to KM3NeT since the very early days of the project. She played a pioneering role in structuring and organising key project processes, from risk management to DU and BM coordination, at moments when much of this had to be invented rather than applied. Beyond these aspects, her dedication has been total: she has worked essentially full time for KM3NeT, with an intensity and constancy that remained unchanged throughout the years. Finally, Irene stands out for how pleasant she is to work with. She consistently maintains constructive and positive working relationships, and contributes to a collaborative atmosphere throughout daily interactions.
Alexander Enzenhöfer – For many years now, Alexander has been responsible for the operation and data taking of ORCA. His role has been absolutely pivotal for ORCA and for KM3NeT as a whole. He is one of those people who, quite literally, represent a “single point of failure” for the project; because his expertise, reliability and presence are so central to its functioning. With an exceptional level of commitment, he ensures continuity of operations with an availability that is close to 24/7, year after year. His role is crucial, and he performs it with remarkable efficiency and consistency. Without his long-term dedication and his constant involvement, it would simply not have been possible for ORCA and KM3NeT to reach their current level of performance and stability.
Congratulations to Alfonso, Liz, Irene and Alexander, with many thanks for your dedication to KM3NeT!
