Day one of Tropentag 2025 brought not just thought-provoking discussions on land systems and planetary health but also a moment of celebration for young researchers. The prestigious Hans H. Ruthenberg Award for Graduates 2025 was awarded to Chiara Masser, an ATSAF Junior Scientist Tandem (JST) scholar from Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, working with The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.

Masser’s award-winning work focused on the determinants of diet quality among adolescents living in an urban informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. Her research sheds light on how social and economic factors influence the food choices of young people in rapidly growing cities, offering valuable insights into improving nutrition outcomes for one of the most vulnerable groups in society.

The award committee praised the study for its strong empirical design and its relevance to urban food system policy. Masser’s findings can guide interventions such as school feeding programs, social protection schemes, and targeted nutrition education to help close the gap in adolescent diet quality in Kenya and beyond.

As an ATSAF JST scholar, Masser’s recognition also reveals the importance of giving early-career researchers international exposure and relevant field experience. Her work represents the growing generation of scientists committed to tackling food and nutrition challenges through evidence-based, context-specific solutions. Taking the stage to receive her award, Masser thanked her supervisors, mentors, and the communities who participated in the study, noting that the research was

“a collaborative effort aimed at understanding and improving adolescent nutrition in places where it is most at risk.”

Her words were met with warm applause from the Tropentag audience. Moments like these remind participants why Tropentag matters: it is a space where cutting-edge research is celebrated and young scientists are encouraged to keep pushing for innovation that connects science, policy, and real-world impact.