Beginning with the observation that women’s surnames are often overlooked, marginalized, or lost across generations, Glowing Women explores the social, cultural, and institutional factors that shape women’s opportunities for fulfilment, visibility, and self-realization throughout the different stages of their lives. The book addresses a wide range of topics, including family and school education, partner choice, life as a couple, parenthood, domestic responsibilities, self-confidence, gender bias, media representation, employment, career development, and professional recognition.

Drawing on the author's experience as a university professor, the book combines personal reflections with interviews, anecdotes, and real-life accounts from women researchers in Operations Research. These contributors come from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds and represent countries ranging from Belgium and Brazil to Israel and Nepal. Despite their different circumstances, they reveal strikingly similar experiences in navigating academic careers, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, and seeking recognition for their achievements.

Of particular relevance to women in academia and STEM disciplines, the book highlights both the visible and less visible barriers that continue to affect women's participation, advancement, and leadership. Through candid and often inspiring narratives, it offers insights into the challenges faced by women researchers while also celebrating their resilience, accomplishments, and capacity to shape their own paths.

Combining personal testimony, professional experience, and reflections on gender and identity, the book offers an engaging perspective on the lives of women researchers in Operations Research. It will be of interest to academics, researchers, students, and professionals seeking to better understand the opportunities and challenges that women encounter in their personal and professional journeys, while contributing to broader conversations about equality, recognition, and inclusion in academia and beyond.

M. Grazia Speranza is Full Professor of Operations Research at the University of Brescia, Italy. She was President of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS), of the association of European Operational Research Societies (EURO) and of the Transportation Science and Logistics (TSL) society of INFORMS. Her research is in the area of mixed integer programming and combinatorial optimization, with a focus on applications to transportation and logistics. She is author of more than 200 papers and is cited in the “World’s 2% Top Scientists” ranking. She was awarded with the Laurea honoris causa by the University of Freiburg, Switzerland. She is a member of the Academy of Sciences of the University of Bologna and was awarded as an Italian Knowledge Leader by the Convention Bureau Italia. In 2024 she received the EURO Gold medal and was nominated INFORMS Fellow.