She is the third woman to join this Royal Academy, after biochemist Margarita Salas and mathematician Pilar Bayer; the first woman to hold the presidency of this distinguished institution since its founding in 1847; and the second person from the Canary Islands, after Blas Cabrera Felipe.

Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, she moved to Madrid in 1966 to study Biological Sciences at the Complutense University, as such courses were not available at the University of La Laguna at the time. It was there that she pursued her academic career, although she never lost touch with her homeland. She began her botany studies with Salvador Rivas Martínez, becoming a professor of Botany in 1983, and in 2018 became an emeritus professor.

In it scientific aspect, specialized in the study of lichens, a group of organisms she worked on from the beginning and never abandoned, initially within traditional lichenology, and later incorporating molecular methods for taxonomic recognition. Bibliometric data place her as one of the most renowned scientists in her field, both nationally and internationally.

Specialists in systematics and biodiversity have dedicated three genera to it (Crespoon, Cresporaphis and Crespoa) and seven new species, all names already included in international literature.

I will point out only three of his main scientific achievements:

1. To lead internationally, among scholars of the diversity of biological resources, the adoption of new technological developments (molecular analysis and genomic data banks) that have led to a re-establishment of biological systematics on phylogenetic bases (Integrative Taxonomy).
2. He has made a decisive contribution to revealing to science the high frequency of cryptic lineages and species in many groups of organisms, which has a strong impact on the management of species protection and biological resources in general. He has also made a decisive contribution to demonstrating that the morphological characteristics of species do not always reflect their true genetic diversity.
3. Their results regarding the objectification and delimitation of the species concept have contributed to substantiating the need for biodiversity studies and catalogs in light of the analysis of molecular traits and modern phylogeny, seeking new avenues for the molecular identification of species.

His extensive career is reflected in his resume, highlighting, among other things, his capacity for training, promoting a strong international research group dedicated to the molecular systematics of fungi and plants; supervising PhD and pre-doctoral students from all over the world; participating in and directing research projects funded by Spanish and foreign public or private institutions; and participating in and directing prospecting campaigns in Spain and many other places around the world (China, South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Peru, Japan, California, Australia).

In addition to her extensive scientific articles and books, she has developed a significant outreach program with articles on scientific and academic topics. She served as President of the Spanish Antarctic Program Commission from 1988 to 1994 and as an evaluator for several major agencies and governments in the United States, France, Austria, and elsewhere.

She is, in short, a prestigious researcher who has earned multiple awards for her scientific work. We highlight the Acharius Medal in 2012, created by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and awarded by the International Association for Lichenology. This represents the highest international recognition and has never been awarded to a Spanish researcher.

Your activity of management She has focused on scientific and university policy within the framework of the Secretary of State for Universities and Research, during the time of Juan Manuel Rojo Alaminos, in different positions: advisor to the Cabinet of the Secretary of State (1985-1987), general director of the Cabinet (1987-1991), and general director of Universities (1991-1993).

During this period, she was intensely active in updating the science system in our country. Notable milestones include the thematic development of the First National Research Plan; the design and implementation of the evaluation of research activity; and the creation of the National Commission for the Evaluation of Research Activity (CNEAI), of which she served as general coordinator. During her tenure at the CNEAI, she contributed to establishing new curriculum evaluation criteria for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, dividing the latter into three fields.

Due to Dr. Crespo's merits, as I mentioned at the beginning, the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences first incorporated her into the Institution and in 2024 appointed her president.

This candidacy is endorsed by our university's Department of Botany, Ecology, and Physiology; in the area of Botany, which was the proponent, not only current members but also retired professors and tenured professors have endorsed it.

It is also endorsed by the Faculty of Sciences, by honorary doctors, and by former rectors of our university, and was approved by the Governing Council at its most recent session.

Given Dr. Crespo de las Casas' merits in the fields of scientific research, teaching, and the work she has done for Spanish universities, she is considered worthy of the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of La Laguna, and I therefore request this Senate's approval.

María Isabel Tejedor Salguero

Candidacy proposal submitted to the Cloister
February 24, 2025