The Governing Council of the University of La Laguna has agreed today, February 21, to the future appointments as Doctors Honoris Causa of the biologist Ana María Crespo de las Casas, whose candidacy was presented by the emeritus professor and former rector Marisa Tejedor; and of the astrophysicist and Nobel Prize winner in Physics in 2006 John Mather, who was introduced to the collegiate body by the also astrophysicist and Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of La Laguna John Beckam.
Ana María Crespo de las Casas She is a biologist from Tenerife who, since June 2024, has held the presidency of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, She joined the institution in 2012. She is the third woman to join the academy, after biochemist Margarita Salas and mathematician Pilar Bayer, and the first woman to preside over it since its founding in 1847. In addition, she is the second person from the Canary Islands to be part of it, after Blas Cabrera Felipe.
General image of the session.
As Tejedor pointed out, bibliometric data places her among the most renowned scientists nationally and internationally in her field. In addition to her numerous publications and research projects, her work as a science communicator and evaluator for national and international agencies is noteworthy.
For their part, John C. Mather He graduated in Physics from Swarthmore College in 1968 and received his doctorate in the same discipline from the University of California, Berkeley in 1974. In his thesis work, he designed an instrument to observe the cosmic microwave background radiation from a stratospheric balloon. The results convinced him of the need to make observations from space, and this led him to focus on space studies.
Thus, from 1976 onwards, he organized and directed the proposal that led to the COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) satellite and was also the principal investigator of the FIRAS instrument, which measured the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background. During his work, he obtained results that allowed for the establishment of the evolutionary model of the universe, which led to him receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006.
After receiving the award, he coordinated the construction phases of the James Webb Space Telescope. This project marked the beginning of his connection with the University of La Laguna, when he hired Begoña Vila, a graduate of the Canary Islands institution, as chief engineer. During his tribute, Beckman emphasized that Mather is not only a brilliant theoretical physicist but also possesses great technical expertise.
New appointments
In this morning's session, the rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco García, informed the Governing Council of the dismissal this Monday of María Teresa Covisa Rubia as manager of the academic center, reiterating his gratitude for the work carried out in the almost two years of her term.
García explained that it is advisable to give new impetus to the institution's management, strengthening its economic and financial management capabilities, not only internally but also externally, at a crucial moment for defining a stable funding framework, which is still in the preliminary negotiation phase. This change will not, however, prevent the continuation of many processes already underway, such as administrative simplification or the set of actions linked to the academic center's modernization plan, including those involving the teams associated with management.
He also indicated that on Tuesday, the Vice-Rector for Sustainability and Infrastructure, Candela Díaz, submitted her resignation for personal reasons. The Rector again expressed his gratitude.,
Lidia Pereira and Marta Domínguez.
highlighting their institutional commitment, the honesty of their work, and their human warmth.
The rector therefore announced that the process leading to the appointment of Lidia Pereira Saavedra As the university's manager, she will be responsible for informing the University Senate and, ultimately, submitting the information to the Social Council for consideration. It was also indicated that this process will be compatible with the completion of her current duties, ensuring a smooth and orderly transition.
Lidia Pereira holds a degree in economics and business administration, with postgraduate studies in auditing and accounting. A career civil servant in the senior corps of tax administrators, she has held various executive and management positions within the autonomous community. She has served as head of the European funds control department, general secretary of the Canary Islands Employment Service, manager of the University of La Laguna from 2015 to 2019, director of Human Resources for the Tenerife Island Council, and is currently the comptroller general of the autonomous community.
On the other hand, she will be the teacher Marta Domínguez Herrera The candidate will hold the Vice-Rectorate for Sustainability and Infrastructure. She is a technical architect specializing in construction projects, with a master's and doctorate in Regional Development, Training, and Employment. She is a tenured professor in the Department of Engineering and Architectural Techniques and Projects, and was previously the director of the Chair of Environment and Sustainable Development, a joint initiative of this university and the Tenerife Island Council. She has also served as director of the Secretariat for Chairs and Companies until now.
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