Explore the extraordinary contributions and life stories of talented Cuban women who have excelled in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Natural Sciences
María Sanchez Colina
Ph.D. in Physics, Full Professor at the University of Havana and President of the Iberoamerican Federation of Physics Societies.
Full Professor. University of Havana.
ORCID: 0000-0001-8916-3807
Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Havana in 1996, she made a training stay in the laboratory of the Nobel Prize in Physics Zhores Alferov at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. His research focuses on Condensed Matter Physics, especially on semiconductor devices such as: laser diodes, Quantum Cascade Lasers and Solar Cells. He is currently dedicated to the characterization of semiconductor materials and devices using the surface tension spectroscopy technique. 30 years of experience in teaching Physics at the University of Havana. He has taught postgraduate courses at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, at the Solid State Electronics Section of CINVESTAV CDMX and at the Master’s Degree in Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics of the Autonomous University of Madrid. She has been Editor of the Cuban Journal of Physics and Dean of the Faculty of Physics at the University of Havana. Currently, is President of the Iberoamerican Federation of Physics Societies (FEIASOFI).
Minerva Montero Díaz
Ph.D. in Mathematics, senior researcher at INHEM, expert in statistics and health research.
Ph.D. in Mathematics. With 40 years of experience in the field of Statistics, she worked at the Institute of Cybernetics, Mathematics, and Physics (ICIMAF) until 2023. She is currently a senior researcher at the National Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology (INHEM).
She has authored over 50 scientific articles and supervised multiple theses. Dr. Montero Díaz has participated in several research projects with UNICEF and the IAEA related to health programs. She is the author of anthropometric tables for assessing the nutritional status of pregnant Cuban women.
She was involved in forecasting studies during the COVID-19 pandemic and in research on the real-world effectiveness of the Soberana vaccine in the pediatric population. She is a member of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD).
Dr. has received numerous accolades, including the Annual Health Award and the ACC National Prize.
Isabel T. Rodríguez Esnard
Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences, researcher at ICIMAF, specializing in the interstellar medium and high-mass star formation.
Degree in Physics from the University of Havana and a Master’s in Physical Sciences. She worked at the Institute of Geophysics and Astronomy (IGA). In 2011, she earned a Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences from the Department of Astronomy at the University of Guanajuato, Mexico. She later received a TWAS-CONACYT fellowship for a postdoctoral position at the Institute of Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics at UNAM. Subsequently, Isabel conducted a research stay at the University of Guanajuato.
Currently, Isabel is affiliated with the Institute of Cybernetics, Mathematics, and Physics (ICIMAF), focusing her research on the interstellar medium and the formation of high-mass stars. Throughout her academic career, she has participated in numerous scientific events and published both research and outreach articles.
Elena Vigil Santos
Founder of the School of Physics at the University of Havana and pioneer in semiconductor device development in Cuba.
Dr. Elena Vigil, founder of the School of Physics at the University of Havana and pioneer in the development of semiconductor devices in Cuba, conceived an experiment on the growth of semiconductor materials that took place in micro-gravity conditions during flight set.
Mayra Paulina Hernández Sánchez
Ph.D. in Physical Sciences, professor, expert in materials science, and recipient of the Sofía Kovalevskaya Prize.
Dr. Mayra Paulina Hernández Sánchez (July 1, 1954 – 2024) was a distinguished Cuban physicist and professor known for her pioneering work in materials science. She graduated in Physics from the University of Havana in 1978 and earned her PhD in Physical Sciences in 2000. As a prominent researcher, she specialized in the atomic-level characterization of materials with applications in biology, medicine, and materials science, using advanced microscopy and spectroscopic techniques.
Dr. Hernández collaborated with prestigious institutions worldwide, including universities in Mexico, Germany, and Brazil. She led the Nano Group of the Division of Nano Materials at IMRE and supervised numerous theses at various academic levels. Throughout her career, she published 70 scientific papers in high-impact journals and was recognized with multiple honors, including the Carlos J. Finlay Order, the title of Emeritus Researcher from the University of Havana, and the prestigious Sofía Kovalevskaya Prize in 2016. Her legacy continues to inspire the scientific community in Cuba and beyond.
Aimé Peláiz Barranco
PhD in Physical Sciences. Full Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Physics at the University of Havana.
Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Havana in 1995, Master’s degree in
1996 and Doctor´s degree in Physical Science in 2001. FullProfessor at the Faculty of Physics, University of Havana, and its Dean since 2019. Young Associated of the ACC (2002-2011) and Full Member (2024-2029). Her scientific career has focused on the development and study of multifuncional materials and has authored more than 130 papers in high quality international journals, several chapters of books (editor of two books) and more than 200 works in
international and national meetings. She has been the adviser of several thesis: BSc.
(15), MSc. (9) and PhD. (6). She has led several research projects with institutions from
Latin-America, Europe and Asia, included three TWAS Research Grants. She is Board
Member of the Journal of Advanced Dielectrics from Word Scientific. She also has
been: Member of the Academical Comitee for Master and PhD in Physical Science
(Faculty of Physics, University of Havana), Secretary of its Scientific Council (2019-
2022), Member of the Scientific Council of the University of Havana (2019-2022),
Member of the National Jury of Physics Doctor Degree (2006-2022). She has been
invited professor in universities from Mexico, Brazil, Spain, France and China. Her
initiative led to the development of the Latin-American Network of Ferroelectrics
Materials (ICTP Network, 2000-2019). Her results have been widely recognized in her
country and worldwide through the award of numerous prizes. She has received eight
internationals prizes, such as: Award “Sofia Kovalieskaya”, TWOWS Award for Young
Women Scientists in Physics/Mathematics for the Latin-America and Caribbean region,
TWAS-ROLAC Award for Young Scientists in Physics for the Latin-America and
Caribbean region, Prize “Heberto Martínez Castillo” given by the Institute of Science
and Technology from Mexico City as best Latin-American Young Scientist, Young
Scientist Award of CAS-TWAS. She has also received nine Awards of the Sciences
Academy of Cuba, three Awards of the Agency of Nuclear Energy and Advanced
Technologies, National Award Young Research of the Cuban Science and Technology
Minister in the Section of Natural Sciences; Two Awards given by the Minister of High
Education of Cuba for Scientific Researches, Medal ´´Carlos J. Finlay´´ for Relevant
Scientific Researches.
Sira Allende Alonso
Full Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Havana, Cuba. Emeritus
Full Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Havana, Cuba. With five decades of dedicated teaching, she has contributed to the education of young Cuban and international mathematicians. She has received the highest honors in teaching and research, with over 60 scientific articles and numerous awards, and has been distinguished as an Emeritus Professor of the University of Havana.
Dr. Sira Allende is an tireless advocate for the importance of applied mathematics, particularly in her field of expertise: Operations Research. She is the driving force behind the international congress on this discipline held in Havana every two years. This event fosters interdisciplinary exchange and the discussion of diverse approaches to common problems, addressing topics related to optimization, engineering, finance, medicine, and economics, among others.
She is a true role model—a remarkable woman, exemplary mother, wife, friend, and teacher.
Alina Roig Rassi
Bachelor's degree in Physics from the University of Havana and is pursuing a PhD in Meteorological Sciences and Deputy Director at CUBAENERGIA.
Alina Roig Rassi graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Havana in 1999 and is currently pursuing a PhD in Meteorological Sciences. Since 2003, she has worked at CUBAENERGIA, a center under CITMA, focusing on solar energy utilization for various applications and the atmospheric impact of pollution from fossil fuel combustion in electricity generation and transportation. She currently serves as Deputy Director of the Energy and Environment Division. She has published her findings in recognized scientific journals and participates in national and international scientific projects and events. She has collaborated on an Annual Award from the Cuban Academy of Sciences. An Assistant Professor, she teaches at both CUJAE and the University of Havana. She is a member of the Cuban Physical Society.
Ivette Ravelo
Physics graduate, specializes in LIBS for cultural heritage, teaches at the University of Arts, and studies LED light sources for medical equipment.
Ivette Ravelo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics since 1998 and works at the Institute of Materials Science and Technology at the University of Havana. She has focused on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for years, applying it to the study of cultural heritage, along with other characterization techniques. She teaches Applied Physics for Heritage Conservation to students at the University of Arts and has recently started characterizing LED light sources for medical equipment.
Amaya Ofelia Casanova Díaz
Full Professor and Deputy Head of the Nuclear Physics Department at InSTEC, with a PhD in Physical Sciences.
Name: Amaya Ofelia Casanova Díaz
Date of Birth: October 29, 1979
Place of Birth: Plaza, Havana
Born and raised in Old Havana, she completed her studies through secondary school before attending the Vladimir Ilich Lenin Vocational School, where she graduated as one of the top 10 students in her class. In 1997, she began her university studies in Nuclear Physics, where she also participated in university sports. Upon graduation, she joined ISCTN (now InSTEC) as a trainee, starting her professional career as a professor. She defended her Master’s in Nuclear Physics in 2005. In 2008, she began collaborating with the ALICE experiment at CERN and completed her PhD in Physical Sciences at InSTEC in 2013. She served as Vice-Dean of Research, Graduate Studies, and International Relations from 2016 to 2019 and is currently a Full Professor and Deputy Head of the Nuclear Physics Department.
Laura Azor Hernández
Biologist, Master in Zoology and Animal Ecology, expert in canine behavior and welfare.
Biologist. Master in Zoology and Animal Ecology. Expert in canine behavior and well-being. Behavioral biology and animal welfare sciences are the basis that allows me to help families build a healthy coexistence with their dogs.
Matilde Camayd Camayd
Distinguished Cuban mathematics educator and mentor who shaped generations of teachers and students over her decades of service.
Dr. Matilde Camayd Camayd, Emeritus Teacher
(1925–2021)
A mathematics teacher who trained four generations of Cuban professionals.
Of Arab descent, the Arab or “Moorish” families, as they are often called, who settled in the northern part of Cuba’s eastern provinces, were mainly Lebanese immigrants fleeing the conflicts of the 1920s. Surnames like Zacarías, Chelala, Necuze, Azze, Nasur, Besil—and Camayd—remain to this day. One such immigrant was Nayhib Gamayel, a Lebanese man who made his first journey to Cuba in 1903 at the age of eight. It is said that upon arriving, due to the unfamiliar pronunciation of his surname, officials recorded it as “Camayd.”
Matilde was born on May 20, 1925. She was raised within those “Moorish” traditions, received a refined education, and studied with talent and dedication until earning her Doctorate in Physical-Mathematical Sciences. She became the renowned Mathematics Professor at the Holguín High School.
Generations of Holguín students passed through her classes, blackboards, and exams—students who continue to remember and cherish Dr. Camayd.
After the Cuban Revolution’s triumph in 1959, she joined the National Literacy Campaign in 1961, when Cuba became free of illiteracy. For this, she was later awarded the “Rafael María de Mendive” Distinction and the “Literacy Commemorative Medal.”
She made extraordinary contributions to the training of mathematics teachers in the Northeastern Region of Cuba, where she prepared weekly lesson plans and provided methodological support according to the needs of the time—especially during the 1960s and 70s when education became widely accessible, and thousands of young people gained opportunities to study. Matilde taught advanced courses, supervised academic research, and served on thesis committees.
She received many honors during her lifetime, including:
Founder of the first Pre-University Institute in Holguín, where she worked for 33 years, and was named Emeritus Teacher
The “For Cuban Education” Distinction, Exemplary Educator, The Aldabón of the City of Holguín, and The Shield of the Province of Holguín
Honorary Member of the Cuban Association of Educators
Emeritus Member of the Cuban Society of Mathematics and Computing
She passed away in Holguín on December 7, 2021.
Victoria Hernández Mederos
Full Researcher and Head of the Mathematics Department at ICIMAF
Full researcher and head of the Mathematics Department at the Institute of Cybernetics,
Mathematics and Physics, Cuba. Her career has focused on spline functions and its applications. She is currently interested in the numerical solution of partial differential equations using the iso geometric approach. Author of more than 50 scientific publications in indexed Journals and memories of international Conferences. Involved in international projects supported by academic institutions of México, Brazil, Germany and France. She has taught postgraduate courses as invited professor in México and Ecuador and also as associated professor of the Applied Mathematics Department of Havana University. Member of Cuban Society for Mathematics and Computation. She has received several prizes of Cuban Academy of Sciences and also the TWAS Prize to Young Scientist and the Sofia Kovalevskaya Foundation Prize.
Concepción Valdés Castro
Cuba's first woman Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences, distinguished educator with nearly 50 years at the University of Havana.
The first Cuban woman to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences in Cuba. A deeply committed educator, she is affectionately known as “Conchita” by her students and colleagues. With nearly 50 years of experience in higher education, she has dedicated 39 of those years to teaching at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the nearly three-century-old University of Havana.
At this faculty, she teaches Mathematical Analysis, a core subject in the training of graduates in this field and the course with the highest number of assigned class hours. She is also the author of textbooks related to this discipline.
As a founding member of the Mathematics program, she recalls that her passion for studying this science began during her upper secondary education at the former Instituto de la Víbora. Her high school Physics and Mathematics teachers instilled in her a love for the subject and inspired many others, as her children, grandchildren, and several colleagues have also followed in her footsteps as mathematicians.
Conchita is a shining example that a woman, with dedication and perseverance, can aspire to and achieve excellence as a distinguished professor and researcher in the exact sciences, particularly in mathematics.
Norma Rodríguez Martínez
Ph.D. in Geological Sciences, Senior Researcher, and Merit Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
Date of birth: 12 March 1953
Position: PhD in Geological Sciences. Senior Researcher. Personnel training for Petrophysics Laboratory:
Organization: INSTEC retiree reinstated in CEINPT
Year joined ACC: 2002, Merit Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences
Norma Rodríguez Martínez graduated in Mining Geophysical Engineering. Graduated with honors and was selected as the best foreign student at the Baku Higher Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry. She was Vice-Chancellor of the Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences (InSTEC of the Havana University) and Professor of the Department of Nuclear Engineering in the period 1999-2014. She has given keynote Lectures at scientific and teaching institutions in Latin America (Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil). She is author of text books for teaching in the careers of Engineering in Nuclear and Energy Technology and Bachelor’s Degree in Nuclear Physics, as well as for the master’s degree in Engineering in Energy and Nuclear Facilities, Petrophysics, etc.
She has been tutor and participated in graduation, Master’s and Doctoral thesis tribunals. She is retired from INSTEC (Ministry of Higher Education) and reincorporated as a Titular Researcher of Petroleum Production of CEINPET where she works mainly in the training of personnel for the Petrophysics laboratory and in the start-up of the existing equipment. She used to teach training courses to management specialists and directed the practice of a 4th year student of the Geophysical Engineering career at the Technological Institute, CUJAE, and collaborates in the direction of his graduation thesis.
Norma is the promoter of the realization of the CEINPET-InSTEC Student Scientific Forum since its very beginning.
43 years of experience. Tenured Academician in the period 2002-2018, currently Academic of Merit.
Ida Mitrani Arenal
Ph.D. in Physical Siences, Oceanographic Engineer, Full Professor, and Distinguished Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Ida Mitrani Arenal was born on March 1, 1955, in Havana, into a humble family as the second of seven siblings. She is a member of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), and the Cuban Workers’ Confederation (CTC). She has been a member of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) since 1984.
In 1980, she graduated as an Oceanographic Engineer and earned an MSc in Oceanological Sciences from the Hydrometeorological Institute of Leningrad, USSR. That same year, she joined the Institute of Meteorology (INSMET), focusing on Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction research.
In 1992, she earned her Ph.D. in Physical Sciences. Since 1994, she has held the position of Senior Researcher, and in 2007, she became a Full Professor at the University of Havana. In 2018, she was recognized as a Distinguished Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences (ACC).
Dr. Mitrani Arenal has authored over 145 publications, including two books, supervised 26 theses at various levels, led 15 research projects (including 3 international ones), and participated in 77 international conferences as a speaker.
She is a member of national associations such as SOMETCUBA and ANEC, as well as international organizations like OWSD, AFS, and GOOS.
Key Recognitions:
“Forjadores del Futuro” Seal (BTJ, 1990)
National Distinguished Researcher of the 1986–1990 Five-Year Period (ACC, 1991)
“Rafael María Mendive” Medal (CITMA, 2002)
“Tomás Roig” Medal (CITMA, 2003)
Distinguished Educator of the 20th Century (ANP, 2009)
National Meteorology Award (2017)
ACC Award (2018)
CITMA Environmental Award (2019)
Sofia Kovalevskaya Award (2019)
Finlay Order (2020)
“For Cuban Education” Decoration (MES, 2024)
Lilliam Álvarez Díaz
PhD in Numerical Methods of Differential Equations. General Secretary of the Academy of Sciences of the Developing World (TWAS).
Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Havana in 1971, Master’s degree in Nuclear Physics on the subject of Fast Neutron Spectroscopy, in 1976, one year training in Budapest, Hungary at the KFKI in Nuclear Physics, Postgraduate courses in Poland , PhD in Numerical Methods of Differential Equations at the Calculation Center of the former USSR, Moscow 1989. He has more than 70 publications in national and international specialized magazines and has presented plenary conferences, invited conferences, presentations, panelist at more than 150 events scientists. She has directed 15 research projects in her specialty of Numerical Analysis, in Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina, co-author of two Books Numerical Methods of Mathematical Analysis and Methods of Linear Algebra, the first of which received the Critics’ Prize for best Science Book published in Cuba in 1993. Her work experience began in 1971 until 1981 at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, then moving to the Institute of Cobernetics, Mathematics and Physics where she held management positions as Vice Director from 1991 to 1998. She held the position of Director of Sciences of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment for 8 years from 2002 to 2010 until joining the staff of the Cuban Academy of Sciences as Secretary of the Plenary of Academics and as Head of the Science Promotion Group. She is currently the Ambassador for Cuba of the World Committee of Women Mathematics of the International Mathematics Union, CMW-IMU. She is a member of merit of the Cuban Academy of Sciences and a full member of the Academy of Sciences of the Developing World, TWAS, since 2008, where she carries out intense work both on the topics of Mathematics and on Women in Sciences and where she has been elected as General Secretary in 2023. She is a recognized promoter and disseminator of science and in the area of Science Teaching through non-formal channels, in Cuba and in the Latin American and Caribbean Region. She has been a recipient of the Carlos J. Finlay Order, the highest award for her contributions to Cuban Science awarded by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba. She is currently the Ambassador for Cuba of the World Committee of Women Mathematics of the International Mathematics Union, CMW-IMU. She is a member of merit of the Cuban Academy of Sciences and a full member of the Academy of Sciences of the Developing World, TWAS, since 2008, where she carries out intense work both on the topics of Mathematics and on Women in Sciences and where she has been elected as General Secretary in 2023. She is a recognized promoter and disseminator of science and in the area of Science Teaching through non-formal channels, in Cuba and in the Latin American and Caribbean Region. She has been a recipient of the Carlos J. Finlay Order, the highest award for her contributions to Cuban Science awarded by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba.
Aurora María Pérez Martínez
PhD in Physical Sciences. Senior Researcher at ICIMAF and Senior Professor.
Senior researcher/ Senior professor
ORCID: 0000-0001-9941-4462
12/15/1961, Havana. Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Havana (1984), PhD in Physical Sciences from ICIMAF. Author of more than 70 articles in Peer Reviewed Journals (Phys. Rev. Lett., Phys. Rev. A and C, D, Eur. J of Phys C, Class Quantum Gravity Gen. Relativ. Gravit, JCAP etc.). It has a total of 1387 citations, h-index 14. One of them with 307 citations. He has participated in more than 55 scientific events. She was awarded with Kovalievskaia Prize for Women in Sciences in 2009. She received awards from the Cuban Academy of Sciences in 2004, 2008, 2012 2014. She also obtained an award from the Agency Nuclear Energy in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012. National Vanguard of the Science in 2005. Associate Member of the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP, Trieste-UNESCO) from 1997 to 2004. Associate Member of the South Excellent Center CBPF (TWAS-UNESCO) from 2005-2009. She has supervised 3 doctoral theses, 8 master’s and 9 diploma thesis on Theoretical Physics. She has collaboration with European and Latin American institutions: ICRANET Pescara Italy, FIAS (Institute for Advanced Studies in Frankfurt Germany, Fermi National Accelerator FERMILAB, Institute Technological of Lisbon Portugal, Universidad de Salamanca and UNAM Mexico, among others. She was Vice President of the Cuban Physical Society since 2008-2020 and actually Head of Women Physics Section and Leader of the Women Cuban Team of IUPAP. Besides that, she and Marcus Bleicher are the leaders of the DAAD project Empowering Women in Science (2023-2026).
Jael Cristina Faloh Gandarilla
PhD in Physical Sciences, Assistant Professor, and Head of the Department of Applied Physics at the Faculty of Physics, University of Havana.
She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Havana in 1995 and holds both a Master’s and Doctorate in Physical Sciences from the same institution. Her research focuses on the Physics of Magnetic Materials, particularly phenomena such as magnetic viscosity and coercivity mechanisms. She has published her findings in renowned scientific journals and participates in national and international scientific projects and events. She has received the Annual Award from the Cuban Academy of Sciences twice as a co-author and collaborator. An Assistant Professor, her teaching has earned her the Tizas de Oro award on several occasions. She is a member of the Cuban Physical Society and currently heads the Department of Applied Physics at the Faculty of Physics, University of Havana.
Beatriz Concepción Rosabal
PhD in Physical Sciences. Senior Researcher in the LUCES Division at the Institute of Science and Technology of Materials at the University of Havana
She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Havana in 1995 and holds both a Master’s and Doctorate in Physical Sciences from the same institution. Her research focuses on the Physics of Magnetic Materials, particularly phenomena such as magnetic viscosity and coercivity mechanisms. She has published her findings in renowned scientific journals and participates in national and international scientific projects and events. She has received the Annual Award from the Cuban Academy of Sciences twice as a co-author and collaborator. An Assistant Professor, her teaching has earned her the Tizas de Oro award on several occasions. She is a member of the Cuban Physical Society and currently heads the Department of Applied Physics at the Faculty of Physics, University of Havana.
María Teresa Pérez Maldonado
PhD in Physical Sciences. Full Professor in the Theoretical Physics Department at the University of Havana
María Teresa Pérez Maldonado (Havana, Cuba, 1967) is a Full Professor in the Theoretical Physics Department at the University of Havana. She holds a Bachelor’s (1989), Master’s (1994), and Ph.D. (2010) in Physical Sciences from the University of Havana. With 35 years of teaching experience, she has published articles in peer-reviewed international journals and co-authored an official textbook on Statistical Physics for Cuban universities. She has collaborated with researchers from Cuba, Mexico, and Spain on topics including Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Physics, low-dimensional systems under external electromagnetic fields, and growth models applied to epidemiological data.
Daniela Aliaga Ramos
Biologist specialized in Mycology and PhD researcher on mycorrhizal symbioses for ecological restoration.
Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Faculty of Biology at the University of Havana, specializing in Mycology, specifically in taxonomy, ecology, and conservation. She holds the position of Instructor in the Scientific Directorate of the National Botanical Garden and serves as the lead professor for the Fungi course at the Faculty of Biology, also participating in other training activities for undergraduate students. Currently enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Biological Sciences at the Faculty of Biology, her research focuses on the study and characterization of the diversity of mycorrhizal symbioses in native plants from Cuba’s ultramafic ecosystems, which have potential applications in the ecological restoration of mining-affected sites.
Bertha Elena González Raynall
Senior member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, was a pioneer in seismic risk research for major infrastructure.
Bertha Elena González Raynall
(19– – 20–)
Full Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences
She was born on a —– of 19—.
She graduated from the University of Bucharest, Romania, in 1975, specializing in seismic methods for oil and gas exploration. In Romania, she also took optional courses related to seismology, taught by a professor who later became Vice President of the European Seismological Commission, and who instilled in her a passion for the profession.
After graduating, she worked for two years in Cuba at the National Geophysics Company and then joined the Cuban Academy of Sciences, working as a researcher at the Institute of Geophysics and Astronomy. When the National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS) was established, she joined this institution, headquartered in Santiago de Cuba. Dr. Bertha Elena was one of the pioneers of this scientific field in Cuba, eventually becoming head of the department for 12 years.
She took part in studies for the site selection of many projects, notably including the two nuclear power plants (which were never completed), the Toa-Duaba hydroelectric plant in the eastern region, and the refinery and thermoelectric plant in Cienfuegos.
She worked on standards for construction in seismic zones and on hazard studies, especially those related to housing.
She was a leader in the team dedicated to designing projects for certain structures that, due to their importance, significance, or the potential impact of a malfunction or damage caused by an earthquake, could have a negative effect on the environment and on human health due to contamination. She also worked on other buildings requiring special studies, such as high-rise buildings, dams that store large volumes of water, and other types of construction.
Her participation in the Seismology Course for University for All, broadcast on Cuban television in the year 20—, was especially notable.
In January 2005, she was awarded the National Award for Life and Work in Geosciences, granted by the Cuban Union of Architects and Construction Engineers (UNAICC).
An active full member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, she passed away in Havana in the year 20—.
Mayra Paulina Hernández
Cuban physicist, researcher, and academic leader in materials science, honored with multiple national and international awards for her pioneering work in nanomaterials.
Merit Academician, PhD in Physical Sciences, Senior Researcher
Institute of Materials Science and Technology, University of Havana
Dr. Mayra Paulina Hernández was a highly active and beloved academic of the Natural and Exact Sciences section of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
Born on July 1, 1954, she was a Full Professor at the Institute of Materials Science and Technology (IMRE) at the University of Havana. She earned her degree in Physics in 1978 and her PhD in Physical Sciences in 2000. Her work focused on the physicochemical, structural, and electronic characterization at the atomic level of materials with applications in biology, medicine, and materials science.
Specifically, she studied solid surfaces and interfaces using microscopy techniques (SEM, TEM, STM, AFM) and photoemission and spectroscopic methods (XPS, ARXPS, UPS, XANES). Since 1974, she conducted collaborative research with institutions such as the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Humboldt University (Germany), National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (Brazil), Optical Research Center (Argentina), and Vienna University of Technology (Austria), among others.
She was a member of the IMRE Scientific Council (2003–2009), serving as its president from 2006 to 2009, a member of the Scientific Council of the University of Havana since 2009, and of the IMRE Academic Committee since 2000. She was the scientific leader of the εnano Group within IMRE’s Division of Nanomaterials (since 2009), supervised 30 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses, and delivered over 15 specialized lectures internationally.
She authored 70 scientific publications in high-impact, indexed journals, held an H-index of 8, and her work received more than 185 citations. She was a member of both the Cuban Physical Society and the Cuban Chemical Society.
Dr. Mayra received the Carlos J. Finlay Order in 2010, was named Merit Academician of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, and Emeritus Researcher of the University of Havana. She was awarded the Cuban Academy of Sciences National Annual Prize six times and, in 2016, received the prestigious International Sofia Kovalevskaya Award for Outstanding Women in Basic Sciences (7th edition) as lead author. The awarded study focused on Scanning Tunneling Electron Microscopy: Application to Sulfur Adsorption on Gold Surfaces.
She passed away on August 15, 2025.
Social Sciences
Mayda Álvarez Suárez
Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences, Director of the Center for Women's Studies (FMC), and Full Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
Date of birth: 13 February 1951
Current position: Ph.D. Psychological Sciences. Senior Researcher and Director.
Organization: Center for Women’s Studies. FMC.
Full member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences: 2018
PhD in Psychological Sciences (1993). Titular Researcher (1995) and was for years Assistant Professor at the Higher Pedagogical Institute of Technical and Professional Education. Since 2018 she has been a Full Academician of the Cuban Academy of Sciences. She directed the Center for Psychological and Sociological Research of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba until 1996 and since that year she has been the Director of the Center for Women’s Studies of the Federation of Cuban Women. She is a Member of the Permanent State Council of Scientific Degrees in the specialty of Psychology and coordinated the Network of Research and Work with Families.
She haas belonged for several years to the Board of Directors of the Society of Psychologists of Cuba. She has conducted research on the issues of women, family and gender relations in today’s Cuban society, achieving 9 awards for relevant research at the national level and other important recognitions.
She provides technical advice on gender issues to other institutions and organizations and is responsible at the national level for the methodological coordination of the FMC to the Women’s Chairs Program of the Universities. She has also been a consultant for gender and family issues for several United Nations agencies such as the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund for Population and Development and has directed several international cooperation projects. She was selected as a member of the Technical Committee of the Institute for Women’s Empowerment of the Non-Aligned Movement. He is a member of the FMC National Committee and is a member of the FMC.
Dulce María Escalona Almeida
Pioneering Cuban educator and pedagogue who transformed math education and teacher training in 20th-century Cuba.
1921–1976
Dulce María Escalona Almeida
A prestigious educator who dedicated her life to the cause of Cuban education. She was born on August 15, 1901, in Holguín, Cuba. A prominent figure in the pedagogical vanguard of the 20th century, she was one of the most talented and dedicated women in the study of mathematics education, as well as educational and societal issues. A contemporary of Enrique José Varona, Alfredo M. Aguayo, and Manuel Valdés Rodríguez, she embraced the best of Cuban pedagogy inherited from 19th-century founders such as Félix Varela, José de la Luz y Caballero, and José Martí.
She studied teaching at the Normal School for Teachers in Santiago de Cuba and, in 1921, graduated simultaneously with a Bachelor of Science and Letters. In 1924, she earned a Doctorate in Pedagogy from the University of Havana. She joined the left wing of the Student Directorate, met Julio Antonio Mella, and taught Mathematics at the “José Martí” Popular University. In 1926, she won a competitive post as an intern and later as a tenured professor of the Chair of the Cuban Academy of Sciences at the Normal School for Teachers of Oriente, covering Physics, Chemistry, and Natural History.
Starting in 1959, she joined the Purification Commission of the Ministry of Education and soon became the Provincial Director of Education in Havana. In this role, she:
Organized the Municipal Education Directorates
Led recruitment exams to staff 10,000 new primary classrooms
Authored the founding document for the National Literacy Commission
Helped train the first volunteer teachers
Developed the plan to transform Higher Primary Schools (7th–9th grades)
Created curricula, programs, textbooks, teacher training plans, workshops, labs, and educational tools
In 1962, as Director of the School of Education at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Havana, she presented a proposal titled “Outline for the Reform of the School of Education”. She proposed long-term goals such as founding Research Institutes and the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences to train specialists in the History and Theory of Education, educational methodology researchers, experts in educational planning, and more. One feasible outcome was the creation of the Pedagogical Institutes, founded in 1964: “Enrique José Varona” (Havana), “Félix Varela” (Santa Clara), and “Frank País” (Santiago de Cuba), aimed at training secondary school teachers.
Her pedagogical legacy wasn’t just written—it was lived. It remains visible in the institutions and people she influenced both directly, as a teacher, and indirectly, as a mentor and leader. Notably, her research on teaching Arithmetic Methodology in Primary Schools (1937–1951), with its scientific, pedagogical, and psychological rigor, deserves recognition. Her work went beyond methods, encompassing textbook creation for preschool to 6th grade, teaching aids, and methodological guidance for teachers.
She always emphasized teaching children to think, linking instruction with understanding, and the meaning of operations with their symbolic representation. She championed the integration of instruction and education, study and work, creative development, conscious discipline, and a polytechnic and holistic approach to education. For these and many other reasons, Dr. Dulce María Escalona Almeida stands out as one of the leading educators in Cuba’s 20th-century pedagogical vanguard.
She passed away on February 22, 1976, in Havana. At her farewell, Dr. Armando Hart said:
“…Dulce María Escalona was the kind of teacher who serves as a model for school leadership: respected, loved, firm and strong, yet with infinite love for her students.”
Olga Fernández Ríos
Ph.D. in Philosophical Sciences, Senior Researcher, and Vice President of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
Date of birth: October 8, 1945. Bachelor’s degree in History from the Central University of Las Villas, Cuba, (1969), PhD in Philosophical Sciences, Cuban Academy of Sciences (1984)
Position: Senior Researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and member of the Scientific Council of that institution.
– Academician of Merit and Vice President of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba.
– Adjunct Professor at the University of Havana.
She has specialized in Political and Social Theory and has directed or participated in various research projects on contemporary Cuban society and in thematic areas related to socialist transition; State and civil society; democracy; public policies; political relations; popular participation; social justice; ethics.
Has taught postgraduate courses and lecture cycles in several Cuban and foreign academic institutions. She has been a tutor of doctoral theses and diploma projects.
Is currently Member of the academic committees and faculty of three doctoral programs.
1988-1999: Director of the Institute of Philosophy. Since 1995 she has been simultaneously Coordinator of the Social Sciences Council of the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, CITMA.
Since 2010: Senior Researcher at the Institute of Philosophy belonging to CITMA.
Author of several textbooks such as “Dilemmas of the Socialist Transition in Cuba” (Editorial Label Filosofía.cu, 2016)
She has collaborated on many texts as co-author such as “Ideology & Independence in the Americas”, (MEP Publications, USA 1989), Rosa Luxembourg, (Verlag 8Mai, Berlin, 1999) and “Recreating Democracy in a Globalized State” (Clarity Press USA, 2013)
Has published more than 100 articles and essays in Cuban and foreign journals:
Olga has participated as a speaker in dozens of events held in Ecuador, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Russia, the United States, Germany, Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Norway, Canada, Brazil and Cuba.
• Representative of the Cuban Academy of Sciences in the “Women for Science Program” of the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS).
• Member of the National Permanent Tribunal of Scientific Degrees in Political Science and representative of that Tribunal in the National Commission of Scientific Degrees of Cuba.
• Member of the Group of Experts of the National Research Program on Cuban Society.
• President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Section of the Economic Society of Friends of the Country and member of the Governing Board of that entity.
• Member of the Editorial board of the Cuban Journal of Social Sciences
Young Women in STEM
Bárbara Ariane Pérez Fernández
Instructor at the University of Havana's Department of Applied Physics and is completing her PhD in Physical Sciences
Bárbara Ariane Pérez Fernández (Artemisa, Cuba, 1995) is an Instructor at the Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Havana. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Havana (2019) and is currently completing her PhD in Physical Sciences in collaboration with the Center for Molecular Immunology in Havana and the Italian Institute of Genomic Medicine in Turin, Italy. With 5 years of teaching experience, she is the author of articles published in peer-reviewed international journals. Her research focuses on cellular metabolism and the optimization of mammalian cell cultures for the production of therapeutic antibodies from a physics perspective.
Cristina Chavez Chong
Mathematician and Ph.D. candidate at Université Paris Nanterre, specializing in cross-validation for spatial data and clinical trial statistics.
Bachelor in Mathematics, with a Master’s in Statistics and Probability from the University of Havana. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Université Paris Nanterre, where I am researching cross-validation methods for data with spatial dependence. Additionally, I have worked as a statistical consultant in clinical trials, collaborating in the generation of solid evidence for medical decision-making.
Yeslaine Hernández Hernández
Instructor and researcher at the Faculty of Physics, University of Havana. Bachelor's and Master's degree
Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Physics. Instructor and researcher at the Faculty of Physics, University of Havana. Member of the Complex Systems and Statistical Physics research group at the University of Havana. Received a relevant award at the University Science Forum. Participated in the 15IWOR 2023 event and the International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Cryptographic Applications.
Sheila Zayas Rodríguez
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Cristina Díaz Faloh
Physics graduate from the University of Havana, researching machine learning and neural networks.
Cristina Díaz Faloh (Havana, Cuba, 2001) graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Havana in 2024, earning the Scientific Merit Award and the Outstanding Integral Graduate distinction. She is a trained researcher in the Department of Theoretical Physics at the Faculty of Physics, University of Havana. Her Bachelor’s thesis and current research focus on machine learning, a subfield of artificial intelligence. Through computational simulations, she has found interesting results on the effect of dilution on the generalization ability of a particular neural network (the Restricted Boltzmann Machine) before and/or after training. She has participated in several courses at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste. She has been awarded twice in the “Físicamente Hablando” scientific outreach competition.
Gabriela Molina Hernández
Master's graduate in Biology, specializing in Zoology and Animal
Gabriela Molina Hernández is a Master’s graduate in Biology with a specialization in Zoology and Animal Ecology. She is an instructor in Invertebrate Zoology and Field Biological Work at the Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, where she also serves as a mentor for first-year biology students. Her research focuses on the taxonomy and ecology of beetles, particularly those in the Scarabaeidae family. She is set to begin her Ph.D. in 2025.
Claudia Carricarte Naranjo
Biologist with a Master's in Animal Physiology, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Havana
Biologist with a Master’s in Animal Physiology, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Havana. Her research focuses on heart rate aspects associated with cognitive decline and emotional disturbances in Parkinson’s disease. She is interested in applying multidisciplinary approaches to biomedical data analysis to elucidate the biological mechanisms of neurodegeneration and dementia.