New President. University of Navarra
NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY
María Iraburu
New President of the University
The Chancellor, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz has appointed Professor María Iraburu Elizalde as the new President of the University of Navarra, replacing Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero, who has served as president since September 2012. The inauguration is scheduled for January 2022. Professor Iraburu is the ninth academic to hold this position in the nearly seventy-year history of the University.
María Iraburu (Pamplona, 1964) served as Vice President of Faculty Affairs since 2012. She has served on the Board of Management of the Schools of Medicine and Sciences and in 2005 she was appointed to the Executive Council of the University as Vice President of Students. During 2018-19 she completed the PADE program (Program for Senior Management) with IESE Business School of the University of Navarra. In 2020 she was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Catholic University of America.
A graduate in Biology from the University of Navarra she defended her doctoral thesis in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 1992 and between 1993 and 1996 she did a post-doctoral stay in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. In 1996 she joined the University of Navarra. Since then she has combined her research career and teaching with management duties. She has been the lead researcher of 7 research projects and has directed 8 doctoral theses. Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, she has taught in the Schools of Medicine and Sciences. Currently she teaches Structural and Functional Biochemistry and Biosynthesis of Macro molecules and their Regulation in the Degree of Biochemistry.
In her first words, Maria Iraburu paid tribute to the leadership of Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero: "I think I speak for everyone in expressing our gratitude for his leadership in complicated times. His years as president, in which we have had no shortage of difficulties, laid a solid foundation on which to face the future with hope".
She also addressed the professors, students, staff and alumni, expressing her confidence "in the professional and human quality of all those who form part of the University. Everyone brings their talents, their vision, and their commitment to a job well done. We are all necessary to continue this adventure, for the new and the unexpected, so that the University of Navarra will continue to surprise us over the years".
The Chancellor, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, has expressed his gratitude to Professor María Iraburu "her willingness to assume this new responsibility and face the new stage of the institution, full of challenges in research and teaching". He also thanked professor Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero "for his years dedicated to the service of the University as President, marked by his optimistic spirit and magnanimous disposition".
For his part, Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero thanked everyone for their collaboration during his years as President. "I have felt the continuous support of those who form part of the University of Navarra. Thanks to this support, most of all from my colleagues in the Executive Council of the University, we have been able to promote major projects, face adversity and provide the service that society expects from the university”. He also expressed his gratitude for the good relationship with the different governments, institutions and companies. “One of the reasons for greatest satisfaction is the growing number of friends that the University has," he added, while expressing his confidence "in the qualities of Professor Iraburu to lead the University in this new stage".
Professor Sánchez-Tabernero will continue with his teaching and research in the School of Communication of the University of Navarra.
IN PICTURES
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1993
Thesis and postdoctoral stay
The new president is a biologist and former student of the University. In 1992 she defended her doctoral thesis about the Structure and function of the chloroplast ATPase (ATPasa de cloroplastos) in the University of Navarra, directed by Professor María Jesús López Zabalza. Between 1993 and 1996 she did a postdoctoral stay in New York, in the Marion Bassin Liver Research Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In the photo she is with her research team which was led by Professor Marcos Rojkind.
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2000
Former student
After her postdoctoral stay, she joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as a professor. Since then she has conducted research on the molecular mechanisms of hepatic pathophysiology. She has been the lead researcher in 7 research projects and has directed 8 doctoral theses.
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2006
Governing roles
In 2005 she was appointed Vice President of Students and before she was an Associate Dean in the School of Sciences (2001-2004) and Medicine (2004-2005). At the Rector's Trophy awards ceremony on the Sports Day.
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2009
From Pamplona
María Iraburu, who was born in Pamplona in 1964, is the first President from the Region of Navarre. In the photo, taken in 2009, she is at the presentation of the book Historia de la Facultad de Comunicación de la Universidad de Navarra, (History of the School of Communication of the University of Navarra) together with professors Carlos Barrera and Mercedes Montero and the former director of Diario de Navarra José Javier Uranga. The presentation took place in the Cámara de Comptos, a place of historic importance for Pamplona and the University because the first classes were held there in 1952.
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2009
Students
Beside the former Chancellor Javier Echevarría in his visit to the university. During her years in the Vice Presidency of Students (2005-2012) she developed mentoring, volunteering and various projects related to the training and formation of students.
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2012
University Life
In the prize giving ceremony for 'Vida Universitaria'. This year she was appointed Vice President of Faculty Affairs. As a fundamental part of the University Strategy, the new president promoted the development of the Institute of the Core Curriculum whose essential mission is the humanist formation of all students like the Docens program for Professors.
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2016
Silver Medals
In the photo, Iraburu receives the silver medal of the University from her predecessor, Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero, at the 2016 medal award ceremony.
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2017
Women and Architecture
In the opening of the exhibition "arcVision Prize – Mujeres y Arquitectura" en the School of Architecture
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2019
Member of the 'Board of Trustees of the Catholic University of America'
Together with Ramón Gonzalo, President of the Public University of Navarra, in the opening of the academic year ceremony 2019/2020. The new president is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic University of America.
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2019
'Women for Science and Technology'
In the opening of the academic year 2019/2020 with Francisco Ponz and other Faculty of the School of Sciences. She has been the driver behind the initiative 'Women for Science and Technology' which since 2016, promotes careers in science for undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
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2021
2025 Strategy
In the photo, professor Iraburu spoke at an event about Horizon 2020 and presentation of the 2025 Strategy. In recent years, she has led several sustainability initiatives in the Office of the Presidency.
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2021
With Alumni in New York
In 2018-19 she completed the PADE program at IESE Business School of the University of Navarra. The photograph captures a moment from a recent alumni gathering at IESE's New York headquarters.
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2021
With the Chancellor
During a meeting in Rome with the Chancellor, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz.
