Elected president of the Chilean Academy of Sciences, becoming the first woman to hold the post.
On 16 December 2015, María Teresa Ruiz was elected president of the Chilean Academy of Sciences by unanimous vote of the 18 members present, becoming the first woman to hold the office. The University of Chile reported the election explicitly on that date.
This was a landmark in Chilean scientific governance. The presidency of the Academy signified recognition not only of Ruiz’s research but also of her authority as a leader capable of representing the country’s scientific community. The fact that the vote was unanimous made the election especially notable, showing broad institutional consensus around her suitability for the role.
The achievement also mattered for women in science because it broke one of the most visible leadership barriers in Chilean academia. In a field where women had long been underrepresented in senior decision-making roles, Ruiz’s election broadened expectations about who could shape national scientific policy, priorities, and public presence. It was a symbolic and practical extension of the pioneering work that had defined her career since her first university milestone.