Anna Fontcuberta i Morral becomes President of EPF Lausanne
Published: Wednesday, Mar 27th 2024, 14:40
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The Federal Council has appointed Anna Fontcuberta i Morral as the new President of EPFL. The 49-year-old materials scientist will take over from Martin Vetterli on January 1, 2025. She has been elected for four years and is the first female President of EPFL.
Fontcuberta i Morral is a renowned researcher, as the Federal Council announced on Wednesday. The professor of materials science and physics established her laboratory for semiconducting materials in Lausanne as a world leader in sustainable nanotechnologies. She was also co-founder of a start-up.
As Deputy Vice President, she is involved in the academic administration of EPFL. She worked for the Swiss National Science Foundation for over eight years and has been a member of its Executive Board since 2020. In addition to her research, the Swiss-Spanish dual citizen is also involved in teaching and promoting young talent.
The student body of the Faculty of Engineering honored her for the best teaching. Fontcuberta i Morral has received various awards for her research. She studied physics in Barcelona and completed her doctorate at the Ecole Polytechnique Palaiseau in France.
She then conducted research as a visiting scientist at the California Institute of Technology in the USA. She became an associate professor at EPFL in 2014 and a full professor in 2018.
According to the Federal Council, her predecessor Martin Vetterli succeeded in sustainably strengthening the reputation of the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne and consolidating its reputation as one of the most innovative universities. Vetterli became president in 2017.
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