TWAS Alumna Jaqueline Godoy Mesquita has taken the presidency of the Mathematical Union for Latin America and the Caribbean (UMALCA). She is the second woman to hold this position and the youngest in the institution’s history.

"Assuming the presidency of UMALCA is, for me, a deep commitment to advancing mathematics throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This is a region shaped by a history of inequality, yet rich in diversity, identity, and vibrant potential for scientific progress and social transformation."

UMALCA was founded in 1995 to foster collaboration and development of mathematics in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to Mesquita, under her leadership the organization will be more focused than ever on fostering cooperation, integration, and innovation among mathematicians across the region. 

Mesquita has been a math professor at the University of Brasília since 2015. She developed a passion for mathematics from a very young age and later specialized in differential and functional equations.

She obtained her PhD in mathematics from the University of São Paulo in 2012 and carried out post-doctoral research at the University of Santiago and at University of São Paulo, where she also served as a professor from 2013–2015.

A 2018–2022 TWAS Young Affiliate, she is within the TWAS Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Partner (TWAS-LACREP).  In 2019, she received the international L'Oréal-UNESCO-ABC "For Women in Science Awards", and in 2023, she was awarded the Science, She Says! Award by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Mesquita was a 2018–2022 affiliated member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and regional secretary of the Brazilian Mathematical Society for two terms (2017–2019 and 2019–2021), after which she was elected its vice-president (2021–2023). She is now its president for the 2023–2025 term.

Cristina Serra