The new head of the Department of Biological Engineering for the 2024-2025 biennium took office in the department’s meeting room on 29 July at 12 noon.

Joana Azeredo, Associate Professor with tenure, was elected director of the department, with Isabel Belo, Assistant Professor, and Mariana Henriques, Assistant Professor with tenure, as deputy directors, who are now serving three terms as deputy directors of the department.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by several members of the department, including teachers, technicians and operational assistants, as well as the Vice-Rector of UMinho, Eugénio Campos Ferreira, Full Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering.

The President of the School of Engineering, Professor Pedro Arezes, gave the inauguration speech, the Vice-President, Professor António Vicente (also a Full Professor in this department) and the School Secretary, Dr Ana Paula Brites, conducted the ceremony.

The President of the School of Engineering thanked the outgoing director, Professor Armando Venâncio, for his commitment and dedication, and told the new head of department that the School of Engineering will maintain its openness to dialogue and proximity in order to support a department that “despite being small in terms of the number of teachers, is very important to the School of Engineering and has a lot of influence on the success of our institution”.