Friend-AlumniUvigo:
Individuals whose regional, national or international relevance, or whose merits of excellence, make them deserving of such distinction.
Mariam Mouriño:
President of RC Celta.
Marián Mouriño Terrazo is a prominent Spanish businesswoman and the first woman to preside over Real Club Celta de Vigo in its more than one hundred-year history, taking up the post in November 2023. With solid experience in senior management and family business, she leads the club with a focus on professionalisation, the youth academy and social engagement.
Distinguished Alumni-Uvigo:
José Luis Alonso Mosquera:
Director of the Stellantis plant in Vigo.
José Luis Alonso Mosquera is an Industrial Engineer from the University of Vigo and the current Director of the Stellantis plant in Vigo. With over 25 years' experience in the automotive group, he has led the factories in Mangualde (Portugal) and Figueruelas (Zaragoza), as well as holding global logistics positions in France. As a leading figure of the talent trained at UVigo, he now leads from his hometown the transformation of the Galician plant towards electric mobility and industrial cutting-edge.
Honorary Alumni-Uvigo:
Alberto Estévez Suárez:
Amnesty International.
Alberto Estévez Suárez holds a degree in English Philology from the University of Vigo and is one of Amnesty International's leading experts on arms trade control. With a career spanning over 30 years in international activism, he has led global campaigns such as “Armas Baixo Control” and frequently acts as an expert adviser to the Congress of Deputies. He combines his work on human rights advocacy and defence with the management of his own professional translation agency in Vigo, serving as a leading figure in social commitment, a quality forged during his time at UVigo.
Honorary Alumni-Uvigo:
Individuals whose regional, national or international relevance, or whose merits of excellence, make them deserving of such distinction.
Carlos Botana:
President of the Port Authority of Vigo.
Carlos Botana Lagarón holds a PhD and a degree in Marine Sciences from the University of Vigo and is the current President of the Port Authority of Vigo. With over 20 years of technical experience at the institution, he was the main driving force behind the “Blue Growth” strategy, a European benchmark in maritime sustainability. His career is distinguished by his leadership of international projects and his coordination work within blue growth networks at ESPO, establishing him as a key expert at the intersection of port economic development and the preservation of the marine ecosystem.
Honorary Alumni-Uvigo:
Teresa Portela Rivas:
Olympic athlete
Teresa Portela Rivas is a graduate in Physiotherapy and a qualified teacher from the University of Vigo, as well as one of the most legendary athletes in Spanish history. With a historic record of seven appearances at the Olympic Games—from Sydney 2000 to Paris 2024—her palmarès is highlighted by the silver medal in Tokyo 2020 and more than 30 medals at world and European championships. She combines her successful career in elite canoeing with her professional role as a physiotherapist in her own clinic, serving as a role model for excellence, perseverance and work-life balance, having been educated at the University of Vigo.
Susana Rodríguez Gacio:
Olympic athlete
Susana Rodríguez Gacio is a graduate in Physiotherapy from the University of Vigo and a graduate in Medicine, a profession she practises as a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. A global icon of Paralympic sport, she made history by becoming a double triathlon champion at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games, adding seven world titles to her extraordinary palmarès. Her ability to combine cutting-edge medicine with high-level competition led her to appear on the cover of Time magazine, consolidating her position as a role model for perseverance and academic and sporting excellence, having been trained at our university.
Friend-AlumniUvigo:
David Regades:
Delegate of the Vigo Free Zone Consortium.
David Regades Fernández is the current Special State Delegate at the Vigo Free Zone Consortium, a post he resumed in 2024 after his time in the Congress of Deputies. With an extensive career in public administration, he has held key positions such as Councillor for Economic Development in the Vigo City Council and provincial councillor, standing out for his ability to liaise with the business community. Under his leadership, the Free Zone has consolidated its position as the main driver of economic dynamism for the metropolitan area, promoting industrial innovation, entrepreneurship and the attraction of strategic investment for Galicia.
Honorary Alumna of Uvigo:
Individuals whose regional, national or international relevance, or whose merits of excellence, make them deserving of such distinction.
Africa González:
Professor of Immunology at the University of Vigo
África González Fernández is Professor of Immunology at the University of Vigo and one of Spain's most prestigious scientists in her field. Co-founder of the technology-based company (TBC) NanoImmunoTech, she has led Galician research in immunology and nanomedicine, pioneering the development of biosensors and vaccines. Her career highlights include presiding over the Spanish Society of Immunology (SEI) and her outreach work during the pandemic, which has made her a national reference for the transfer of knowledge from academia to the business sector and society.
Distinguished Alumni-Uvigo:
Abel Caballero:
Mayor of Vigo
Abel Caballero Álvarez is a Professor of Economic Theory at the University of Vigo and has been the city's mayor since 2007. He holds a PhD in Economics from the universities of Cambridge and Santiago de Compostela, as well as a master's degree from the University of Essex and a qualification as an officer in the Merchant Navy. With an extensive political career that includes serving as Minister of Transport, Tourism and Communications and as President of the FEMP, Caballero combines his institutional leadership with his academic role at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Vigo, establishing himself as one of the most influential figures in Vigo's modern transformation and international projection.
Honorary UVigo Alumnus/Alumna:
Individuals whose regional, national or international relevance, or whose merits of excellence, make them deserving of such distinction.
Rector 1989-1994:
Luis Espada Recarey:
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Luis Espada Recarey is a Doctoral Industrial Engineer, Professor of Chemical Engineering and a key figure in the history of the University of Vigo, of which he was the first Rector (1990-1994). With an outstanding academic career, he was a driving force in research into corrosion and materials protection, as well as holding high-responsibility posts such as Ombudsman for the City of Vigo for two decades. His legacy combines leadership in consolidating the Galician university system with a firm ethical and social commitment, and he is now a Professor Emeritus and an undisputed reference for academic excellence linked to the city's development.
Rector 1994-1998:
José Antonio Rodríguez Vázquez:
Professor of Analytical Chemistry
José Antonio Rodríguez Vázquez is a Professor of Analytical Chemistry and a historic institutional figure at the University of Vigo, of which he was the second Rector (1994-1998). During his tenure, he led the administrative and academic consolidation of the new institution, promoting the specialisation of its three campuses and the development of key infrastructure. Recognised for his research excellence in the field of chemistry and environmental protection, he was a fundamental pillar in the modernisation of the Galician university system, maintaining a firm commitment to knowledge transfer and teaching quality until his appointment as Professor Emeritus.
1998-2006:
Sunday Docampo Amoedo:
Professor of Signal and Communications Theory
Domingo Docampo Amoedo is a Professor of Signal Theory and Communications and a key figure in the history of the University of Vigo, of which he was the third Rector (1998-2006). During his two terms in office, he led the university's greatest transformation, driving the construction of the Lagoas-Marcosende campus and positioning the institution in international research rankings. A recognised expert in signal processing and communication networks, he has combined his academic excellence with a prolific career in outreach and university management at a national level, and is today one of the most authoritative voices on the quality assessment and future of the Galician university system.
2006-2010:
Alberto Gago Rodríguez:
Professor of Public Finance.
Alberto Gago Rodríguez is a Professor of Public Finance at the University of Vigo and was the institution's fourth Rector (2006-2010). A Doctor of Economics from the University of Santiago de Compostela, he has developed extensive research work focused on environmental taxation, climate change and the economics of energy, topics on which his election to the Royal Galician Academy of Sciences was based. His career is distinguished by his commitment to university management, having served as Vice-Rector for Planning and Economic Affairs, as well as presiding over prestigious bodies such as the Spanish Association of Energy Economics, consolidating his position as a national authority at the intersection of economics and sustainability.
2010-2018:
Salustiano Mato de la Iglesia:
Professor of Zoology.
Salustiano Mato de la Iglesia is a Professor of Zoology at the University of Vigo and was the institution's fifth Rector (2010-2018). A Doctor of Biology from the University of Santiago de Compostela, his term was marked by the definitive push for campus specialisation and the award of the International Excellence seal for the Campus do Mar project. With a solid research track record in environmental biotechnology and waste management, he held high-level national positions such as Vice-President of the CRUE and Director General of R&D&i for the Government of Galicia, establishing himself as a leading figure in knowledge transfer and the modernisation of the Galician scientific system.
Distinguished UVigo alumnus/alumna:
Jose Maria Franco Garcia:
President of the Association of Friends and Former Students of the University of Vigo. .
José María Franco García is a lawyer, a Doctor of Law and the current President of the Association of Friends and Former Students of the University of Vigo (Alumni). With a solid international background, which includes a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, he was a Professor of Commercial Law at UVigo and a member of its Social Council. A founding member of the alumni association in 1996, his career is distinguished by a lifelong commitment to promoting patronage and academic internationalisation, and he is a key figure in strengthening the emotional and professional ties between the university and the Vigo civil society.
