Evangelina Villegas

Evangelina Villegas Moreno (October 24, 1924 – April 24, 2017 ) was a Mexican cereal biochemist whose work with maize led to the development of quality protein maize (QPM). She and her colleague from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Surinder Vasal, shared the 2000 World Food Prize for this achievement. Villegas was the first woman to ever receive the World Food Prize.

Education Villegas did a B.A. chemistry and biology at the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City. Continuing her studies in the United States, she earned an M.Sc. on cereal technology from Kansas State University

In the 1970s, Villegas began collaborative research with Vasal. Villegas was in charge of the lab investigating protein quality, while Vasal worked on developing QPM varieties that would gain widespread acceptance. Villegas and Vasal together combined existing "opaque-2" maize variety using molecular biology techniques. During this time, Villegas was credited for the evaluation, development, and adaptation of a chemical methodology to screen large numbers of small samples for industrial wheat quality and maize nutritional and protein quality.

She went on to be named Head of the General Service Laboratory in 1992, serve as a consultant for national programs for protein quality and industrial quality laboratories for Brazil, Argentina, and Guatemala. She would also be involved in the establishment of quality laboratories in India, Thailand, Egypt, Tunis, Ghana, the Philippines, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, and Mexico. This allowed the men to go and pursue an education that they otherwise would not have been able to.

After her retirement, Villegas became an advisor to the Sasakawa Africa Association, to help improve agricultural technology in Africa. She also acted as an advisor to young scientists. In 2017, following her death in April of that year, CIMMYT named a laboratory in Villegas's honor at its El Batán site near Texcoco, State of Mexico.

Awards and honors

1972: Distinguished alumni award: National Polytechnic Institute 2000: Woman of the year: Mexican Women's Association 2000: World Food Prize (shared with Surinder Vasal) 2001: Lázaro Cárdenas Medal: National Polytechnic Institute 2001: Alpha Delta Kappa: International Women of Distinction 2002: Doctor of Science (honoris causa): Chapingo Autonomous University 2013: Distinguished alumni award: Kansas State University

Selected publications

Evangelina Villegas, Edwin Theodore Mertz. 1971. Chemical screening methods for maize protein quality at CIMMYT. Número 20 de Research bulletin – International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. Editor CIMMYT, 14 pp.

Books

S. Twumasi-Afriyie, w. Haag, Evangelina Villegas. 1999. Quality protein maize in Ghana: A partnership in research, development, and transfer of technology. En: Breth, SA (ed.) Enrique I. Ortega M., Reinald Bauer, Evangelina Villegas M. 1985. Métodos químicos usados en el CIMMYT para determinar la calidad de proteína de los cereales. 2ª edición de CIMMYT, 32 pp. Evangelina Villegas, Enrique Ortega Martínez, Reinald Bauer. 1984. Chemical methods used at CIMMYT for determining protein quality in cereal grains. Editor Protein Quality Laboratory, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, 35 pp. ——. 1968. Variability in lysine content of wheat, rye and triticale proteins. Editor International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, 32 pp. ——. 1967. Variability in lysine content of wheat, rye and triticale proteins. Editor Dakota State University. 158 pp. ——. 1963. The role of sulfhydryl groups in flour. Editor Kansas State University, 124 pp.