Rosa Devés

Rosa Noemí Devés Alessandri (born 23 January 1950) is a Chilean biochemist and academic. In 2022, she was elected as the first female rector of the University of Chile.

Early life and education Devés was born on 23 January 1950 in Santiago , Chile. She is member of the prominent Alessandri family as the grand-niece of Jorge Alessandri and great-granddaughter of Arturo Alessandri, both former Presidents of Chile.

Career Back in Chile, in 1980 Devés joined the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile, where she taught and conducted research on cellular physiology and became a full professor in 1998. In the 1980s, she was a member of the Andrés Bello University and Cultural Association, a forum for reflection and defence of the university under the dictatorship, and served as its president between 1986 and 1987. specifically on transport mechanisms in biological membranes, was recognised internationally, and in 2002 she was appointed a corresponding member of the .

Devés was elected the first female rector of the University of Chile on 12 May 2022 with 51.68% of the votes. She was sworn in on 22 June 2022 at a ceremony attended by Chilean President Gabriel Boric. In her inaugural speech, Devés called for efforts to strengthen public education and represent women's struggle to occupy spaces for academic development.