The Memory Center (Cememor) of the Faculty of Medicine at UFMG honored eight women on December 3rd who distinguished themselves through their academic, scientific, and institutional contributions to the university. The ceremony, held in the Amílcar Vianna auditorium, brought together faculty, researchers, and members of the university community. Among those honored was Professor Patrícia Kauark Leite, director of the Institute of Advanced Transdisciplinary Studies (IEAT/UFMG).

During the event, the following women were honored:

Alamanda Kfoury Pereira – Full Professor in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics and the first female director of the Faculty of Medicine in its 114 years.
Ethel Mizrahy Cuperschmid – historian and historical reference at Cememor.
Maria Rizoneide Negreiros de Araújo – Professor Emerita of the School of Nursing.
Marta Alice Venâncio Romanini – first female Professor Emerita of the Faculty of Medicine.
Patrícia Maria Kauark Leite – Full Professor in the Department of Philosophy and the first female director of IEAT/UFMG.
Rima D. Apple – Professor Emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and PhD in the History of Medicine.
Rita de Cássia Marques – Full Professor at the School of Nursing and historian of health at UFMG.
Tânia Mara Assis Lima – Professor at the Faculty of Medicine and first director of the Hospital das Clínicas at UFMG.

Professor Luciana Diniz, coordinator of Cememor, highlighted that the initiative seeks to recognize women whose trajectories have significantly contributed to the institutional history of UFMG. According to her, the selection of names took into account not only academic achievement, but also qualities such as sensitivity, care, and the ability to strengthen environments of memory and education. “These women contributed to the history of the university with their work, kindness, and commitment to the academic community,” she stated.

In accepting the honor, Patrícia Kauark Leite emphasized the importance of sharing the recognition with women whose trajectories have helped build a more pluralistic and sensitive university to diversity. For her, occupying the position of the first woman to direct the IEAT in 26 years represents an institutional and epistemological milestone. Inspired by the philosopher of science Helen Longino, Patrícia emphasized that scientific objectivity is strengthened through the interaction between diverse perspectives. In her speech, she highlighted that knowledge is strengthened in communities open to dialogue, to the plurality of subjects and experiences.

“Honoring women in this space is not just a symbolic act of historical justice – it is a profoundly epistemological gesture: it means recognizing that the presence of women broadens the horizon of what can be thought, researched, and taught at the university,” Kauark stated.

The director of IEAT also linked the tribute to the transdisciplinary nature of the Institute. According to her, recognizing women from different areas – from health, humanities, and traditional knowledge – reaffirms a fundamental conviction: transdisciplinarity is also a project of epistemological inclusion, since each honored trajectory opened paths that transformed academic practices, forms of care, teaching methods, and management models that are fundamental to building a more open and socially responsible university.

From left to right: Sônia Maria Soares (Director of the School of Nursing), Alamanda Kfoury Pereira (Director of the Faculty of Medicine), Patrícia Kauark (Director of IEAT/UFMG) and Rima Apple (Rima Apple, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and visiting researcher at IEAT/UFMG)
Photo: Gustavo Luiz – UFMG