Angela Teresita Leiva Sánchez

Botanist and phytogeographer. Outstanding Cuban scientist, National Environmental Prize winner. Doctor in Biological Sciences and Professor Emeritus of the University of La Habana, with more than 35 years of experience. She was founder and director of the National Botanical Garden.

In 1980 she obtained a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of La Habana, and from that same prestigious institution, her doctorate in 1990.

She develops academic activities in the "Faculty of Biology" of the University of La Habana. She has worked with the National Botanical Garden of Cuba in La Habana, attaining the position of director in 1972. She has conducted botanical expeditions throughout the island.

She is co-editor of the Journal of the Botanical Garden of Cuba.

Postgraduate courses taught
Teaching (jointly with the Botanical Garden of Córdoba, BGCS and CITES) of an international postgraduate course on Conservation Techniques in Botanical Gardens in La Habana, 1991.
Teaching of an international postgraduate course on Conservation in Botanical Gardens at the University Juárez de Tabasco, Mexico, 1994.
Teaching of a subject in the Master's program in Botany of the National Botanical Garden (Principles and techniques of plant conservation) in several editions.
Teaching of a lecture in a postgraduate course on Phytogenetic Resources (INIFAT, 1998).

Some publications
2002. Botanical Gardens as a tourist attraction. PARJAB 3-8 (5)
esperanza Peña García, ángela t. Leiva Sánchez, pedro i. López García, julio c. Lazcano Lara. 2001. Contributions to the conservation of threatened Cuban species and ecosystems.
2000. Checklist of Cuban Palms. Journal of the International Palm Society 44 (2):69-84
2000. Updated taxonomic list of the Palms of Cuba. Revista Jard. Bot. Nac. Univ. Habana. 21(1): 3-7
1991. Gaussia spirituana Moya et Leiva, sp. nov.: a new palm from Central Cuba. Revista Jard. Bot. Nac. (La Habana) vol. XII
1990. The distribution of the genus Dendrophthora in Cuba. Revista Jard. Bot. Nac. (La Habana) 11 (1):23-39
1969. Effect of the latex of Euphorbia subsalsata Hiern on the in vitro growth of carrot tissue cultures. Revista Ciencias, Ser. Botánica
Books
2001. Cuba and its Palms. Ed. Gente Nueva. La Habana
1999. The Palms in Cuba. Ed. Científico Técnica. La Habana
ángela t. Leiva Sánchez, rosalina e. Berazaín Iturralde. 1992. Eremolepidaceae. Flora of the Republic of Cuba. Ed. Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. 80 pp.
Book chapters
1992. Origin, Evolution and Diversity on Cuban Plant Genetic Resources. In Hammer K., M. Esquivel and H. Knupffer, eds. Institut fur Plflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung Gatersleben, Germany
Cuba. 1989. In: Floristic Inventory of Tropical Countries. Campbell, D.G. and Hammond, H.D. eds. New York Botanical Garden. pp. 315-335

Honors
Member of
Co-founder of the Cuban Society of Biological Sciences and President of the Botany Section from 1979 to 1988.
Cuban Society of Botany.
Latin American Association of Botany, since 1989.
Permanent Court of Scientific Degrees in Biological Sciences, until 1993.
University Scientific Council from its creation until 1988, and re-elected in 1992.
Cuban Committee of the IUBS and RELAB.
Cuban M.A.B. Commission (UNESCO).
International Advisory Council BGCI.
Superior Scientific Council of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba. Section of Natural Sciences, until its dissolution.
Member of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba (for two terms).
Forest Advisory Council of MINAGRI.
Expert Group for the Green Areas of the Capital.
SSC/CBSG of the IUCN for palms since 2001.
Steering Committee of the Caribbean Botanic Gardens Conservation Network, re-elected in 2002.
Meritorious Academician of the ACC since July 2002.
Commission of Experts of the new National Atlas of Cuba.
Participation in Round Table on Biodiversity in Cuba, Washington, February 1992, sponsored by John Hopkins University and the Smithsonian Institution.

Positions
President of the Scientific Council of the National Botanical Garden.
Co-president of the National Scientific Commission "Flora of Cuba".
Vice-president of the Organizing Committee of the V Latin American Congress of Botany. La Habana, 1990.
Coordinator of the National Network of Botanical Gardens of Cuba (since 1990).
President of the Cuban Society for Environmental Protection (ProNATURALEZA), 1993-1998.
President of the Group of Specialists in Cuban Plants of SSC/IUCN.

Distinctions
Seal of Builders of the Future, 1984.
Prize for the most useful work to society from UH, 1984.
Special Distinction from the Minister of the Month, 1984.
Literacy Medal.
Carlos J. Finlay Order, 1991.
Commemorative Coin for the XXX Anniversary of the ACC, 1992.
Medal for Production and Defense.
Distinction for Cuban Education.
Rafael Ma. Mendive Medal.
National Vanguard of the Science Union, 1994.
Giraldilla of the City of La Habana.
Medal 40th Anniversary of the FAR.
Commemorative Seal XVIII Congress of the CTC.
Outstanding Figure of UH.
Outstanding Figure of the Month, 2001.