Josefina Gómez Mendoza

Josefina Gómez Mendoza (born 1 June 1942) is a Spanish geographer, writer, and professor emerita.

Josefina Gómez Mendoza holds a licentiate in Philosophy and Literature from History Department at the Complutense University of Madrid (1974), as well as a Doctorate in Philosophy and Literature from the same university's History and Geography Department.

In 1978, she was assistant professor of geography by examination, and in 1979 she was an associate professor.

In 1981 she won the access competition for the Geography Chair of Spain.

From 1985 to 2012, she was Professor of Regional Geographical Analysis at the Autonomous University of Madrid.

She was President of the Association of Spanish Geographers from 1993 to 1997.

In addition to publishing several books, she has written for some media outlets, including the newspaper El País.

From 2001 to 2005, she was Rector of the National University of Distance Education (UNED).

She is a member of the Royal Academy of History, Medal No. 7 (elected 8 February 2002, took office 27 April 2003), and the Royal Academy of Engineering, Medal No. 58 (took office 21 March 2006).

Gómez Mendoza was an elective State Councilor from 2003 to 2008 and from 2008 to 2013.

In June 2005, she was named Doctor Honoris Causa of the Charles III University of Madrid and invested on 3 February 2006.

She has been a Member of the National Council of National Parks since 2008.

In September 2012, she was appointed Chair Emerita at the Autonomous University of Madrid.

That October she was also named Professor Emerita of the Autonomous University, and that November she was named Doctor Honoris Causa by the École normale supérieure de Lyon.