A professor in the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences was named president of a scientific society, according to a University release Sunday.

Patricia Hernandez, a professor of cellular and molecular biology, will serve as president of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology — an organization that promotes research and education of organisms and functional and evolutionary biology — from 2023 to 2025. Hernandez is the first woman from an underrepresented minority group to be named president in the organization’s 133-year history, per the release.

Hernandez was required to serve as president-elect for two years before her presidency and will serve as past president for two years, according to SICB’s President Manual.

The manual states that as president, Hernandez will serve as an executive officer and a member of the SICB’s executive committee. The president presides over all general meetings and contributes to newsletters, among other responsibilities, according to the manual.