FELIPE POEY CATHEDRA

Felipe Poey  Aloy was born in Havana on May 26th of 1799. Poey devoted his life to the study and characterization of the species of fish in the seas surrounding the Cuban island. His magnum opus, Ictiología Cubana, was the winner of the Gold Medal in an international exhibition held in Holland in 1883. This prestigious event also granted the Cross of the Netherland Lion to this Cuban researcher. Poey´s seminal work in the taxonomy of more than one hundred species of fish remains as an invaluable referent to current scientists, consequently he is known as the Father of the Cuban Ichthyology. 

For all the above, in the year of 1997 the Rector of the University of Havana approved the creation of the Cathedra Felipe Poey Aloy, signed under the Resolution No 253. 

The aims of the cathedra are as follows:

• To motivate the younger generation of ichthyologists to search and systematically update the work pioneered by Dr. Felipe Poey.

• To improve the knowledge of our biosphere as a mean to protect the fish kingdom and improvement of breeding techniques.

• To honor Dr. Poey and his legacy as role models for future generation of scientists. 

The first chair person of the Felipe Poey Cathedra was Dr. Dario Guitart Manday, a prominent Cuban ichthyologist who held the position until his deceased in the year 2000.

The current chair person is Dr. Tsai Garcia Galano and other members of the board are: Lic. Rosa Marìa Gonzàlez (Secretary), Dr. Rodolfo Claro Madruga, Dr. Alejandro Barro Cañamero, Dr. Roberto Alonso Bosch, Dra. Patricia González Díaz y Lic. Luis Alvarez-Lajonchere Ponce de León.