The University Institute for Studies and Development of Galicia (IDEGA) boasts a new example of the high academic caliber of its researchers. María del Mar Durán Rodríguez, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and IDEGA researcher, has reached a new milestone in her academic career by obtaining a PhD in Psychology from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), with the highest distinction, Summa Cum Laude. This second doctorate, with international recognition, reinforces her scientific standing and places her career at the forefront of academic excellence.
This new degree follows her first doctorate, obtained in 2002 from the University of A Coruña (UDC) in the field of Educational Psychology. The achievement of two doctoral theses from different universities with international recognition, a rare feat in the university system, underscores Dr. Mar Durán’s tireless dedication to research and her firm commitment to interdisciplinarity among education, social behavior, and environmental psychology.
A High-Impact Research Profile
As a researcher at IDEGA and head of the ULTRAMAR research group, Mar Durán has been a pioneer in the psychosocial study of cultural environments such as the Camino de Santiago, integrating approaches from social and environmental psychology. Her recent doctorate from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), an internationally renowned institution in Psychology, and the highest possible grade she received in her doctoral defense, strengthen her methodological and analytical capacity to lead scientific projects of global scope, a distinctive feature of the research carried out at IDEGA and the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC).
This achievement comes at a time of special professional recognition, following her distinction and induction in 2025 into the prestigious international scientific society Sigma Xi, which recognizes researchers for the excellence and impact of their scientific contributions.
