Irene Sánchez-Andrea
I was born and raised in Madrid, near IE Tower, but I never expected to come back to my roots. I wanted to expand my horizons and see the world so I lived in Germany, the Netherlands and the US before coming back to Spain. I love challenges and learning from different cultures—I think this is why I have moved around so much in my life and why IE University is a great fit for me. I also love nature and spend a lot of my free time doing sports such as mountaineering or cycling, or something more relaxed such as gardening, cooking with my homegrown ingredients and making my own beer, yogurt or kefir. I try to bring sustainability into all aspects of my life, not just my teaching.
"The Bachelor in Environmental Sciences for Sustainability empowers students to become stewards of our precious planet."
Training future stewards of our environment
Irene Sánchez-Andrea teaches ecology and environmental microbiology at IE University as part of the Bachelor in Environmental Sciences for Sustainability, but her love of the natural world goes back a lot further. She studied environmental science for her bachelor's degree at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and later completed a master’s in renewable energies at the King Juan Carlos University. Taking her curiosity for research further, she returned to the UAM to undertake a PhD. While Irene may be a self-declared technologist by training, she is a microbiologist by profession and has dedicated her academic career to understanding the ecosystems of microorganisms that fascinate her.
Since starting her doctorate in 2008, Irene has been a part of the teaching community and is a firm believer that teaching students is one of the most rewarding parts of her career—it gives her the energy to get through long days of research. “Nothing gives me greater joy than knowing that during my career I inspired and passed on my passion to a student who will go on to improve the health of our planet,” she explains. Training future generations so that they have the power to work toward sustainable development has an incredible impact on our future, of which Irene is a key driver. She also believes that as a researcher, she has a responsibility in terms of knowledge exchange and making science accessible to all.
Irene’s teaching gives students the foundations of ecology so that they can understand the complex laws that govern nature and appreciate nature in its truest form. By training the next generation of sustainability experts, Irene is playing her part in ensuring the future of the natural world as we know it. Climate change is bigger than many people realize, she explains—it’s not limited to global warming, but also encompasses changes in rainfall, wildfires, hurricanes and drastic changes in temperatures. “All this has terrible consequences on the climate and on the flora and fauna that inhabit our world. As animals, humans suffer the consequences too; for example, with increased conflicts and even wars over access to vital resources such as water and energy,” Irene explains.
And as the need for climate action becomes even more urgent, the demand for professionals with the tools to make a difference becomes more pressing. “Students of the Bachelor in Environmental Sciences for Sustainability will inspire change, influence policy and drive sustainable practices in every corner of the world,” Irene says. A student’s journey may begin at IE University but this program teaches them the beauty and resilience of our planet, how to embrace it and how to let their love of nature fuel their purpose and work.
With this in mind, Irene says the future needs more students of the Bachelor in Environmental Sciences for Sustainability. As students take the steps from their program into a professional career, they will be able to use their knowledge for good in roles such as policymakers, researchers, sustainability program developers or consultancy positions, in order to contribute towards a brighter future for our planet.
Check out in detail Irene Sanchez's academic and corporate experience
