María Esther Fernandez Mostaza has been a Lecturer since 2002. In these 20 years she has developed three objectives in the university environment that deserve to be named. In the first place her academic career is endorsed by the fact that she has obtained five Teaching sections (tramos), the last one receiving special mention on achieving the maximum score in all the items evaluated: (i) Teaching dedication, (ii) Planning teaching activities, (iii) Professional development, (iv) Evaluation of academic leaders and students. This recognition demonstrates her excellent commitment to her teaching career. In addition, to date, she has directed 21 Final Year Projects (among which, two have been published as book chapters) were two themes prevail: The manifestations of religiosity in the urban space and The rites around death in the absence of a body.

Those circumstances alone are the basis for a certain international recognition. Among others: (i) she is a member of the Board of Doctorate Professors in "Management for Digital Transformation: Business Communication and Ethics" at the Unicusano University in Rome; (ii) she is an external member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Latin America – CeSIALUnicusano, at the Unicusano University of Rome. (iii) she was part of the evaluation jury of the MA thesis project at the National University of Colombia, Bogotá; (iv) she has taught in the master’s Sociology: Theory, Methodology, and Research attached to the Department of Education Sciences at the Roma Tre University (Rome) and, (v) she has developed fieldwork framed in the procession of the Lord of Miracles in Rome, under the auspices of the University of Roma Tre (Rome).

Secondly, but not less importantly, she has made a significant career in management within the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Here, she has held among other positions, that of Academic Secretary, Vice Dean of Academic Planning, and Coordinator of the Degree both in Political Science and Sociology (a double mandate over six years). Finally, from January 2018 to November 2019, she was the director of the Department of Sociology. Her entire career allowed her to gain four Management sections (tramos), the maximum number recognized by the institution.

Lastly, her dedication to research has developed in two stages. The first, was obtaining in 2002 her permanent position at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. In that period we could highlight her participation as a post-doc in two European programs: SERVEMPLOI. Innovations in Information Society Sectors. Implications for Women's Work, Expertise and Opportunities in European Workplaces (TSR Programme) SOE1-CT98-1119, 1999-2002, and Family and the Welfare State in Europe (TMR Programme) ERB FMRX CT 960027, 1997-1999. This permitted her to stay at several European universities for six months plus terms.

The second stage occurred after 2020 while finishing her responsibilities as director of the Department of sociology. She then took part in doctoral programmes at various foreign universities: Università Unicusano (Rome) and National University of Colombia. In addition to participating as a researcher without interruption from 2011 in, among others, the following:

I. “Entre la ciencia y la religión: un estudio empírico para comprender el rol de las creencias religiosas y espirituales en la oposición a las tecnologías biomédicas.” Code according to the funding entity: PID2020-120201GB-I00 Start-End date: 01/09/2021 - 31/08/2024.

II. “European Network on Science, Religion and Health” International Research Network for the Study of Science & Belief in Society; Birmingham, United Kingdom. Code according to the funding entity: RNF/01/105. Start-End date: 01/10/2021 - 30/06/2023.

III. “Expresiones religiosas en el espacio urbano en Madrid y Barcelona. Un estudio de casos múltiple sobre la visibilidad de la diversidad religiosa en el espacio público”. SpE_GC (13-16). Code according to the funding entity: CSO2015-66198-P. Start-End date: 01/01/2016 - 31/12/2019.

IV. “La gestión de la diversidad religiosa en centros hospitalarios y penitenciarios en España. PNPIF(08-11) Code according to the funding entity: CSO2010-21248. Start-End date: 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2014.

Her research trajectory has been evidenced by the fact that all her last five publications were accepted by top ranking prestigious international databases WoS an SJR: 3 of them Q1; SJR2021: 0,34; 1 of them Q2; SJR 2021: 0,45.

Last but not least, none of the above would have been possible without the support of the ISOR group, to which she has belonged for 30 years and where she began both her academic and research career.