Academic Andréa de Lucena Lira comes from a modest family, built on the solid foundation of a dedicated couple without formal academic education. Mr. Gregório and Dona Emília raised seven children, three of whom hold doctorates, three hold master's degrees, and most have two undergraduate degrees. The youngest builds her trajectory in public educational institutions, beginning her scientific academic career upon enrolling in the Technical Course in Construction at what was then the Federal Technical School of Paraíba, now the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Paraíba (IFPB), where she has the honor of serving as a full professor, cultivating the seed of knowledge since 2005. At age 16, she received her first recognition — 1st place at the state level and 2nd place at the regional level in a marathon on the life and work of Graciliano Ramos. At 22, she graduated as a Food Engineer from the Federal University of Paraíba and became a member of the Brazilian Society of Food Science and Technology. She studied languages at the College of Food and Technology and the University of Glasgow in Scotland in 1996. She earned a Master's in Food Science and Technology in 2004, a Doctorate in Process Engineering in 2010, and a Teaching Degree in Chemistry as a second qualification in 2015. She was one of the founders of the undergraduate Technology in Food program at IFPB-Campus Sousa. She has received awards for scientific research, contributed to dozens of articles published in journals and at scientific events, authored chapters in academic books, supervised dissertations as faculty in the Master's in Professional and Technological Education, and guided undergraduate final projects, coordinating various research and extension projects in the areas of Food Science and Technology, Chemistry, and research focused on inclusive and equitable teaching. She is listed in the National Registry of Higher Education Evaluators of the Ministry of Education.
