University community chooses iguana as mascot of the 72nd SBPC

The university community elected the iguana as the mascot of the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC), which will be held in 2020, at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). More than 2,600 people, including staff and students at the institution, participated in the election between November 27th and December 7th, in which 864 votes were cast for the owl and 1,810 votes for the iguana.
Named Potiguana by its creator, UFRN employee and cartoonist Ivan Cabral, the mascot will have a playful and strategic role during SBPC 2020. "She will receive authorities, participate in ceremonies and events, serving as a bridge between us and visitors. The iguana is a way of representing UFRN, where this animal is so present, and can serve as a heritage for the institution itself", says the coordinator of the electoral commission and member of the organizing committee, Emanuela Justino, mentioning that the mascot can be used in other University initiatives.
In addition to coming to life in a large plush doll, the Potiguana will also be present in promotional materials, on social media, among other spaces of SBPC 2020, which will be marked by a symbol of the local fauna and UFRN.
About SBPC
The 72nd SBPC Annual Meeting will take place between the 12th and 18th of July, at UFRN, in Natal. With the theme of Science, Education and Sustainable Development for the 21st Century, the meeting will be a dialogue with new generations, invited to think about the future from the present. The largest scientific event in Latin America offers free and open programming to the public, which has access to lectures, conferences, conversation circles, short courses, workshops, among other activities that cover all areas of knowledge.