Society of Friends of the Museum of Natural Sciences of the University of Zaragoza

The Sociedad de Amigos del Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Zaragoza (SAMPUZ) is a Spanish cultural association based in Zaragoza, Aragon. It functions as a friends-of-the-museum organization, a non-profit membership body whose purpose is to support, publicize and enrich the activities of the Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Zaragoza (MCNUZ). Rather than being a commercial manufacturer or retailer, SAMPUZ operates as a civil-society brand: it organizes and promotes lectures, book presentations, temporary exhibitions, scientific talks and student awards connected to the natural sciences, and it maintains a public-facing website and news channel at sampuz.com. SAMPUZ's activity is closely tied to the scientific and academic life of the University of Zaragoza. Its news stream covers events such as the presentation of Miguel Calvo Rebollar's book "Gemas de España. Tesoros de nuestra tierra" at the MCNUZ, the opening of the temporary exhibition "Gemas de España" with participation from the Director General of Energy and Mines of the Government of Aragon, Yolanda Vallés Cases, and the museum director José Ignacio Canudo, and the recognition of outstanding master's research such as Ximena Pérez Escamilla's paleontological study of bird remains from the Los Piojos cave in Ricla, Zaragoza. As a friends association, SAMPUZ does not sell products in the conventional sense; its "offerings" are cultural and educational: membership, public programming, publications support, exhibition promotion and the dissemination of research carried out by groups such as Aragosaurus-IUCA. Its audience is the general public, students, researchers and supporters of natural history in Aragon and beyond. The organization is registered as a cultural association of Spain according to Wikidata. It is not a listed company and no commercial parent or owner is documented in the available evidence. Its identity is best understood as a non-profit institutional-support brand within the Spanish museum and heritage ecosystem.

The Sociedad de Amigos del Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Zaragoza (SAMPUZ) is a Spanish cultural association created to support the Museum of Natural Sciences of the University of Zaragoza (MCNUZ). Friends-of-the-museum associations are a long-established tradition in Spain and across Europe: they bring together citizens, students, academics and patrons who wish to contribute to the conservation, study and public enjoyment of a museum's collections and research. SAMPUZ follows this model, acting as a bridge between the university museum and the wider public in Aragon. While the exact founding date is not documented in the available evidence, SAMPUZ is an active organization in the 2020s, with a public website and a regular news stream. Its programming reflects the scientific profile of the MCNUZ, which is linked to the University of Zaragoza and to research groups such as Aragosaurus-IUCA. The association promotes events that combine academic research with public outreach: book presentations, temporary exhibitions, lectures and the celebration of student research achievements. A representative example of SAMPUZ's activity is its involvement in the exhibition and book "Gemas de España. Tesoros de nuestra tierra" by Miguel Calvo Rebollar, published by Prames. The exhibition, hosted at the MCNUZ, was presented with the participation of Yolanda Vallés Cases, Director General of Energy and Mines of the Government of Aragon, and José Ignacio Canudo, Director of the Museum of Natural Sciences of the University of Zaragoza, with Miguel Calvo serving as curator. SAMPUZ publicized both the exhibition and the book presentation, underlining its role as a communication channel for the museum. SAMPUZ also highlights student research. In June, Ximena Pérez Escamilla, a student of the Master's in Paleontology at the University of Zaragoza, defended her master's thesis on the paleontological study of the bird assemblage from the Los Piojos site in Ricla (Zaragoza), co-directed by Carmen Núñez Lahuerta and Gloria Cuenca Bescós of the Aragosaurus-IUCA group. She received the highest grade of "sobresaliente." The Los Piojos cave is known for its human remains and industry from the Late Neolithic, and the thesis dated its lower level (Level 2) to about 14,200 years before present, at the end of the Upper Pleistocene, with higher levels dated to approximately 5,000, 3,000 and 2,500 years before present. By reporting on such work, SAMPUZ contributes to the dissemination of paleontological and geological knowledge in the region. As a cultural association, SAMPUZ is not a commercial enterprise. It does not appear to have shareholders, a stock listing or a corporate parent. Its "brand" value lies in its name, its website and its association with the University of Zaragoza's natural science museum. Its history is therefore best traced through its public activities and the events it supports rather than through commercial milestones.

• Ximena Pérez Escamilla defends her master's thesis on birds from the Los Piojos cave (Ricla, Zaragoza), co-directed by Carmen Núñez Lahuerta and Gloria Cuenca Bescós of the Aragosaurus-IUCA group, receiving the highest grade.

• SAMPUZ attends the presentation of the exhibition "Gemas de España" with Yolanda Vallés Cases, José Ignacio Canudo and Miguel Calvo.

• Presentation of Miguel Calvo Rebollar's book "Gemas de España. Tesoros de nuestra tierra" at the MCNUZ.

A non-profit friends-of-the-museum cultural association that supports and disseminates the natural sciences at the University of Zaragoza.

• Membership and supporter programs

  Non-profit membership offerings that allow the public to support the museum's activities.

• Public lectures and book presentations

  Events such as the presentation of "Gemas de España. Tesoros de nuestra tierra" by Miguel Calvo Rebollar.

• Exhibition promotion

  Promotion of temporary exhibitions at the MCNUZ, including "Gemas de España. Tesoros de nuestra tierra."

• Student research recognition

  Highlighting outstanding student work such as Ximena Pérez Escamilla's master's thesis on the Los Piojos cave.

1. 1SAMPUZ – Sociedad de Amigos del Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Zaragozasampuz.com
2. 2Master sobre las aves del Pleistoceno superior – Holoceno de la cueva de los Piojos (Ricla, Zaragoza) – SAMPUZsampuz.com
3. 3Sociedad de Amigos del Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Zaragoza – Wikidatawikidata.org