Maria Tereza Jorge Pádua was born in São José do Rio Pardo on 8 May 1943.
[1] She studied agronomical engineering and in 1972 earned her master's degree in ecology from the University of Rio de Janeiro.
[2] In 1968 Jorge Pádua secured a position in Brazil's newly established national park system.
Miguel Serediuk Milano of the O Boticário de Proteção A Natureza Foundation said in 1999 that Jorge Pádua was responsible for "practically half of all protected areas in Brazil.
[2] Following her appointment as president of the environmental protection agency, Jorge Pádua announced plans to increase the portion of Brazil's Amazon in the national park system from 6% to 30%.