Research Engineering UC

[email protected] of EnginEEring

[email protected] OF ENGINEERING

“This book is Thus an inviTaTion To all Those who are carrying ouT research

somewhere in The world, and who may find special

moTivaTion in joining minds and forces To Tackle The

increasingly complex shared concerns of our respecTive

people and socieTies.”

About a year ago I visited a friend in New York City, the recently appointed Dean of Engineering at Columbia University. She gave me as a present a book that described a complete compilation of the research undertaken by Columbia s engineering faculty, and I had nothing similar to offer her in return. I came back to Chile thinking about that, and we started working on this book, which closely follows the structure and inspiration of that beautiful present.

Our institution was ranked by QS in 2014 as the best university in Latin America. With 123 years of history, our school is the largest in size of the student body of all 18 faculties at Universidad Católica (UC). UC Engineering is highly recognized for receiving the country’s best students—illustrated by the fact that of all engineering students in the country that could be accepted in our school, almost 50% do so, making this school the most competitive in terms of student admissions (top 1.4%), with more than 20 points above the second institution. Over the last four years, UC Engineering has also been going through an aggressive development plan (Engineering 2030) in terms of academic and research infrastructure, as well as in the number of tenure track faculty positions that will soon exceed 150. This book is about them, a window to their research and to their dreams.

In the years ahead, Chile s economy needs to successfully sidestep the well-known trap of middle income countries that several others have had difficulties in overcoming. And for that, we firmly believe in the critical role that applied disciplinary and interdisciplinary research will play in helping our economy find its future and sustainable innovative competitive advantage, so as to help shift our economy from one strongly based on natural resources into one based on this competitive advantage. Such an advantage may well be partially concealed in the stories told in this book, or in other stories yet to be jointly written with other national and international research collaborators. This book is thus an invitation to all those who are carrying out research somewhere in the world, and who may find special motivation in joining minds and forces to tackle the increasingly complex shared concerns of our people and societies.

Juan Carlos de la Llera Dean

ponTificia universidad caTólica de chileEscuela de IngenieríaAv. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul

[email protected]

TexTsMarta ApablazaCarolina ConejerosMaría José CortésTamina HepnerNicolás Luco

ediTorMaría José CortésFrancisco Pizarro

arT direcTionSoledad HolaDiseño Corporativo UC

design and arTDiseño Corporativo UCClaudia Brenning y Valentina Iriarte

phoTographyJaime AlalufCarmen Duque

coordinaTionMaría José CortésFrancisco Pizarro

TranslaTionPeter Kozak

First English edition of 200 copies.

IMPrESIóN

Fyrma Gráfica

DeParTMenT OF cOnsTrucTiOn engineering anD ManageMenT

20 new Technologies and meThodologies for improving projecT and company compeTiTiveness Luis Fernando Alarcón

30 The imporTance of mulTicriTeria decisions in The design of civil worksPaz Arroyo

48 a susTainable look aT infrasTrucTure managemenTAlondra Chamorro

70 infrasTrucTure managemenT serving The counTryHernán de Solminihac

142 rising from The ashesMauricio López

156 virTual consTrucTions ThaT prevenT errors in The fieldClaudio Mourgues

240 a knowledge-based approach To supporT risk managemenT in consTrucTion projecTsAlfredo Serpell

242 Towards a more susTainable ciTyRicardo Serpell

250 perfecTing The design and consTrucTion of road infrasTrucTureGuillermo Thenoux

264 engineer aT The service of The design of susTainable buildingsSergio Vera

272 Technological innovaTion in concreTeCarlos Videla

DeParTMenT OF sTrucTural anD geOThecnical engineering

24 buffering vibraTionsJosé Luis Almazán

26 observing The impressions of rocks and mineralsGloria Arancibia

46 knowledge of geoThermal energy in chileJosé Miguel Cembrano

68 disrupTive innovaTion in earThquake engineeringJuan Carlos de la Llera

108 improving sTrucTural performanceSergio Gutiérrez

118 seismic design To prevenT bridge damageMatías Hube

120 maThemaTical and compuTer modeling of The hearTDaniel Hurtado

1 36 uncerTainTy reveals iTs faceChristian Ledezma

140 beyond sTrucTural damageDiego López-García

176 macro and micro mechanics of granular maTerialsCarlos Ovalle

212 specTra of seismic design and seismic risk-ThreaTRafael Riddell

228 seismic Zoning in norThern chileEsteban Sáez

232 assessing The seismic behavior of masonry consTrucTionsCristián Sandoval

234 mulTiplying resisTanceHernán Santa María

278 observaTion To The cenTer of The earThGonzalo Yáñez

DeParTMenT OF hYDraulic anD enVirOnMenTal engineering

34 quanTifying mass and energy flows in The environmenTCarlos Bonilla

52 Tidal power generaTion in The chacao channelRodrigo Cienfuegos

80 Turbulence in naTure: from river dynamics To renewable energiesCristián Escauriaza

86 urban drainage manual: physical model for a hydroelecTric planT and flow predicTion meThodsBonifacio Fernández

102 human inTeracTion wiTh hydrological processes and The environmenTJorge Gironás

158 hydrogeological models and Their applicaTion To environmenTal problemsJosé Francisco Muñoz

186 river docTorPablo Pastén

200 qualiTy of poTable waTer for human consumpTionGonzalo Pizarro

246 renewable energies and innovaTive TemperaTure measuremenT sysTems ThaT benefiT waTer resourcesFrancisco Suárez

260 wasTe: The energy of The fuTureIgnacio Vargas

DeParTMenT OF TransPOrT engineering anD lOgisTics

58 Zooming in on TransporTJuan Enrique Coeymans

66 developmenT of analysis models for urban and inTer-ciTy TransporT sysTemsJoaquín de Cea

74 opTimiZaTion of air TransporTFelipe Delgado

92 enhancing human capiTal in public TransporTaTionPatricia Galilea

100 opTimiZing TransporT sysTem operaTions To serve peopleRicardo Giesen

114 incorporaTing Technology inTo TransporTaTion sysTemsJuan Carlos Herrera

134 design of express services in urban public TransporTHomero Larraín

160 in The sTreeTJuan Carlos Muñoz

174 global inserTionJuan de Dios Ortúzar

222 conTribuTing To public decision makingLuis Rizzi

Table of cOnTenTs

Table of cOnTenTs

DeParTMenT OF inDusTrial anD sYsTeMs engineering

54 how To manage healTh and safeTy risksLuis Cifuentes

62 an objecTive look aT The financial markeTGonzalo Cortázar

64 Technology-based innovaTion and enTrepreneurship in higher educaTionAlfonso Cruz

88 a cerTain uncerTainTyJuan Carlos Ferrer

96 opTimiZing business decisionsPedro Gazmuri

144 when TemperaTure risesAlejandro Mac Cawley

146 experTise in “unsolved problems”Nicolás Majluf

150 opTimiZing processes in The Timber indusTrySergio Maturana

178 measuring and analyZing how insTiTuTions and regulaTions affecT learningRicardo Paredes

196 how To build The relaTionship beTween The universiTy and The indusTryJulio Pertuzé

210 keeping an eye on financeTomás Reyes

236 proacTiveness in The elecTric power sysTemEnzo Sauma

262 wiTh maThemaTical graceJorge Vera

268 maThemaTical models and algoriThms applied To The Technology secTorJosé Verschae

280 esTablishing new spaces for innovaTionStephen Zhang

DeParTMenT OF Mechanical anD MeTallurgical engineering

42 sTreTching cells Alfredo Celedón

44 developmenT of foundry and casTingDiego Celentano

50 machines aT workLuciano Chiang

60 impulse, crossroads and riskCatalina Cortázar

82 The challenge of developing renewable energyRodrigo Escobar

110 nanosTrucTures To manipulaTe maTTer in life sciences and energy conversionAmador Guzmán

124 behavioral sTudy of smoke and The prevenTion of associaTed risksWolfram Jahn

138 measuremenT rules and modelsIgnacio Lira

154 innovaTion wiTh significanceConstanza Miranda

204 laser To The boneJorge Ramos

218 harvesTing The fuTureJuan de Dios Rivera

266 anTicipaTing energyJulio Vergara

274 a personal journeyMagdalena Walczak

DeParTMenT OF cheMical engineering anD BiOPrOcesses

16 small is scalableEduardo Agosín

18 food archiTecTJosé Miguel Aguilera

38 from The microscope To food designPedro Bouchon

72 The unknown qualiTies of co2José Manuel del Valle

90 in search of microorganisms and beTTer breadWendy Franco

94 a sysTem To sTudy The influence of dieT on The inTesTinal microbiomeDaniel Garrido

98 The emergence of new ToolsClaudio Gelmi

130 poor air qualiTy inside homes?Héctor Jorquera

182 green chemisTryLoreto Parra

188 The ThreaT of acrylamideFranco Pedreschi

192 a lab wiTh a viewJosé Ricardo Pérez

226 microalgae for biofuel producTionCésar Sáez

230 incessanT agiTaTorRicardo San Martín

256 film is a collaboraTive efforTLoreto Valenzuela

DeParTMenT OF elecTrical engineering

14 chip design for asTronomical insTrumenTaTion Ángel Abusleme

56 increasingly inTeresTing complex sysTemsAldo Cipriano

76 efficiency of elecTric-powered vehiclesJuan Dixon

104 creaTion of a cryogenic chip for high resoluTion images of The universeMarcelo Guarini

106 Technology Transfer for asTronomical developmenTAndrés Guesalaga

112 asTronomical insTrumenTaTion made in chileDani Guzmán

117 improving The qualiTy of biomedical imagesPablo Irarrázaval

128 simulaTions ThaT benefiT chile’s developmenT in various areasCarlos Jerez

148 The challenge of being well placedVladimir Marianov

164 faciliTaTing The inTegraTion of renewable resourcesMatías Negrete

170 small buT powerfulChristian Oberli

172 inTegraTion of renewable energy inTo power sysTemsDaniel Olivares

190 new elecTric power converTersJavier Pereda

202 efficiency and accuracy of magneTic resonance imagingClaudia Prieto

214 developmenT of early warning sysTemsMiguel Ríos

216 a secure inTerconnecTion beTween The sic and singSebastián Ríos

224 from design To implemenTaTion of public policies in energyHugh Rudnick

248 inTegraTion of advanced Technology To sTudy brain acTiviTy Cristián Tejos

254 roboTics in mining and agriculTureMiguel Torres

258 developing Technology for large TelescopesLeonardo Vanzi

276 inTegral modeling of renewable energies and policies for Their inTegraTionDavid Watts

DeParTMenT OF cOMPuTer science

22 web service composiTion for e-commerceRosa Alarcón

28 sTudy of The semanTic webMarcelo Arenas

32 developmenT of machines capable of reasoning effecTivelyJorge Baier

40 Technology To assisT educaTionIgnacio Casas

84 deTerminisTic and concurrenT: cuTTing-edge programmingYadran Eterovic

116 compuTer sysTems ThaT enhance The qualiTy of human lifeValeria Herskovic

150 The idenTiTy behind The faceDomingo Mery

162 a public channel of informaTion for siTuaTions involving naTural disasTersJaime Navón

166 besT pracTices for sofTware developmenT Andrés Neyem

168 educaTion engineer Miguel Nussbaum

180 cusTomiZaTion in socio-Technical sysTemsDenis Parra

194 learning engineering in an ever changing worldMar Pérez

198 new Technologies for The fuTure challenges of asTronomy in chileKarim Pichara

208 visually simplifying The never-endingJuan Reutter

220 daTa issuesCristián Riveros

238 an essenTial Tool for The work of organiZaTionsMarcos Sepúlveda

244 inTelligenT roboTsÁlvaro Soto

DeParTMenT OF Mining engineering

36 quanTifying The socioeconomic impacT of large-scale miningJosé Botín

78 advanced sub-soil visualiZaTion meThods: landmine deTecTionMario Durán

126 mine exploraTion, creaTing value for The indusTry José Joaquín Jara

132 The role of mining in chile’s developmenTGustavo Lagos

184 opTimiZing managemenT of physical asseTs in The mining indusTryRodrigo Pascual

252 ore economy: The imporTance of compeTiTiveness in a copper-producing counTryJohn Tilton

270 sTrengThening small and medium-scale miningÁlvaro Videla

MaTheMaTical engineering PrOgraM

206 randomiZaTion and open dynamic sysTems To undersTand naTureRolando Rebolledo

14 Chip design for astronomical instrumentation ÁngEl AbuSlEmE

16 Small is scalableEduArdo AgoSín

18 Food architectJoSé miguEl AguilErA

20 New technologies and methodologies for improving project and company competitiveness luiS fErnAndo AlArcón

22 Web service composition for e-commerceroSA AlArcón

24 Buffering vibrationsJoSé luiS AlmAzÁn

26 Observing the impressions of rocks and mineralsgloriA ArAncibiA

28 Study of the Semantic WebmArcElo ArEnAS

30 The importance of multicriteria decisions in the design of civil worksPAz Arroyo

32 Development of machines capable of reasoning effectivelyJorgE bAiEr

34 Quantifying mass and energy flows in the environmentcArloS bonillA

36 Quantifying the socioeconomic impact of large-scale miningJoSé botín

38 From the microscope to food designPEdro bouchon

40 Technology to assist educationignAcio cASAS

42 Stretching cells AlfrEdo cElEdón

44 Development of foundry and castingdiEgo cElEntAno

46 Knowledge of geothermal energy in ChileJoSé miguEl cEmbrAno

Table of acaDeMics 48 A sustainable look at

infrastructure managementAlondrA chAmorro

50 Machines at workluciAno chiAng

52 Tidal power generation in the Chacao Channelrodrigo ciEnfuEgoS

54 How to manage health and safety risksluiS cifuEntES

56 Increasingly interesting complex systemsAldo ciPriAno

58 Zooming in on transportJuAn EnriquE coEymAnS

60 Impulse, crossroads and riskcAtAlinA cortÁzAr

62 An objective look at the financial marketgonzAlo cortÁzAr

64 Technology-based innovation and entrepreneurship in higher educationAlfonSo cruz

66 Development of analysis models for urban and inter-city transport systemsJoAquín dE cEA

68 Disruptive innovation in earthquake engineeringJuAn cArloS dE lA llErA

70 Infrastructure management serving the countryhErnÁn dE SolminihAc

72 The unknown qualities of CO2JoSé mAnuEl dEl VAllE

74 Optimization of air transportfEliPE dElgAdo

76 Efficiency of electric-powered vehiclesJuAn dixon

78 Advanced sub-soil visualization methods: landmine detectionmArio durÁn

80 Turbulence in nature: from river dynamics to renewable energiescriStiÁn EScAuriAzA

82 The challenge of developing renewable energyrodrigo EScobAr

84 Deterministic and concurrent: cutting-edge programmingyAdrAn EtEroVic

86 Urban Drainage Manual: physical model for a hydroelectric plant and flow prediction methodsbonifAcio fErnÁndEz

88 A certain uncertaintyJuAn cArloS fErrEr

90 In search of microorganisms and better breadWEndy frAnco

92 Enhancing human capital in public transportationPAtriciA gAlilEA

94 A system to study the influence of diet on the intestinal microbiomedAniEl gArrido

96 Optimizing business decisionsPEdro gAzmuri

98 The emergence of new toolsclAudio gElmi

100 Optimizing transport system operations to serve peoplericArdo giESEn

102 Human interaction with hydrological processes and the environmentJorgE gironÁS

104 Creation of a cryogenic chip for high resolution images of the UniversemArcElo guArini

106 Technology transfer for astronomical developmentAndréS guESAlAgA

108 Improving structural performanceSErgio gutiérrEz

110 Nanostructures to manipulate matter in life sciences and energy conversionAmAdor guzmÁn

112 Astronomical Instrumentation made in ChiledAni guzmÁn

114 Incorporating technology into transportation systemsJuAn cArloS hErrErA

116 Computer systems that enhance the quality of human lifeVAlEriA hErSkoVic

118 Seismic design to prevent bridge damagemAtíAS hubE

120 Mathematical and computer modeling of the heartdAniEl hurtAdo

122 Improving the quality of biomedical imagesPAblo irArrÁzAVAl

124 Behavioral study of smoke and the prevention of associated risksWolfrAm JAhn

126 Mine exploration, creating value for the industry JoSé JoAquín JArA

128 Simulations that benefit Chile’s development in various areascArloS JErEz

130 Poor air quality inside homes?héctor JorquErA

132 The role of mining in Chile’s developmentguStAVo lAgoS

134 Design of express services in urban public transporthomEro lArrAín

136 Uncertainty reveals its facechriStiAn lEdEzmA

138 Measurement rules and modelsignAcio lirA

140 Beyond structural damagediEgo lóPEz-gArcíA

142 Rising from the ashesmAuricio lóPEz

144 When temperature risesAlEJAndro mAc cAWlEy

146 Expertise in “unsolved problems”nicolÁS mAJluf

148 The challenge of being well placedVlAdimir mAriAnoV

150 Optimizing processes in the timber industrySErgio mAturAnA

152 The identity behind the facedomingo mEry

154 Innovation with significanceconStAnzA mirAndA

156 Virtual constructions that prevent errors in the fieldclAudio mourguES

158 Hydrogeological models and their application to environmental problemsJoSé frAnciSco muñoz

160 In the streetJuAn cArloS muñoz

162 A public channel of information for situations involving natural disastersJAimE nAVón

164 Facilitating the integration of renewable resourcesmAtíAS nEgrEtE

166 Best practices for software development AndréS nEyEm

168 Education engineer miguEl nuSSbAum

170 Small but powerfulchriStiAn obErli

172 Integration of renewable energy into power systemsdAniEl oliVArES

174 Global insertionJuAn dE dioS ortúzAr

176 Macro and micro mechanics of granular materialscArloS oVAllE

178 Measuring and analyzing how institutions and regulations affect learningricArdo PArEdES

180 Customization in socio-technical systemsdEniS PArrA

182 Green ChemistrylorEto PArrA

184 Optimizing management of physical assets in the mining industryrodrigo PAScuAl

186 River doctorPAblo PAStén

188 The threat of acrylamidefrAnco PEdrESchi

190 New electric power convertersJAViEr PErEdA

192 A lab with a viewJoSé ricArdo PérEz

194 Learning engineering in an ever changing worldmAr PérEz

196 How to build the relationship between the university and the industryJulio PErtuzé

198 New technologies for the future challenges of astronomy in ChilekArim PichArA

200 Quality of potable water for human consumptiongonzAlo PizArro

202 Efficiency and accuracy of magnetic resonance imagingclAudiA PriEto

204 Laser to the boneJorgE rAmoS

206 Randomization and open dynamic systems to understand naturerolAndo rEbollEdo

208 Visually simplifying the never-endingJuAn rEuttEr

210 Keeping an eye on financetomÁS rEyES

212 Spectra of seismic design and seismic risk-threatrAfAEl riddEll

214 Development of Early Warning SystemsmiguEl ríoS

216 A secure interconnection between the SIC and SINGSEbAStiÁn ríoS

218 Harvesting the futureJuAn dE dioS riVErA

220 Data issuescriStiÁn riVEroS

222 Contributing to public decision makingluiS rizzi

224 From design to implementation of public policies in energyhugh rudnick

226 Microalgae for biofuel productioncéSAr SÁEz

228 Seismic Zoning in Northern ChileEStEbAn SÁEz

230 Incessant agitatorricArdo SAn mArtín

232 Assessing the seismic behavior of masonry constructionscriStiÁn SAndoVAl

234 Multiplying resistancehErnÁn SAntA mAríA

236 Proactiveness in the electric power systemEnzo SAumA

238 An essential tool for the work of organizationsmArcoS SEPúlVEdA

240 A knowledge-based approach to support risk management in construction projectsAlfrEdo SErPEll

242 Towards a more sustainable cityricArdo SErPEll

244 Intelligent robotsÁlVAro Soto

246 Renewable energies and innovative temperature measurement systems that benefit water resourcesfrAnciSco SuÁrEz

248 Integration of advanced technology to study brain activity criStiÁn tEJoS

250 Perfecting the design and construction of road infrastructureguillErmo thEnoux

252 Ore Economy: The importance of competitiveness in a copper-producing countryJohn tilton

254 Robotics in mining and agriculturemiguEl torrES

256 Film is a collaborative effortlorEto VAlEnzuElA

258 Developing technology for large telescopeslEonArdo VAnzi

260 Waste: the energy of the futureignAcio VArgAS

262 With mathematical graceJorgE VErA

264 Engineer at the service of the design of sustainable buildingsSErgio VErA

266 Anticipating energyJulio VErgArA

268 Mathematical models and algorithms applied to the technology sectorJoSé VErSchAE

270 Strengthening small and medium-scale miningÁlVAro VidElA

272 Technological innovation in concretecArloS VidElA

274 A personal journeymAgdAlEnA WAlczAk

276 Integral modeling of renewable energies and policies for their integrationdAVid WAttS

278 Observation to the center of the earthgonzAlo yÁñEz

280 Establishing new spaces for innovationStEPhEn zhAng

14 / [email protected]


chip design for asTronomical insTrumenTaTion

In recent years chip design has ceased to be a distant prospect for Chile. The Department of Electrical Engineering set up a research team in 2010 to focus on the design of this technology and Professor Ángel Abusleme forms an integral part of this team. “This type of technology does not exist in Chile because training specialists is cost prohibitive and the software is inaccessible and requires a great deal of maintenance.”

Professor Abusleme has participated in several projects related to this area. He took part in the design of a detection system for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), an experiment led by the European Organization for Nuclear research (CErN), which provided the world with the latest breakthroughs on the origin of elementary particle mass. Its aim is to understand how the universe was formed.

Since 2013, Ángel Abusleme has collaborated on the ATLAS project, which proved the existence of the Higgs boson, colloquially known as the “God particle.” Its results have provided a greater understanding of matter, particle physics and what we are actually made of. “I help to develop the tools required by physicists to better comprehend how the universe was formed.”

The challenge is to design a microchip that is capable of making more precise particle measurements. “There are plans for an update that will increase the collider’s collision capacity. Our challenge is to design a microchip

for electronics at ATLAS that meets the specifications of the new LHC parameters after the update,” explains professor Abusleme.

He is also involved in developing a circuit for one of the ILC detectors, another particle collider under development and which may be constructed in the next few years. “I am currently designing a chip for one of the detectors, a calorimeter that will be built into the base of the collider. The chip will filter the signal produced by the electric charge from the detector and will digitize it at high speed. This will infer particle energy as a result of collisions with a greater degree of precision,” says Abusleme, who, as a result of this, is currently researching the idea of designing nonlinear analog-to-digital converters to facilitate signal processing.

As part of his research, Abusleme and his team from the Department of Electrical Engineering developed a methodology for analyzing noise from discrete systems. “We developed a method to filter discrete-time signals, which allows us to calculate optimal filters.” This development has been the starting point for further research conducted by the Department.

As a teacher, professor Abusleme is a leader in the electronics field in Chile, and despite a sluggish start, he says that students are becoming increasingly more interested in joining his courses and projects.

Ángel aBusleMe

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Electrical

Engineering

Electrical Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Science in Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Science, Stanford University, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Stanford University, United States


small is scalable

Eduardo Agosín, Ph.D., has opened up academic pathways in Chile, bridging the gap between chemistry and biology.

One word frequently appears in his conversation: “beautiful,” a sign of his enthusiasm and passion. He knowingly moves in leaps and bounds over the explosive developments of bioengineering, and states that teaching keeps him up-to-date with new developments.

Professor Agosin’s speciality is in metabolic and cellular engineering. He works with his team to modify microorganisms, making them more efficient compound producers, with a focus on aromas and flavors.

With a cellular focus, he applies process engineering tools to optimize the events of this miniscule biological “industrial plant.” He and his team could have chosen to target cells to produce biofuels, but the focus has been maintained on aromas and flavors: violets, strawberries, natural sweeteners... all the more important to Chile given its wine industry. They work to scale laboratory results to industrial production plants.

Modeling is on the rise in his area of work. Although a computer model can never exactly match a natural process, modeling does narrow the field of solutions, clarify limitations and develop new optimization targets. Modeling is gaining popularity as an objective in and of itself, building solutions and creating shortcuts.

“All processes complement one another,” he says. Laboratory research generates products that need control mechanisms. This is where the sophisticated DICTUC Aroma Center enters the scene, confirming or rejecting the results of a process that likely had its origins on a computer screen.

Dr Agosín’s experience spans the globe. He completed both his undergraduate and postgraduate studies abroad. Many of his classmates in Leuven were African, and the stark reality of the continent left its mark on him. Alongside the malnourishment so rampant in Northern Africa were also sources of organic matter that he saw could be so useful for small farmers. He immediately thought of finding a way to reuse organic waste: “These things are so commonplace today, but back then nobody was thinking about them.”

The primary processes in his area were chemical; however, he chose a biological path. He degraded lignin with fungi and managed to triple the digestibility of wheat straw and corn cobs.

When he returned to Chile, he took on the subject of the “rotten stick”, described over a hundred years ago: in years of shortage, the cows in Chiloé ate rotting logs.

Through a National Science Foundation project, he and a colleague from the University of Minnesota studied the specific fungus that degraded logs, and he renamed it Ganoderma australis. The fungus digested the lignin and the cows ate the remaining cellulose.

This was the start of a passion for the interconnectedness of engineering and biological processes, and Dr. Agosín was at the forefront.

Today, his research impacts the processes used in the food and beverage industry, and most notably in the ever more sophisticated Chilean wine industry, where his research is fundamental. One of these processes has even led him to search for wine aromas that are more palatable to the Chinese market.

In his words: “it’s beautiful.”

eDuarDO agOsín

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Chemical

Engineering and Bioprocesses

Agronomist, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium

Docteur Ingénieur, Institut National Agronomique,

Paris, France

Doctor of Philosophy, Institut National Agronomique,

Paris, France


food archiTecT

Professor Aguilera holds the National Award of Applied and Technological Sciences (2008) and from 2010 to 2013 chaired the National Commission for Scientific and Technological research.

The latter responsibility opened many doors for him, notably to unique locations and natural laboratories in Chile for world-class science, such as astronomy. Chile, he says, provides “the best geographical conditions for installing observatories”. He is currently chairman of the Astronomic Park Foundation (Fundación Parque Astronómico), which manages 36,500 hectares in the Chajnantor Valley near San Pedro de Atacama (Northern Chile).

As a chemical engineer, he developed his expertise from observing food under his microscope. “Many of its properties, as with many products in our daily lives, are found in its microstructures. What our senses perceive originates in the microstructures. I have dedicated my entire life to this research.”

He developed a strategy with the help of a key tool: his excellent students. “I prepared all of my early papers with my engineering students... and they were undergraduates!” The doctorate program was only developed in 1993.

His inspiration: food design. “Unlike most products of modern day life, food was never designed.” From the late 19th century onwards, our society has accumulated

knowledge that allows us to design food for the needs of future societies, similar to the way an architect designs a house. The focus is on wellbeing: people want to be healthier, to look, feel and eat better.

He is currently researching how to add fiber to food while keeping it appealing and palatable. Structure is fundamental. To illustrate this, he crushes a bag of cheese puffs and asks us to taste them: nobody would sell a bag of the resulting powder. However, in its previous state as cheese puffs that crunch, crackle and dissolve slowly in the mouth, it is sought after by young and old alike.

“And that is my contribution – in order to design food, you must know how it is made, starting from the molecular base and working up the ladder to the final product.”

Professor Aguilera became the first Chilean member of the US-based National Academy of Engineering. He is the recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt award (Germany); the Marcel Loncin award from the Institute of Food Technology (United States), and the Guggenheim fellowship, among others.

His book “Gastronomic Engineering” (published by Ediciones UC and translated into English), was chosen by “Choice” magazine as one of the top 200 academic publications from 2013. “I believe that food is a very interesting raw material for sharing basic principles of science and engineering,” says the now Professor Emeritus.

JOsé Miguel aguilera

PrOFESSOr EMErITUSDepartment of Chemical


Civil Industrial Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States

Master of Business Administration, Texas A & M University, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Cornell University, United States


new Technologies and meThodologies for improving projecT and company compeTiTiveness

An international leader in project management, Professor Alarcón is dedicated to creating methods, strategies and technologies that improve company performance and competitiveness, based on the lean production management philosophy, which he promotes fervently in Chile.

Professor Alarcón is director of the Center for Excellence in Production Management from the Catholic University of Chile (GEPUC, Centro de Excelencia en Gestión de Producción de la Universidad Católica de Chile), a multidisciplinary center where he works in collaboration with other academics and PhD students. He proudly states that they have much higher data and business access than many other countries, only comparable to the Project Production Systems Lab (P2SL), UC Berkeley in the U.S., which also drives companies to invest in new developments rather than just measuring what they do.

Several research projects have led to software development. GEPUC developed software to support implementation of planning and production control systems in companies, where the data is able to predict the success or failure of projects being implemented. Alarcón and his team also developed innovative software to collect data from video recordings of construction

sites to sample productivity, safety and quality. This is a globally unique development that has had a very significant impact in reducing accidents and downtimes.

Professor Alarcón is also interested in Virtual Design and Construction for construction projects. For example, rather than using actual resources, under this method computer-generated construction modeling would be used to establish which equipment to use and their optimal combination. He also researches the best strategy for implementing Virtual Design and Construction in businesses. Companies often lack knowledge and tend to focus on software, thinking it will make a difference, but what they don’t realize is that the difference is in the management principles, i.e., how tools are combined to achieve the best result. This is an area of great inspiration for the professor.

His most recent work involves implementation of Lean Management principles in mine development and operations; computer modeling for decision making and risk analysis; and development and application of advanced collaborative design tools, automating design to set costs at a certain level, rather than estimating costs after project design.

luis FernanDO alarcón

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Construction

Engineering and Management

Civil Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, United States

Master of Science, University of California, Berkeley, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley, United States


web service composiTion for e-commerce

“The beauty of the web is that on the one hand it provides information and on the other it allows the development of processes, applications and services,” states Professor rosa Alarcón, whose main area of interest is software engineering research. “Both the information and the processes are modelled on hypermedia, which leads to a dynamic web environment,” she says.

In 2010, she began her work on the composition of rESTful web services. This involves making light web services, such as Web APIs, available as a part of business processes and thereby enabling an automated and dynamic creation of new web services. Her goal is to facilitate virtual e-commerce.

Alarcón has been working in conjunction with Professor Erik Wilde from the University of California, Berkeley, to define a metalanguage and description of the API. They have also made prototypes, which empirically and mathematically prove that web services, as they are proposing, consume less server resources, which means they would take up less space than traditional services, and are more flexible, simpler and easier to maintain.

Among the potential applications of this research, professor Alarcón says that just as there are currently

content search engines, there could also be service search engines. For example, if someone wants to travel to the Atacama Desert and take a tour, find accommodation or go to a restaurant, the search engine would find these services and contact banks and travel agencies. “The goal is not to build automated software, but rather to automatically link already existing pieces of software, thereby providing a service previously unheard of,” she explains.

She is confident that the development of these services will “make life easier for people and will provide greater web visibility to SMEs and businesses.”

Professor Alarcón is currently developing another project that uses data processing, specifically Learning-based Analysis through indirect channels, for example, activity logs, Web search logs, etc. She works with the EducarChile database, an educational website for teachers, administrators, students and families. She says the process has not been easy, because the data is not well structured and unfortunately search engines can bias the search. “There is a small segment of the database that is visited,” she confirms.

“I am very interested in education. I believe that access to mass data allows people to discover useful generalizations.”

rOsa alarcón ASSISTANT PrOFESSOr

Department of Computer Science

Systems Engineer, Universidad Católica Santa María, Peru

Master of Science, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile


buffering vibraTions

Professor Almazán specializes in structural dynamics, vibration reduction systems and experimental structure analysis.

Almazán’s most recent work involves a three-dimensional isolation system for structures and equipment, a project that started with government funding and is currently applying for patents at domestic and international level.

In certain structures such as liquid storage tanks, traditional seismic isolation devices are not an economically feasible solution. In response to this, the professor proposed a new three-dimensional vertical-rotational isolation system. This system is composed of laterally rigid and vertically flexible devices that generate a three-dimensional isolation system, i.e., a structure is provided with both horizontal and vertical protection. Traditional seismic isolation systems such as elastomeric isolators and friction pendulums provide horizontal but not vertical isolation.

The device consists of a shell formed by six rigid hinged plates, which form a mechanism of three degrees of freedom. It has a set of inner springs, allowing it to work as a vibration isolator and energy dissipater. The devices are connected to the structural columns or supports to generate an interface that blocks horizontal movement, thus enabling rocking and vertical movement.

Although the original intent of the system is to protect industrial structures or equipment in general with vertical loads of less than ten tons, it can also be adapted for heavier structures such as buildings or large industrial constructions.

Jose Luis Almazán has already successfully completed the first reduced-scale (1/4) prototype lab tests. In 2014 he and his team will perform vibration table tests on a full-scale model of a 3m3 wine storage tank. These tests are being developed in conjunction with TPI America, one of the leading stainless steel tank suppliers in Chile.

JOsé luis alMazÁn

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Structural and

Geotechnical Engineering

Civil Engineer, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina

Doctor of Science in Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile


observing The impressions of rocks and minerals

Gloria Arancibia is dedicated to the microstructural study of Earth Science. She identifies specific ore species and determines their different textures on a microscopic scale. Specifically, she examines size ratios, shape, contact with other minerals, internal variations (compositional or structural), and preferential crystal orientation, among others, that provide information about a specific feature.

Her office is home to a wide variety of rock and ore samples that she has scrutinized with her microscopic eye. Her goal: to identify the geological conditions, such as pressure, temperature, liquid composition and nature of magmas under which the rocks and ore formed and evolved. These are the foundations on which she can build the geological history of the study object.

This knowledge base is very useful in solving many problems arising from the interaction of humans with these natural materials. It is fundamental when assessing energy resources or identifying natural rock deformations, and when determining the mechanical behavior of certain ore and the physical and chemical properties associated with their internal structure.

The incorporation of Earth Sciences into Universidad Católica’s School of Engineering is recent (from

2010 onwards), and since then Gloria Arancibia has participated as both teacher and researcher. She works on a scale ranging from a few millimeters with an optical microscope to microns with an electron microscope. She says that up until now, studies have been two-dimensional on a thin layer of rock.

The new Computerized Micro Tomography X-ray (micro CT) equipment acquired by Universidad Católica moves beyond 2D studies and into a 3D view of heterogeneous earth materials. Gloria Arancibia considers this to be vital for a better understanding, for example, of the mechanical behavior of a rock and how it fractures in a specific direction under certain pressure and temperature conditions. This equipment is one-of-a-kind in Chile and one of only a few in Latin America. “It increases our knowledge base, which is essential in geology where we are always looking to reduce uncertainty. In this field there are many processes that cannot be tested by direct experimentation. The greater the existing knowledge base, the greater certainty we have about what we are researching.”

glOria aranciBia



Geologist, Universidad de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Universidad de Chile


sTudy of The semanTic web

Aiming to determine how computers can better understand Web content, Professor Marcelo Arenas runs a project that develops infrastructure to perform complex Web searches and build response mechanisms. The Semantic Web, a concept coined in 2000, addresses this subject.

The academic reveals the origins of this research. He posed the following question on Google: who is the researcher among Chilean engineering schools with the most references to his or her publications? The search yielded over two million results, although the first document on the list did not provide a relevant answer to the question.

The explanation, says Arenas, is that computers are syntactic, which means, unlike the human brain, they can recognize text but not the meaning of its content, so a general question has to be divided into several specific queries in order to perform a relatively complex search. The major challenge is to obtain an automatic response to the first query without the need to subdivide it or seek expert intervention.

The Semantic Web involves the development of languages to specify the relationship between Web resources, query languages and rule languages that

provide inferences. HTML language indicates plain, bold or italics, for example, but another kind of language is needed to ask questions and specify the meaning of content. The standard rDF (resource Description Framework) format was the first of this kind of language. “Through languages like rDF, you can tell the computer the meaning of a link,” indicates professor Arenas.

He is investigating this subject with a team of researchers from Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile. They will apply tools such as Mathematical Logic and Computational Complexity Theory. The professor notes that the latter will determine, from a mathematical point of view, whether or not a response is possible for a given question. “We need to know the limits and understand that we cannot respond to every type of query.”

In the three years they have to develop this project, Marcelo Arenas’ goal is to place a functioning pilot system on a server, which can be used to obtain information from complex queries. He would like everyone to have access to a “Semantic Google” that is able to utilize data semantics. “It would be amazing to have something like that”, he concludes.

MarcelO arenas

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Computer

Science

Industrial Civil Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile


Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toronto, Canada


The imporTance of mulTicriTeria decisions in The design of civil works

In the world of construction, decisions are normally taken on the basis of costs. How to broaden the analysis spectrum of suitable alternatives in the design process of a sustainable structure has been the area of research developed by academic Paz Arroyo since taking her doctorate in civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

The impact of civil works in the environment and the quality of life of people are closely related to the decisions taken by the multidisciplinary teams that work at the design stage of projects. “The problem is that there is no training provided for architects and engineers together in order to take early decisions; there is no common language in order to consider other factors that influence the design of a sustainable product,” explains the professor.

A collaborative, multidisciplinary design is considered by Arroyo to be fundamental in order to boost the construction industry. For this purpose, she has studied methods for taking early decisions that incorporate the design of a structure; materials selected; its construction and operation, and even its deconstruction.

Construction sustainability consists of three areas: environmental, social and economic. Bearing this in mind, the decision-making method “Choosing By Advantages” is more appropriate than other commonly-used methods such as the “Analytical Hierarchy Process,” as it provides a detailed and transparent analysis of alternatives, and identifies the best solution even if it is not perfect, taking into account multiple factors and multidisciplinary teams. This approach has been validated for the design and construction of commercial

buildings with high-performance standards in terms of the environment and people, such as the Net Zero Energy buildings in California.

“This innovative approach in terms of industry has led to studies along with an interdisciplinary team regarding factors such as the environmental impact of a material; the element of social justice linked to each process, such as whether the materials come from renewable sources or whether the staff members are qualified,” states the professor, who has continued her studies in this area with academics from the University of California, Berkeley, and has also expanded the scope of the research method and the proposed tools at the Center for Production Management Excellence (GEPUC), working alongside professor Luis Fernando Alarcón, and in the UC Center for Innovation and Development of Wood (COrMA).

“What’s important is to have a good method for decision-making purposes and to compare alternatives. Many people do not realize that the method used to take decisions ultimately affects both the decisions and their impacts. In Chile, we need to pressure industry so that it provides the necessary information in order to take timely and better decisions, through declarations regarding the environmental and health impacts of the products used in a construction,” says professor Arroyo, adding that, “the immediate effect of the proposed method is an improvement so that the final design is better and has a lower cost in the long term, taking into account all viable alternatives and working with architects, engineers, constructors and clients in order to stimulate innovation.”

Paz arrOYOASSISTANT PrOFESSOr

Department of Construction Engineering and Management





developmenT of machines capable of reasoning effecTively

“How can you get machines to make appropriate and rational decisions, and to do it quickly?” poses Professor Jorge Baier, who uses techniques developed in Artificial Intelligence to attempt to answer such questions.

In 2009 he began to explore ways to use automatic planning techniques to diagnose dynamic systems, his goal to identify quality explanations. He gives the following example to illustrate his point: Imagine that you are driving and feel a small explosion and then find it hard to steer. You step out of your vehicle and see that you have a flat tire. What happened? For humans, the answer is obvious (you probably ran over something sharp, resulting in a puncture), but not necessarily so for a machine. “A sniper shot the tire,” is also an explanation, but not a rational one.

“How can a software system help humans make good decisions when problems arise?” In this case, says Baier, the important thing is for the system to suggest a good course of action, which a user can understand and find reasonable.” In most cases, the goal is not to determine the exact fault or cause, but rather to resolve the problem, hopefully with a minimum of resources,” says Baier.

Baier showed that existing automatic planning systems, which are capable of transforming one situation into another, can also be used to find faults in dynamic systems. “The advantage of these planners is that they are able to resolve major issues that may be difficult for humans.” The professor explains that the computer uses these techniques to analyze a large number of possible explanations in a minimal amount of time.

However, not all explanations are equal. To determine the quality of an explanation, the system uses an expertise-fed quality function. “We tested this system on diagnosis problems and compared it to state-of-the-art diagnosis systems. We showed that in many cases the planning techniques are more efficient at diagnosing problems. This shows that automatic planning techniques have a high potential in resolving diagnostic problems,” says Baier.

Professor Baier anticipates that over time we will be increasingly surrounded by more machines that help us to perform tasks. “We will need these machines to make good decisions and to help us in everyday situations, especially when a quick response time is crucial.”

JOrge BaierASSISTANT PrOFESSOr






quanTifying mass and energy flows in The environmenT

Most processes that occur in the environment are associated with mass and energy transfers. Some are readily perceptible, such as water seeping into soil, a leaf blowing in the wind, or a surface heating from solar radiation. Others, however, are more difficult to observe, to measure and even to study. Some examples of these are transport processes in the soil-vegetation-atmospheric continuum, the movement and final destination of a contaminant in soil and water, and gas exchange in the microenvironment surrounding an organism. These are just a few of the challenges that Carlos Bonilla takes on in his daily research as soil physicist and environmental biophysicist.

With special emphasis on measurement and modeling, Bonilla leads a series of projects that study the physical, chemical and biological processes involved in water movement and contaminant flows into the environment. “Understanding and modeling these processes are key to developing sustainable environmental management.”

In his research, Bonilla combines knowledge from several fields related to the soil-vegetation-atmospheric system. “The approach I use to integrate information from different fields involves mathematical modeling of the system components,” he says. “This modeling effort relies heavily on computer resources, but also on direct measurements to obtain model parameters and verify predictions.”

carlOs BOnilla

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Hydraulic and

Environmental Engineering

Agronomist, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Science in Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de

Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States

This integrated effort combines several skills and tools, such as field measurement and experimentation, physical-chemical laboratory analysis, remote sensory technologies and satellite imagery, and geographic information systems. Several of the applications he currently works with are used in the development of mathematical models applicable to environmental impact assessment and sustainable development.

His work includes the study of water and energy transfer in earth surfaces with plant growth, often in extreme regions, and the development of predictive models to control surface runoff and water erosion. He has also participated in the development of tools for identifying diffuse source contamination processes, and in the design of plant filters to collect contaminants carried by water and sediment. His most recent work is focused on quantifying carbon flow and accumulation in natural environments as a mitigation measure against the effects of climate change.

“There are numerous scientific and technological challenges related to knowledge in this field. However, understanding, modeling and predicting a system’s behavior when faced with environmental changes is enough motivation for me to continue working on it,” says Bonilla.


quanTifying The socioeconomic impacT of large-scale mining

to extrapolate the future impact of mining operations and apply these to any new project elsewhere in the country, allowing companies to identify, mitigate and communicate project impact to stakeholders, especially the local community.

In addition to his research on sustainable development in mining, the professor directs the CODELCO research Group, which has spent the past three years investigating economic risk modeling associated with investment decisions in mining, and is currently assessing the Chuquicamata Underground Project.

This research is closely aligned with the goals of sustainable development, as it focuses on analyzing mining investment processes from the perspective of reducing risk and unknown factors, aspects that directly impact the concept of such development.

According to Botín, the overall impact of both lines of research is to increase sustainability and the social image of the mining industry. “Mining has historically had quite a bad environmental and social reputation. This research is designed to improve that in the long run.”

“It is essential to enhance the reputation of the mining industry in Chile, where mining is the backbone of the economy. Anything that improves the long-term social reputation of mining is a very positive step for the future of the country,” he concludes.

JOsé BOTínADJUNCT PrOFESSOr

Department of Mining Engineering

Diploma in Business Management (PADE), Instituto de Estudios

Superiores de la Empresas-IESE (Institute of Higher Business

Studies), Spain

Master of Science, Mining, Colorado School of Mines, United

States

Doctor of Philosophy, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain

In Chile, few people are unaware of the economic and social importance of mining as an economic activity. For decades, copper extraction has dominated the national economy and the lives of people employed in this sector. However, until recently, the impact of a mining operation on nearby cities and communities and on society as a whole had not been studied from a quantitative perspective.

José Botín began a pioneering study just over a year ago focused on the field of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility in mining.

This Spanish-born professor first came to Chile in 2010 as a visiting professor at the University’s School of Engineering. What began as a semester teaching sabbatical has become a golden finale to his career of over 40 years in executive and academic positions related to mining.

The professor is author and editor of the book “Sustainable Management of Mining Operations”, published by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) in the United States, and soon to be published in Spanish.

In the same line of research, Professor Botín leads a project entitled “Socioeconomic impact assessment of the El Teniente Mine,” which quantifies the impact of the mining operation in the surrounding community, specifically in rancagua. It aims to establish parameters


from The microscope To food design

Professor Pedro Bouchon was thrilled when he received the invitation to be Chairman of a session devoted to dehydrated and fried foods in the 2013 Conference of Food Engineering, the most important event in this field in the United States: such recognition of a Latin American scientist isn’t a frequent occurence.

Professor Bouchon’s impact in the development of healthy snacks and processed products has had a global reach; the same is the case with a technology he developed to produce food with very low fat content and a very high level of nutrient preservation.

As if this weren’t enough, he has also been the school’s Director of research, Innovation and Graduate Studies since 2008.

He created and now directs a Masters in Innovation, in conjunction with the School of Management, where he contributes from applied research, nurturing the curriculum with his Seminar of Distinguished Innovators and from his discipline of innovation in food design. For Professor Bouchon, making a contribution to society is critical.

He seeks to sensitize the food industry “and transform it,” by expanding the selection of healthier foods.

He directs the Anillo project, “Design of healthy food matrices,” which includes researchers from the Universidad de Chile, and the Austral and Federico Santa Maria universities. The aim of this group is to obtain compounds with nutritional value from agro-

industrial waste. Once stabilized, they are added to food matrices. “We have a robust relationship with the Schools of Medicine and Biological Sciences for in vitro studies that prove the effectiveness of these developments on health,” he says.

While researching for his thesis, “I discovered the fascinating world of microscopy; I began to understand food ingredients as modular building blocks in food design.”

He strives to combine ingredients and generate palatable structures with healthy nutrients and compounds.

An untimely degradation of food compounds is unacceptable in food preparation and digestion. Professor Bouchon increasingly interacts with biological sciences, nutrition and health departments to ensure that the compounds are eventually “bio-available in the human body and effectively incorporated into the bloodstream.”

The issue of scale is very relevant to him. The “building blocks,” he says, are at micron scale. What happens at that relevant scale will eventually be reflected in the macro-structural properties of the product. This is the case with scaling: what is created in the laboratory must be transferred to the field.

Professor Bouchon can often be seen walking around the school offering taste tests. The food is both visually appealing and, according to the professor, a delight under the microscope.

PeDrO BOuchOn

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Chemical



Doctor of Philosophy, School of Food Biosciences, University of

Reading, United Kingdom


Technology To assisT educaTion

Motivated by the development of new technologies, Professor Ignacio Casas wanted to make a contribution to public education in Chile. The professor uses a software based on cognitive tutoring and interactive learning (“learning by doing”) to support students in mathematics. Step-by step problem solving, customized online feedback, graphic representation and problem-solving reinforcement strategies all form part of this technology called Math Cognitive Tutor (MCT). Professor Casas developed MCT in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University, with which he has a longstanding relationship of over fifteen years. “This technology is unheard of in Chile,” he says.

He forms part of a multidisciplinary team (which includes professors from the Universidad Católica’s Faculty of Education) that began to apply this interactive software in workshops with elementary school students from public municipal and subsidized private schools in Santiago, Villarrica, Arica and Punta Arenas. The professor explains how the software works: students are given a problem and through a sequence of questions, they are guided (given clues and shown their errors) in reading comprehension, identification of solution patterns, critical thinking, strategic skills, productive disposition and fluency in procedures. They use artificial

intelligence computer techniques with random problem generators to avoid repetition. This implies that no student will have the same problem as his or her neighbor and every time a student has to repeat a procedure, he or she encounters a new situation.

The team hopes to extend this initiative in the future to public high schools and first year university students.

The project is currently in the experimentation, measurement and evaluation stage. The results to date (presented at several international conferences) are very encouraging. The professor explains that although the software focuses on students, their work is primarily aimed at math teachers (the software includes support systems for teachers and administrators). More than 200 math teachers have been trained to use this tool, which has led to significant progress in mathematics learning. The basis of the project is to show that the technology works. “We want to expand it to all public schools in Chile,” said the professor.

«It›s a tremendous challenge. We hope to prove its usefulness and make a significant contribution to educational development in Chile,” said Professor Ignacio Casas.

ignaciO casasASSOCIATE PrOFESSOr



Master of Science, University of Toronto, Canada



sTreTching cells

The body is a machine, as is each cell. Professor Celedón applies nanotechnology to biology. Each cell, he says, is made up of millions of objects that interact with each other; it is more complex than anything created by humans.

These biomachines generate force and motion; hence, the professor’s jump from mechanics to chemistry. “We look for a biophysical basis to understand, for example, the resistance of biological material in the exertion of strength”.

In his nanobiotechnology course at Universidad Católica, the professor opens minds to the future, and to potential biomedical applications, such as the destruction of tumors.

During his doctorate studies, he discovered the usefulness of nanotechnology in medicine. He asks, for example, “If I introduce a cylinder into a cell, can I deform its cytoskeleton? Can I affect the cell’s behavior? Can I do irreparable damage?”

He uses magnetic tweezers to stretch or torque the cell in the laboratory to examine mechanical properties of the nucleus and other organelles, such as mitochondria. By introducing magnetic particles into the cell, he is able to measure its properties. He anticipates ways to use nanotechnology to unleash cell apoptosis or programmed cell death, in order to develop an application to remove tumors.

His route is experimental and does not involve modeling. Modeling implies many suppositions given the complexity of cells; it involves laboratory observation and explanations employing a simple model.

He supervised the work of Matías Castillo, who designed a method at Universidad Católica to rotate a nanocylinder within living cells. Castillo cultured cells, built nanocylinders and introduced them, then creating a system to rotate magnets and observe the rotation under an optical microscope. “We found mechanical properties of the cytoplasm that had never been observed, and in a minimally invasive way: there’s no piercing or puncturing of the cell membrane. It’s a great achievement!”

He is fascinated by the enzymes that act on the DNA molecule when the genetic material replicates, which leads him to the question: what are the physical foundations of this process?

Professor Celedón wants to create biomedical services. He founded Twistnostics, a U.S.-based company that develops equipment for obtaining genetic information, prioritizing low cost and quick turnaround time. The company focuses on early cancer detection, customized medicine, and early detection of infectious diseases.

As with the cells, he stretches the limits of science.

alFreDO celeDón

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Mechanical and

Metallurgical Engineering


Master of Chemical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Science, Biomedical Engineering, University of California,

Los Angeles, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University,

United States


developmenT of foundry and casTing

Professor Diego Celentano wants to improve the foundry and casting processes in the metal industry.

Clearly, a better heater-plate design would reduce costs, increase functionality and dominate aesthetics. And there’s more.

Proper foundry creates adequate, better or new materials. Casting then designs and produces an object or part to meet specifications.

Professor Celentano’s Fondecyt-sponsored research project, “Modeling of foundry and casting processes,” involves four stages.

The first, experimental stage takes place in the laboratory, and on some occasions in the plant. As technology is in constant evolution, the School has renovated laboratories, importing new laser equipment, among other devices. Laser equipment is now key to casting and shaping parts.

During the second stage, the researcher determines the equations that define the problem: this is modeling. Variables always complicate the scenario and as models become more complex, they reach a rigidity that limits

the range of solutions. This is where the lead researcher intervenes with his practical-theoretical experience.

The purpose of the third stage, simulation, is to solve the previously defined equations. In this stage, the researchers often resort to iteration, moving back and forth between simulations and modeling before finally moving into the fourth stage which can be expensive: validation.

The main objective of this research is to propose a mode of operation that adapts to this process, proposing foundry and casting models on different scales.

The research approach, which is both phenomenological and multi-scale, is key. It involves testing and retesting until perfect. A critical aspect is an in-depth understanding of the materials subjected to different states, strengths and tools; in order to reach the core of the material at stake.

This last ensures a profound and long-term effect on the research.

Professor Celentano greatly appreciates the interest of young researchers who join him in this undertaking.

DiegO celenTanO

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Mechanical and


Civil Engineer, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Doctor of Philosophy, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Spain


knowledge of geoThermal energy in chile

mineral deposits, is to reduce the unknowns.” Professor Cembrano’s knowledge of the field he is researching is enriched by his doctorate studies at Dalhousie University, Canada.

Despite the potential of geothermal energy in Chile, there are several obstacles along the way. The first is the high cost of geothermal reservoir exploration. A standard exploration borehole in a deposit costs around two million dollars. The same geothermal borehole costs about $15 million. “In developed countries, venture capital for such activities has always come first from central government funds,” says Cembrano.

The second barrier is related to the technology and human capital needed for geothermal exploration in Chile. “There are no Chilean engineers specialized in drilling geothermal reservoirs. This school faces the challenge of training engineers to specialize in this technical field.”

Finally, when asked how many years will pass before we can expect to see the development of geothermal energy, Cembrano responds that it depends much more on government priorities and public policies regarding the energy sector than on the discipline of geology itself. “In the best case scenario, maybe five or ten years, if the regulations or legal provisions are in place to make geothermal business more attractive and sustainable,” he concludes.

JOsé Miguel ceMBranO




Master of Science, Geology, Western Washington University,

United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University,

Canada

José Miguel Cembrano currently leads research to identify the tectonic nature of geothermal reservoirs in the Andes in order to create a map for potential geothermal power generation in Chile.

Cembrano says that energy from the heat field that is spatially associated with volcanoes in Chile is not accurately characterized, which means that the proportions and dimensions of the reservoirs, the main source of geothermal energy, are unknown. “reservoirs are rock bodies that amass cubic kilometers of volume, filled with pores and crevices. Pores and fractures hold and carry hot liquids,” he says. “If you know the location and characteristics of these reservoirs, you can generate a strategy to extract geothermal energy from them.”

The research, which forms part of the Fondap project Center for Geothermal Excellence in the Andes (Centro de Excelencia de Geotermia de los Andes, CEGA , U. de Chile-UC), has already been underway for three years in the area surrounding the Copahue, Lonquimay and Callaqui volcanoes and aims to create a knowledge base to establish the potential of geothermal energy in Chile. “There are many speculative figures regarding geothermal energy discussed in the market. Some believe it could provide 10% to 15% of the country’s energy matrix, but there is still no solid scientific support for such claims,” says Cembrano. “The ultimate goal is for the government or industrial sector to apply the results of our research so as to have a clearer understanding of the actual potential of geothermal energy resources in Chile. Our work as researchers, as in the exploration of


a susTainable look aT infrasTrucTure managemenT

Infrastructure management is Professor Alondra Chamorro’s field of research, with a focus on that of road infrastructure. The academic has developed tools that facilitate decision making regarding which roads to maintain and how, considering from a sustainable perspective their working life cycles, thus optimizing resources and minimizing the impact on users.

Although it sounds like a purely technical issue, public policy is a key component. Beyond the maintenance of individual projects, the issue must be addressed in its entirety and include an assessment of the road system as a whole, ensuring mobility and accessibility of the population in any circumstance. “I am particularly concerned about the most vulnerable rural areas. This field provides a way to develop good public policies that benefit society.”

Professor Chamorro’s doctoral thesis at University of Waterloo, Canada, was to develop a sustainable management system for rural roads in developing countries. She developed a computer tool that facilitated government decision making on the maintenance of unpaved roads, prioritizing the road system in technical, economic and social terms. This system considers the population profile and road network, such as civic vulnerability, type of productive activity, access to basic services, as well as an assessment of road conditions, the impact on users and strategic importance of the roads in the system, and finally suggests optimal maintenance

strategies based on a cost-effective and sustainable approach.

She continued work in this field in Chile, as alternate director of a multidisciplinary project that involved the participation of three professors from the School of Engineering and a professor from the School of Law. The purpose of the project is to create an urban pavement management system, aimed at improved decision making on the maintenance of city pavements. The professor is responsible for determining damage evolution and assessment over time, and recommends optimal maintenance standards and prioritization of road network maintenance on an on-going basis. It is an innovative, world-class project that contemplates a joint effort with all stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.

Professor Chamorro also runs a project for developing low-volume road behavior models to determine performance over time, while her understanding of road infrastructure has also brought her into the field of natural disasters. In CIGIDEN, a center dedicated to the management of natural disasters, she serves as associate researcher, assessing vulnerabilities in the road network infrastructure and working life cycles and proposing mitigation measures to ensure the provision of services and connectivity in Chile in the event of a natural disaster.

alOnDra chaMOrrO

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Construction




Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo,

Canada


machines aT work

Professor Luciano Chiang’s field of research includes machines, robots and automated mechanical systems in general. His work has been applied in various industries and has also had an impact on the field of technical education. His developments range from automated simulator systems to renewable energy turbines.

During his career he has focused on developing hardware and software for simulating automatic systems, which he uses for both systems design and technical professional education so students can better understand the physical principles of operation.

His laboratory has been responsible for the development of a wide range of special vehicles. These include remotely operated electric traction trolleys with up to a 100-ton capacity. The technologies developed have been implemented in the mining, defense, forestry and aquaculture industries.

The common thread across all his projects is the engineering of complex systems for machines. The knowledge base employed is Mechatronics. “You need to understand various fields to take our designs out of theory and make them work in practice. Many vehicles and machines that we have developed are currently hard

at work in the mining industry, others in the armed forces. I take great pride in the fact that our machines have come off the drawing board and have been brought to life.”

“There is a significant difference between drawing a rocket that goes to the moon and actually sending that rocket to the moon. I feel very proud to have achieved so much.” For Professor Chiang, knowledge, technical ability and perseverance are key. Plans don’t always work the first time, which is why simulation and prediction through mathematical models are essential.

Mechatronics combines mechanical engineering, electronics and computing to create the machines he manufactures. In addition to the actual machines, Professor Chiang has also innovated in his work with new simulation schemes and modeling methods.

Energy-generating machines are the focus of his latest developments, especially marine energy machines. “There are few marine energy turbines in the world, and there are very few of us who are building real turbines. The same is true for heavy-load electric vehicles,” says the professor.

lucianO chiang

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Mechanical and


Mechanical Engineer, Universidad de Concepción, Chile

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University,

United States

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University,

United States

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, Stanford

University, United States


Tidal power generaTion in The chacao channel

Chile is considered one of the countries with the greatest potential in the world for harnessing marine energy. The potential use of this energy source has led Professor rodrigo Cienfuegos to study and characterize the physical conditions of the Chacao Channel, located in southern Chile. “This would diversify the energy matrix through renewable energy sources available in our country,” underlines the academic.

He began his research in 2010. “Working in the Chacao Channel has been very interesting. It is a magical location,” says the professor of the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering. He explains that its characterization would produce potential energy maps for tidal currents in the channel.

The project considers the use of technology to determine the essential meteorological, hydrodynamic and environmental variables for assessing the energy resource and interference that might occur between a regenerative energy device farm and the marine environment.

Led by Professor Cienfuegos, the research has also involved the design and implementation of hydrodynamic modeling tools. “These tools can be used to assess and predict the site’s energy production and volume,” he explains.

After conducting field measurements on the sea floor of the channel, the project team decided to undertake more detailed studies in a specific section, which was identified as a potential site for tidal energy extraction.

“We have seen the influence of the sea floor on the type of circulation that occurs with the flow in the Chacao Channel.”

The professor also referred to the work conducted in conjunction with the School of Biological Sciences, such as the contribution made by Professor Juan Carlos Castilla, who contributed to the research by surveying the marine life in the channel. “We have identified the marine biodiversity of the site and have learned to identify different species.”

Following the results of this research, Professor Cienfuegos anticipates that the next step will be to select a specific location for a more detailed study and to install devices for pilot studies.

“We hope this research will contribute to the identification of resources and conditions in Chile for the development of this type of energy.”

rODrigO cienFuegOsASSOCIATE PrOFESSOr

Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering


Master Recherche, Institut National Polytechnique, France

Doctor of Philosophy, Institut National Polytechnique at Grenoble

(INPG-ENSHMG), France


how To manage healTh and safeTy risks

Professor Luis Cifuentes’ research cannot be limited to paper or contained behind four walls. His work in environmental risks, health and safety assessment and management is required to support public decision making. He holds a doctorate degree in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University, and has expertise in assessing the impact and regulation of air pollution, in assessing risk perception among the population and in managing natural disasters.

The results of his research in air pollution management, including its impacts on health, a social assessment of measures for reducing it and its relationship with the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, have been the raw material for decontamination plans in Chilean cities and for the issuing of a primary environmental quality standard for fine particles, among other regulations.

“The goal of my work is to generate information that is as objective as possible to assist in the public decision-making process with respect to environmental quality and risk management, in order to maximize social welfare,” says the professor. “Although there are international precedents, we often need to obtain local models or values that are relevant for Chile. It’s not enough to extrapolate the international experience.”

In terms of risk management, the professor is researching community perceptions and acceptability of risk situations by the population. “There is no activity or technology that doesn’t put society at risk in some way. Apart from the objective risk assessment, people’s perception is essential and sometimes overrides acceptability of the technology. In the case of electric power generation, this aspect has been fundamental. If you don’t consider it, you cannot make good decisions.”

In his work as director of CIGIDEN, the National research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales), he was able to integrate many aspects of his previous work. “Disasters caused by natural events present major challenges. Their origin is not controllable, but their consequences are. risk preparedness and mitigation is a task that combines physical (engineering) and social aspects, such as the behavior of individuals and communities. It is a great opportunity to integrate knowledge from different fields to effectively reduce the impact of natural phenomenon in Chile. We hope to make a positive contribution to the country.”

luis ciFuenTes

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering


Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon


Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering and

Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, United States


increasingly inTeresTing complex sysTems

Not all engineers have their sights set on highly complex processes. Those who do have the task of examining the set of components of a system and generating models, determining their parameters and acting on them in real time. Professor Aldo Cipriano thrives on this increasing complexity that he feels grows more interesting by the day.

He remembers the expansion of the mining industry in 1972, when he witnessed the first steps in automating ore concentration: “purely analog systems”. Today, the digital world changes everything.

“It’s a world where you must react quickly”, he says. Getting to know the processes, delving deep into mathematics, computing and electronics, together with other academics or his team of engineers and doctoral candidate students, he has designed solutions for many systems (cardiovascular circulation; the salmon industry; transport; energy; steel and, above all, the mining industry). He has been supported by Fondecyt, Fondef, COrFO-Innova, mining companies and the European Union.

“First we model, we write equations of physical processes,” he says. But models can be pointless if they require too much information. You need to simplify and simulate until you establish a cause-effect relationship, the basis for the control design. Optimization is at stake, but in real time. “We integrate computing with mathematics, with instrumentation and processes,” he says.

His work has included the development of sensors, but it’s his big picture perspective that gives strength to his work: “We must incorporate the upper management big business vision.” His control tests include objective-functions and constraints, not just with technical components, but with economic and environmental ones as well.

In the control room of a plant, many processors and automated components communicate with each other, and with the operators who handle them. “People need to be properly integrated with the technology, to understand how the actions of one person impact the others.”

His systems are already being applied, but they are also used to train the staff who will manage the processes, acting as distributed intelligence hubs that work in resonance.

Professor Cipriano also presides over DICTUC, an entity that connects knowledge and technology transfer and extension activities between professors and productive sectors. “This virtuous dialogue between academia and society materializes,” he writes, “through specialized multidisciplinary engineering services that arise from our professors’ innovation projects.”

Aldo Cipriano knows the professors. He has served as dean and assistant dean at Universidad Catolica’s School of Engineering, an atmosphere much to his liking: complex.

alDO ciPrianOPrOFESSOr

Department of Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Master of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Chile

Doktor-Ingenieur, Technische Universität München, Germany


Zooming in on TransporT

The morning rush to get to work or school shortens the intervals between vehicles. The traffic jams in the evenings are worse, as there are longer intervals.

He scans models created in developed countries. “Their reality is different.” If you apply micro-simulation models from those countries to our reality, he says, mistakes can be in the 50 to 60% range. If you calibrate them, you can come up with something more reasonable, from 5 to 10%. And he has calibrated almost all of them.

Micro-simulation, he explains, leads to a deeper understanding. They are designing a new model. His approach is to take on one vehicle at a time.

Everything supports urban policy. To understand what happens, we need to streamline traffic management decisions, or obtain a more precise estimate of the social benefits of transportation projects. Investment into reversing the direction of traffic on a given street may be minimal, but investment in a new subway line is not. An error can be very expensive.

This is a more recent discipline, that’s only been in existence for the last 70 or 65 years. “I’ve known all the greats. It’s like having known Newton! I have dined with them, I’ve asked them questions, exchanged emails!” he says with pride.

There’s a downside, of course. He quotes a British transport minister who said the problem in Britain was that it had 47 million transport and traffic experts.

He laughs, as if he were still president of the Student Union, a post he held in 1968.

Juan enrique cOeYMans

PrOFESSOr EMErITUSDepartment of Transport

Engineering and Logistics


Master of Science, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Professor Coeymans can be likened to those photographers who frame the general picture with a wide-angle lens or a more intimate image with a telephoto.

When operating on a large scale, his philosophical and theological training come to the foreground, as well as his experience as Dean and Senior Advisor, “always looking at macro issues.” And he does feel a certain contradiction.

“In research, I’ve always wanted to go beyond my limits, get to the bottom, probe deeper. It is very limiting on the one hand, but it’s the only way to be scientifically serious. And you don’t miss the big picture. It’s like zooming and screening.”

Aware of the complexity of traffic, he and his students and researchers have been developing decision-making intelligence.

They created VELUC, a software that determines free-flow velocity in the city from vehicle tracking, and SIGCOM, to optimize isolated traffic lights based on different objectives, such as minimizing delays or stops, or fuel consumption.

They also studied the “saturation flux,” how much traffic a street tolerates, and other traffic parameters. His “macro” view has led him and his team to identify psychological causes that determine flows. “We can statistically conclude that the saturation flux of a street is not fixed; it depends on the time of day. In the morning, the streets have greater capacity than in the afternoon.”


impulse, crossroads and risk

or create awareness, or denounce, or whatever the students want to do, depending on their motivations,” she says. “Or if they want, make a device that will change the world, but include creativity, the artistic side, in the design.”

After their first semester in the subject, eight students have decided to develop their ideas and make a prototype to present to an investor; a more elaborate project that can receive a push toward the market.

She wants to emphasize integration in the study of objects, for example, a beam to the real world; to relate; to understand the usefulness of what we study.

She recalls the diversity of the student body: “obviously among those 700 who enter, there are different abilities.” She doesn’t want those who, like her, are moved by artistic expressions previously unheard of in engineering to feel suffocated.

Professor Cortázar moves within risk. “The most important thing for any life-changing decision, any discovery, is not being afraid to fail. If people are trapped by the fear of what people might say if they fail, if you waste two years doing something... You have to realize what you can contribute!”

She encourages risk, motivates branching out, balancing different facets of yourself, bringing them together, asking her students, as was her case, for example, what they might have learned in photography that could also be applied to engineering.

caTalina cOrTÁzar

ADJUNCT INSTrUCTOr PrOFESSOr

Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering

Civil Structural Engineer, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile

Master in Media Studies, The New School for Public Engagement,

United States

Master of Fine Arts Design and Technology, Parsons

The New School for Design, United States

After completing her studies as a structural civil engineer, Professor Cortázar jumped at the chance to pursue a Master’s degree in Media Studies in New York.

During her undergraduate studies, she never abandoned her more artistic side, taking all the photography courses offered by the University. She remembers that her teachers frequently did not understand how she could choose to spend Tuesday afternoons taking photographs, instead of studying for a test.

Before moving to New York, she worked at a structural engineering office, practicing what she had learned: calculations and seismic analysis.

Once she finished her degree in Media Studies, she was accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in the world: Parsons New School of Design, also in New York, where Catalina contributed her engineering degree and earned her second master’s degree in design and technology.

Her current challenge, in collaboration with Professor Constanza Miranda, is to open up the world of engineering to freshmen through the course “Engineering challenges”. She says she has now found the school where she would have liked to have studied herself.

Together with her students, she also researches innovation processes arising out of posing real challenges to creativity. “The school has a major creative potential,” she says.

Cortázar lives and works at a crossroads of the two worlds: “apply the best scientific and engineering knowledge to creative things that can change the world,


an objecTive look aT The financial markeT

Professor Gonzalo Cortázar’s expertise lies in financial instruments and their valuation in the market. He has developed numerous research projects in this field in recent years, mainly focused on the impact of the lack of liquidity in financial markets.

“The problems of a developing country, of an emerging financial market, come from the fact that financial instruments, such as bonds for example, are traded very infrequently. Therefore, there is considerable uncertainty about the correct price of the financial instruments at any given moment.” Aware of this problem for over 10 years, the professor set about to research market valuation and later generated a service unit that provides objective information on the value of financial assets, which has had a great impact in Chile.

This unit, called riskAmerica, is an extension project of the university that provides services to the entire financial industry, delivering estimated valuations through economic and mathematical models about the expected worth of different financial investments at any given time. “It is important to have objective valuations to estimate the values of interest rates, bond prices, spreads, and at any given time with the available information. The entire financial sector, the Central Bank of Chile and regulators use that information to make decisions regarding the value of assets and even of projected inflation.”

The professor and his team have made a significant contribution to the development of the financial market. They paved the way for a new line of certifications that value asset prices with the support of a higher education institution and no conflict of interest. “The mere fact that there is objective information in the market eliminates the asymmetry of information between the various agents. It’s very different for a company or a bank that is negotiating with another to know the opinion of an independent entity rather than just that of its counterpart. And this facilitates the growth of the financial market.”

The models used by the professor are rooted in the literature of developed markets, but with a special emphasis on the problems of liquidity. Gonzalo Cortázar says that “there are financial models that assume a stochastic process for interest rates or for different types of underlying assets that generate risk, and no-arbitrage models are applied to prices, in an attempt to infer what instrument prices would prevent arbitration.”

Gonzalo Cortázar also focuses on the application of theories of real options to investment processes to support investment decisions and the stochastic behavior of commodity options, such as oil and copper.

gOnzalO cOrTÁzar

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering


Master of Business Administration, University of

California, Los Angeles, United States

Master of Arts, University of California, Los Angeles,

United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles,

United States


Technology-based innovaTion and enTrepreneurship in higher educaTion

Professor Alfonso Cruz has addressed science, technology and innovation management policies throughout his career, not only as a teacher and professional, but also as a researcher.

One of his current projects is a characterization of the status and evolution of research, development, innovation and entrepreneurship systems (r & D + i + e) of 17 leading universities in Latin America. Their relevance lies in the fact that the growth of technological knowledge knows no bounds and shows increasing returns in productivity, unlike traditional productive factors such as capital and labor, which exhibit diminishing returns.

The study yields important insights. “Activating a university to generate knowledge flows from their inception to their social application involves structuring complex processes, ad-hoc and long-term policies and expertise,” says the professor, who led Universidad Católica’s Innovation department from 2010 to 2012.

While the 17 universities studied show a high level of heterogeneity, the study observed sustained significant progress across the board in different dimensions. For

example, Professor Cruz’s research observed 60% increases in invention disclosures, 74% in university patents, 114% in licensing contracts and 25% in the number of spin-offs created during the study period (2007-2010). All universities analyzed have an OTL (Office of Technology Licensing) and business incubators, and most have a Center for Entrepreneurship.

“regardless of these high growth rates, the universities still have a long way to go. Their baseline in these areas is low on an international scale,” states the professor, who enumerates some of the challenges: cross over from basic to applied research; increase knowledge transfer from r & D; emphasize an international approach to intellectual property; and increase r & D resources from private sources in addition to public funding.

The professor provides insight on the current university scenario: “These institutions have a valuable opportunity to increase their social relevance and influence through a systematic and significant transfer of knowledge, creating new value and contributing to the economic and social development of their respective countries.”

alFOnsO cruz ADJUNCT ASSOCIATE

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering


Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, University of

Wisconsin-Madison, United States

Doctor of Technological Innovation, University of Sussex,

United Kingdom


developmenT of analysis models for urban and inTer-ciTy TransporT sysTems

Over the past 30 years, Professor Joaquín de Cea has worked on the design, development and implementation of analysis models for urban and intercity transport systems. He specifically focuses on the study of user behavior in public transportation when given the choice of routes when people begin their journeys. He recalls that when he began his research, this was already a major problem in Chile; however, on a global level, research in this area was precarious at best. “Most research was conducted in developed countries, where public transportation took a back seat to the car in terms of importance,” he says.

He worked together with Professor Enrique Fernández to design and develop an equilibrium allocation model for the public transportation system, which takes into account vehicle capacity constraints. According to Professor De Cea, almost all previously existing models failed to take this dimension into account: “Analysis of capacity was not considered an issue. According to these models, all potential passengers will fit.” One exception he mentions was a similar model to Chile, developed at the University of Montreal, where he completed his doctorate.

He later collaborated once again with Professor Enrique Fernández, this time to study the problem of simultaneous equilibrium (a short-term supply-demand balance issue) in congested transportation systems. This type of model ensures consistency between flows, travel and resulting service levels at different travel stages or decision-making junctures considered in the classical transportation model (Undertake a journey? Where to? What mode of transport? Which route?). This is the contrary of the alternative global intensive use approach (classic sequential model), which often provides inconsistent results, especially when congestion levels are high.

reflecting upon the research carried out in his department, the professor says, “Universidad Católica’s Department of Transport Engineering and Logistics as a whole has had a significant influence on the methodologies currently used in Chile and throughout Latin America to analyze transportation systems. Our analysis approach is followed by other institutions.”

JOaquín De cea

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Transport



Master of Science, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, Université de Montréal, Canada


disrupTive innovaTion in earThquake engineering

One of Juan Carlos de la Llera’s main areas of research is the development of technology that can be used to solve problems with a significant social impact. The professor was selected as the Endeavor Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011 for his contribution to the development of anti-seismic technology through Sirve S.A., a Universidad Católica spin-off he formed, together with a group of professors and students from the School of Engineering. He spent over ten years trying to convince architects and developers that seismic protection of structures is a basic need and not a luxury. The earthquake that struck Chile in 2010 proved him right, demonstrating the effectiveness of the devices in all of the structures with anti-seismic technology developed by Sirve S.A.

De la Llera carefully balances his work as researcher with his entrepreneurial activities. “For me it is a continuum. I have never made a distinction between research and implementing real-life solutions,” he says. Teamwork is an essential part of this, and he has developed 13 technologies in collaboration with his students. These include seismic isolation devices such as elastomeric, frictional and kinematic isolation; viscoelastic, frictional and viscous energy dissipation mechanisms; and intelligent systems that change their properties, recognizing the type of movement experienced by the structure in partnership with shock-absorbers that are adjusted in accordance with the mass. Short-term transfer from theory to practice is possible, as seen in the recent installation of viscous devices in an important building in Peru as part of a project that he developed with one of his graduate students two years earlier.

The professor works with a clear objective: “We want this technology to penetrate every fiber of infrastructure in Chile -the mining industry, hospitals and school systems- to ensure that no structure goes unprotected and that coverage reaches everyone.” The challenges involve finding mechanisms for lowering the costs of these technologies and positioning them internationally.

His interest in the worlds of interface, the limits between engineering, sociology, medicine, biology, geophysics and mathematics, has led him to explore other fields such as linear and nonlinear dynamic issues and to expand the analysis of structural behavior under constant movement. He also works on the integration of structural seismic engineering with geophysics. “We have to look at everything, from the characterization of movement to the materials an engineer needs to design a safe structure,” he says. Through his participation in the National research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales- CIGIDEN), he also studies the interaction between humans and structures in problems of evacuation or life-threatening circumstances. How does a person interact in the physical environment under extreme conditions? This is another interface that Professor Juan Carlos de la Llera explores: “There is a new world for seismic engineering here.”

Juan carlOs De la llera

DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEErING

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Structural and






infrasTrucTure managemenT serving The counTry

Professor Hernán de Solminihac studies the behavior and current state of infrastructure, using mathematical models to identify actions that can be undertaken to ensure certain levels of service over a period of time. “It is possible to estimate the investment required and when it should be made in order to maintain a certain standard,” he explains.

His experience in the study of construction processes and techniques and infrastructure management has been recognized nationally and internationally, leading to his appointment to head the Ministry of Public Works in 2010 and the Ministry of Mining in 2011. It was during his first ministerial post that he had to deal with events that escaped all mathematical models: the consequences of the 27 February 2010 earthquake. According to the academic, the most important factor in such circumstances is to be “able to react in time,” in order to think about people’s needs and identify the most effective reconstruction techniques. “Dealing with an earthquake connected me with people and public services quite dramatically and quickly. It was a valid experience that helped us make headway in terms of reconstruction, laying the foundations for the continued infrastructure growth of our country.”

Furthermore, Professor de Solminihac took part in the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Public Works, which monitored the technical and financial aspects of a planned bridge to cross the Chacao Channel. “I am proud of the work we have undertaken to improve people’s quality of life. It has been fantastic to continue to contribute in this way,” he states.

In regard to the country’s productivity, which is another concern of his, the former minister says, “I am very interested in mining. In recent years we have seen a significant drop in output: the question is how to improve this situation so that this industry, which is so important to the country, can provide more resources to the national budget and thus to social development

projects? This is why I encourage our students to be important players in the growth of Chile,” he says.

The professor’s interest in civil engineering can be traced back to his youth in the city of Puerto Montt, where he developed a desire to understand how to construct the buildings, bridges and roads that connect Chileans from north to south. This led him to focus his research on infrastructure management. These studies eventually led to the publication of two books: Construction Processes and Techniques co-authored with the academic Guillermo Thenoux of the UC School of Engineering and Highway Infrastructure Management. The first summarizes the academic work of both professors and is meant to assist in the formation of students and professionals who are initiating construction activities, with the emphasis placed on the studies of project budgets.

The second text addresses concepts used in engineering in systems applied to the State or private management of road infrastructure, such as the technical evaluation of paving, estimates of future technical requirements, and the economic evaluation and optimization of solutions. “I have focused on this in order to make operations more efficient in the timeframe of a given works project. Once a project is built, we need to know how to technically and economically operate it. That is to say, we need to identify what needs to be done to benefit users with the available resources,” he states.

Both books have been well received in Chile and abroad. “They have contributed to the training of people who apply this knowledge in their work on a daily basis. That motivates us to keep working,” says the professor.

Professor de Solminihac has also participated in university management, serving as Dean of the UC Faculty of Engineering and Director of DICTUC, the applied research and outreach unit of the university’s School of Engineering.

hernÁn De sOlMinihac

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Construction



Master of Science, The University of Texas at Austin, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin,

United States


The unknown qualiTies of co2

“Chile benefits from natural resources that are very high-quality or only found in this country,” says Professor del Valle. Its biodiversity is the source of countless natural compounds used in drugs, cosmetics and food.

In recent years, the market for functional and nutraceutical foods has boomed, opening opportunities for Chile to become a protagonist. But this is not a simple challenge: quality and quantity demands are on the rise. The industry increasingly restricts the variety and volume of solvent in the separation processes, further exacerbating the level of difficulty.

What to do? The answer is simple: use CO2 taken from the air. This common gas was the protagonist in Professor Del Valle’s thesis project. In the 1980s, he recalls, he didn’t have the equipment he has access to today: a world-class laboratory obtained after years of presenting projects and raising funds.

What makes CO2 so special? It is a solvent used for obtaining high quality extracts. It is innocuous and its elimination leaves no traces in the final products, however the process is not trivial. The CO2 must be converted into a solvent because under normal conditions it is an inert gas. This optimum or “supercritical” state is reached at high pressures and above its critical temperature. This CO2, not gas or liquid, is very versatile and can be adjusted to our extraction needs.

“A small change in conditions changes everything, particularly solubility,” says the professor. To remove the essential oils of rosemary, for example, you need to work at 12 megapascals, i.e., 120 times the ambient pressure. To obtain natural pigments such as lycopene from tomato, it takes at least 55 megapascals, 550 times the ambient pressure. There is no roadmap for each compound. research is required to understand, model and optimize the extraction process.

The professor emphasizes that the treatment of the material prior to extraction is a dominant factor. As with food, where the microstructure determines its texture, in this case the microstructure directly affects the extraction behavior.

This information is vital to the mathematical models proposed by the professor. “We have progressed in design processes, scaling and cost estimation,” he says.

The possibilities are endless. Businesses looking for extracts generally send their raw materials to industries abroad. Now they are offered an analysis of costs and purification methods for producing natural extracts locally. In the future there is a possibility that local firms may provide a platform for the extraction of natural compounds for Latin America, so boosting the entire region.

JOsé Manuel Del Valle

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Chemical


Industrial Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Science, University of Illinois, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Guelph, Canada


opTimiZaTion of air TransporT

In Chile, as is the case in the rest of the world, air travel is essential for fast, efficient and reliable connections, both for domestic and international journeys. Professor Felipe Delgado is interested in developing projects in this area and states there is a need for research based on the characteristics of Chile, which are very different from those found in other countries.

With a focus on passenger and cargo air transport, the professor of the Department of Transport Engineering and Logistics says that “these are two very different worlds.” He is currently working with the Latam Airlines Group. “They’re interested in optimizing their processes” he says.

Professor Delgado began developing exploration projects for cargo, which has not been as far developed as the passenger area. He explains that some cargo arrives at the last minute and other cargo is booked months in advance so it can reach its destination. “If I have an aircraft and I anticipate that it’s going to be full, how much space should I reserve for orders arriving early and how much for those arriving at the last minute?” proposes the academic.

The professor explains that a last-minute cargo service has a higher cost. If all space is filled with cargo that was paid for a month in advance, the company loses

the chance to sell space at a higher price, resulting in financial loss.

“The idea is to determine the total space of the aircraft, how much to assign for cargo with advanced booking, and how much for last-minute cargo, in order to maximize flight revenues.”

Professor Delgado works with the airline’s database. He conducts a statistical analysis to estimate the cargo requirements per flight and then uses mathematical programming elements to solve the problem.

“We are analyzing the cargo demand, whether it’s too variable, whether it depends on the type of cargo, the route and competitors.” The professor is currently studying the Europe-Latin America route in order to determine the optimal anticipated and last-minute reserved space, thereby maximizing company revenues and delivering a quality service to users.

He says there are also other air transport issues that he wants to study in the future. He is concerned with connectivity and the growth of the Santiago international airport. “In terms of runways, the airport is perfect, but its operational mode reduces its capacity.” These are some of the challenges that Professor Delgado foresees in the development of the airline market in Chile.

FeliPe DelgaDO

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Transport





efficiency of elecTric-powered vehicles

In a society where motor vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine is the norm, Juan Dixon has for years focused his research on improving the efficiency of electric-powered vehicles. The goal of most of his investigations is to make the power transmission from the battery to the electric motor more efficient for optimal operation.

“The electric-powered vehicle is highly efficient in comparison to an internal combustion vehicle, but it can still be improved if we find new ways of controlling the energy flow between the battery and the engine,” explains Professor Dixon. “If there is not a good power supply to the engine it will be less efficient, reducing the vehicle’s autonomy.”

The use of power electronics, which Professor Dixon researches, has led to new conversion systems for the transfer of energy from the batteries to the engine. New processing methods with computer controls have been used to further optimize this energy transfer.

Inevitably, all of Professor Dixon’s research ends up in the Laboratory of Electric-powered Vehicles at the San Joaquín Campus, which currently has four electric vehicles at different stages of development and experiments, centered on electronics and improving power transmission efficiency. The models in the lab include a 1997 Chevrolet LUV truck, a 1997 Chevrolet S10 truck, a 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer and a 2009 Suzuki Maruti.

Professor Dixon has been working in the world of electric-powered transportation for over forty years. The subject of his thesis was new electronic converters for electric vehicles and he worked at the State railway Company (Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado-EFE) with electric locomotives and Santiago trolleybuses in the former State Public Transport Company (Empresa de Transportes Colectivos del Estado). The international awards he has received should come as no surprise. These include the Prince Albert II of Monaco Medal for the paper “23-Level Inverter for Electric Vehicles Using Only One Power Supply and Series Active Filters.” His research describes the benefits of using 23-level inverters in electric vehicles instead of the simple two-level converters used at present. This development continues today with new control technologies and new electronic converters at over 23 levels, which have also been designed for renewable energy applications.

This year, Professor Dixon celebrates 35 years as a member of the School of Engineering, working on the improvement of power transmission systems based on power electronics. He has conducted research into active filters and reagents compensation to obtain clean electrical energy without distortion.

Juan DixOn PrOFESSOr EMErITUS



Master of Engineering, McGill University, Canada

Doctor of Philosophy, McGill University, Canada


advanced sub-soil visualiZaTion meThods: landmine deTecTion

Chile has made significant strides towards tackling the scourge of landmines, which claim thousands of victims around the world each year. Since 2003, Professor Mario Durán has been developing innovative technology to support the humanitarian demining efforts in the country. He has been working with researchers from the Military Polytechnic Academy (Academia Politécnica Militar) of the Chilean Army to design and conceptually test an “Airborne System for Detection and Identification of Phenomena and Objects in the Subsoil”, based on mathematical modeling, signal processing, reconstruction of images and the principles of GPr-SAr radar.

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile currently holds a global patent on this technology. “We are searching for funding to build a working prototype,” said the professor, who has been the scientific director of the Academia Politécnica Militar since 2000.

remote airborne technologies, according to Durán, are the only devices able to detect, locate and identify the presence of certain phenomena and objects on the ground, underground or under foliage in extensive and

vast areas of territory in an effective, versatile, reliable, robust and secure fashion.

“In Chile, the needs of these airborne technologies are manifold: in geophysics, geology, and hydrology and related fields for mine operations; in search and rescue operations; in the search for archaeological sites; and most notably, in the field of humanitarian demining,” said Durán. “Chile’s progress depends on the ability of its institutions and industry for mass acquisition and fast processing of information. In this field, different remote sensing technologies take on a leading role.”

The “Airborne System for Detection and Identification of Phenomena and Objects in the Subsoil” has been presented to specialized agencies such as the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), the United Nations, and at the Conference of American Armies in the United States. “This is one of the few patents, if not the only one, that Chile holds in the defense industry. For our country, moving forward in this field would mean entering the world arena of high-tech innovative technology in the area of business technology,” says Professor Durán.

MariO DurÁn ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOr


Civil Mathematical Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Diplôme d’Études Approfondies (DEA) Paris VI, France

Docteur en Mathématiques Appliquée, École Polytechnique,

France


Turbulence in naTure: from river dynamics To renewable energies

The study of turbulent flow dynamics applied to environmental engineering and science issues is the main area of research of Cristián Escauriaza, Assistant Professor of the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering.

Using advanced computer simulations, Professor Escauriaza uses field measurements and laboratory experiments to study the physical processes that occur in nature and so better understand the mechanisms that control fluvial morphodynamics, sediment transport in rivers, and dispersion and cross-contamination of pollutants in aquatic environments. In recent years, his research has focused on central and northern Chile, particularly the upper river basin of the Lluta river located in the high plateau (altiplano) region of Arica and Parinacota. The unique conditions of this region, located 4000 m.a.s.l., require an integration of the multiple fields of engineering and earth sciences to understand the mechanisms that control the destination of pollutants, sediment erosion and deposits, along with human impacts and future scenarios in the use of water resources.

“We have studied hydrodynamic issues such as river confluences and the interaction of these flows with other environmental processes. We work with other professors and researchers to address these complex problems from a multidisciplinary perspective and according to a wide range of scales. Small-scale flow turbulence processes often have important effects throughout the river system,” explains Escauriaza.

In addition to new discoveries concerning the interaction of turbulence with sediment and contaminant transportation, Professor Escauriaza has developed models to study flow developed by hydrokinetic turbines, creating new tools to study the impact of power generation devices with tidal currents. His recent research focuses on the study of flash floods, which commonly occur in mountainous regions of Chile.

“A curiosity to learn more about the fundamental processes of nature and the overall relationship between water, energy and the environment, have motivated me to tackle complex applied problems to improve engineering design.”

crisTiÁn escauriaza

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Hydraulic and



Master of Science, Georgia Institute of Technology,

United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Minnesota, United States


The challenge of developing renewable energy

The global demand for more efficient energy production goes hand in hand with the need to protect and care for the environment. Chile is an energy importer and its energy matrix is dominated by dirty, non-renewable fossil fuels. Professor rodrigo Escobar has set his sights on northern Chile, an area with some of the best solar radiation levels in the world.

In 2013, Escobar along with Universidad Católica engineer José Miguel Cardemil, proposed a research project into the use of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants through polygeneration schemes, electricity generation, waste heat, solar cooling and water. These four plant outputs are possible with CSP technology, representing the energy needs of industrial, residential and commercial activities in northern Chile.

This implies that if there are four market prices for each of the outputs, the plant can establish an optimization criterion for maximum revenue, or an optimization criterion for maximum plant efficiency, which means that the solar energy would be converted most efficiently. Accordingly, one of the research objectives is to formulate thermo-economic models that simulate plant

operation and optimize each output based on a given optimization criteria.

One of the main findings, Professor Escobar explains, is that solar radiation varies at different temporal scales. Traditionally, plants are simulated with a formulation called Typical Meteorological Year (TMY). If a plant with a 20-year useful life is simulated, all years are equal to the average, but this does not consider variability. Escobar has found that if a plant with a long-standing existence of various years is simulated, the sum of the plant output is very different from the typical 20-year scenario. “We want to identify the relationship between resource variability, uncertainty in production predictions and formulation in a typical year”, he says.

“We could use this project to build a scientific knowledge base for the development of technologies of Concentrated Solar Power in Chile,” says Escobar. “The optimum and rational use of poly-generation schemes will improve the energy conversion efficiency of the energy system, helping to reduce dependence on external energy sources, in addition to increasing Chile’s energy security.”

rODrigO escOBar

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Mechanical and

Metallurgy Engineering

Civil Engineer in Mechanics, Universidad de Santiago de Chile

Master of Science, Carnegie Mellon University, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Carnegie Mellon University, United States


deTerminisTic and concurrenT: cuTTing-edge programming

Professor Yadran Eterovic specializes in software engineering and concurrent computing, specifically in concurrent data structures, which allow multiple processes to work without encumbering each other in devices with more than one CPU. He began to explore this field years ago when most electronic devices had only one CPU, but has resumed his research to meet current needs to simplify programming.

Computer programming should be able to make use of these additional resources on a single device to make then work better and faster. “For applications to run faster you have to alter their programming. Traditional programming for a single CPU is no longer effective.”

Data structure is crucial. “Until about five years ago, skip lists represented the more complex parallelized structure. These provided a way to analyze data in groups

of two, four or eight at a time instead of one by one. If the data being searched was farther away, the range of skips was greater to reduce the search time.” The problem with these structures is that their behavior is probabilistic, which means the structures may weaken when information is inserted or removed.

Search trees, on the other hand, have a strong deterministic behavior, which leads to the question: How can these properties be maintained so that the tree remains useful but allows multiple concurrent access? Eterovic worked with his graduate students to test a type of binary search tree called red-black trees, and added a concurrent component.

“If we can prove a solid concurrent structure performance that is in fact superior to the probabilistic alternatives, I think that its reception will be very positive.”

YaDran eTerOVic

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Computer Science


Master of Science, University of California, Los Angeles, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles, United States


urban drainage manual: physical model for a hydroelecTric planT and flow predicTion meThods

“The Urban Drainage Manual” provided for the Department of Hydraulic Works of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) is a recent contribution from the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering for the management and problem-solving of rainfall in urban areas. The purpose of this manual, developed by DIHA professor Bonifacio Fernández, Jorge Gironás and his team, is to guide storm water solutions for all Chilean urban areas, in conjunction with MOP, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MINVU), municipalities, developers, builders and designers.

The Department began to conduct research on issues of urban drainage with the development of the “Design Guide of Alternative Urban Storm Water Solution Techniques” developed for MINVU in 1996, which was later supplemented with research conducted in conjunction with the Chilean Chamber of Construction.

Along these same lines, Fernández led a Fund for the Promotion of Scientific and Technological Development (FONDEF) project in conjunction with several public and private institutions to develop standardized storm water drainage systems in urban developments and housing projects. Proposals included elements related to seepage, quality filters and permeable paving, among others.

The professor is currently participating as co-researcher on urban sustainability projects. Through one project he

researches the design of household drainage networks in order to obtain information and models applicable to Chile’s semi-arid regions.

Fernández has also participated in the design and optimization of complex hydraulic works by building and studying them in hydraulic laboratory models. These include hydroelectric plants such as those located at Machicura and Canutillar in Chile, and Cheves in Peru; reservoir diversion (Melado, San Pedro, Baker 1 and Pascua); base drainage systems (Colbún and Baker 1); reservoir flood runoff (Los Leones, Pilmaiquén, Osorno and Los Lagos). He has also recently completed a study of dissipation chambers for the Azapa canal and is currently working on a load rejection system for a hydroelectric plant on the Manso river.

Fernández spent various years studying the behavior of droughts. In the 1980s, he employed stochastic hydrology as a method for characterization of meteorological, hydrological and agricultural drought in central Chile. He later proposed methods for estimating the probability of the occurrence of specific droughts in semi-arid areas. This line of work involves the development of methods and models for medium-term prediction of flows for hydroelectric plants, with applications in river basins in Chile, Peru and Colombia.

BOniFaciO FernÁnDez PrOFESSOr EMErITUS



Master of Science, Colorado State University, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Colorado State University, United States


a cerTain uncerTainTy

Professor Ferrer is a multi-tasker. He values his family life, so when he needs to visit a retail store at the weekend, he brings his family with him to shop as he researches.

Trained as an engineer, he initially saw himself in the public sector or private enterprise, but not as an academic. But he began to research. Today he says that research “is the ingredient that makes the academic career so fascinating.”

Uncertainty is what excites him the most. research enriches an academic career with its uncertainty, with its relationship with students, with people.

He empathizes with the basic researcher, but he focuses on applied research. “It is not enough to say that I focus on real problems. I put a lot of effort into applying what I research.” He focuses on revenue Management and Workforce Management. He develops applications, improving people’s lives through the benefit packages of many public and private organizations.

He wrote his doctorate thesis on the pricing of packaged products, such as a laptop, which is a complex package. What quality should each component have to achieve a price that both brings in revenue and satisfies the customer?

From this starting point, he moved on to revenue Management and Workforce Management.

In Latin America he works with Professor Juan Carlos Muñoz to define and adjust the shifts in many retail companies. The purpose of the model was to ensure that vendors were available at peak times. It worked. They then adjusted it to the constraints of different types of workers, their preferences, weekdays, seasons, labor laws and union agreements.

The discovery led to a firm that currently manages the shifts of 50 thousand people. “People are happier.” And this has been “through research and teamwork.”

In terms of pricing, he has developed an inventory management model for one of the major pharmacy chains in Chile, to keep inventories as low as possible, but still meeting customer demand for medicines 98% of the time.

He is currently working with professors rodrigo Pascual, Jorge Vera and Sergio Maturana on a spinoff of this project in a major public hospital in Santiago. The idea is to design a model that helps the hospital meet medicine inventory needs and replicate this throughout the hospital network.

A certain uncertainty spices the effort prior to success.

Juan carlOs Ferrer

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering



Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States


in search of microorganisms and beTTer bread

Professor Franco specializes in quinoa, a product she has always been familiar with as a staple in the diet of her native Bolivia, and she views it as a source of protein for the world.

Quinoa is a pseudo cereal that in Chile is grown in the north, some parts of the central zone and in Patagonia in the south. Professor Franco emphasizes its protein content: it contains 20 essential amino acids. “It is a super food,” she states.

She works with three colors of quinoa: white, red and black, which produce three different types of flour, and studies their fermentation, which is essential when making good bread.

This is part of her mission to create healthy, safe and consumer-friendly foods. The professor delves into the microbiology of processes, manipulating lactic acid bacteria and yeasts to achieve her goal.

And her goal is bread.

People that suffer from celiac disease cannot eat gluten, which is normally found in bread or pasta. If they want to eat bread or pasta, these must be made with gluten-free flours, which usually result in tasteless, dense and unattractive breads or pastas. They also lack essential nutrients; those suffering from this illness feel destined to be deprived of what everyone else seems to love.

During the first year, Franco studied sourdough, normally used to make sourdough bread or improve whole-wheat

bread. While working with quinoa flour, she wondered which bacteria would grow in quinoa flour if she let it ferment.

Working alongside North Carolina State University, she turned herself into a detective of bacteria. Having isolated yeasts and bacteria, she identified strains that produce “Exopolysaccharides”, elements that enhance the sensory characteristic of bread.

The discovery of these would allow a natural substitution for the additives used today in gluten-free flours to make the bread fluffier and softer.

Her work has already yielded results. “I have characterized the natural microflora that is growing in this fermentation.” Wendy has recognized several bacteria species capable of producing the desired “exopolysaccharides.”

The next step is to put these bacteria to work to produce the desired ingredients in sufficient quantities. Once this challenge is met, it will be time to pull out the baker’s hat and calculate quantities in order to get the perfect mix.

The last step is to bake the bread and provide samples. “Whether people suffer from celiac disease or not, this is a protein-rich food which would be great to circulate. For example, the State institution responsible for school lunch distribution (JUNAEB), could incorporate it in order to increase the protein provided in children’s diets “, she says.

WenDY FrancO

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Chemical

Engineering and Bioprocesses School of Medicine UC

Food Engineer, Universidad de Nuestra Señora de La Paz, Bolivia

Industrial Engineering, Universidad de Nuestra Señora de

La Paz, Bolivia

Master of Science, Food Science, University of Florida, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Food Science, North Carolina State



enhancing human capiTal in public TransporTaTion

In 2007, the urban public transport system in Santiago underwent a profound transformation with the creation of ‘Transantiago’, thus changing the way people move about the city. “Through public transport, we have many ways to improve people’s lives,” says Professor Patricia Galilea. She works to understand the behavior of public transport operators and drivers.

The professor explains that Transantiago brought about a change in the employment status of drivers. Previously, most drivers owned their buses and had no contracts. Moreover, Transantiago introduced the concept of operators, private companies that shared the different bus routes in Santiago. “This involved a formal bidding process to assign different operators to the routes,” she says.

Drivers now have contracts, which lead to a new problem. Because drivers are no longer paid per passenger, they sometimes skip uncrowded bus stops. The professor explains, “The contracts now dictate the incentives.”

Is the incentive given to the operators enough or too much? Is a subsidy needed? If so, what amount? These are some of the questions addressed by Professor Galilea’s research, which then led to another project focused on understanding drivers’ behavior. “We started

this research because operators didn’t know how to encourage drivers to meet the goals of Transantiago.”

She explains that operators are subsidized based on their reported losses, but “what if operators are inefficient because they know they will be subsidized?” asks Galilea. “There are different ways to analyze how agents behave, depending on the contract scheme they work under.”

Galilea’s data analysis indicates that “the subsidy is necessary.” But it also shows that operators are being inefficient and the subsidy should be reduced. Furthermore, she has detected that some operating companies are more efficient than others, depending on the routes they use. “Some face higher congestion levels on their routes compared to others,” she explains.

As for the drivers, she says they have the quality of service in their hands. Her research shows the importance of reclaiming the role of drivers. “We need them, but as users of public transport, we do not treat them very well. We treat them quite unfairly,” says Galilea.

“Our work deals with extremely interesting and challenging research and has an impact on the development of public policies that benefit society as a whole, because we all travel on a daily basis,” concludes Galilea.

PaTricia galilea

ADJUNCT INSTrUCTOr PrOFESSOr

Department of Transport Engineering and Logistics




a sysTem To sTudy The influence of dieT on The inTesTinal microbiome

In order to understand the importance of the intestinal microbiome in human health, Professor Daniel Garrido, a specialist in food biotechnology and genomic and microbial ecology, studies how this bacterial community, which lives in human beings, responds to a diet rich in fiber and fat.

The professor notes that there are several animal models that can be used to study how these bacteria interact in humans, but they are unattainable and do not give clear answers. His goal is to design a fermenter system that analyzes how changes in diet affect these intestinal bacteria.

The intestinal microbioma is a complex and environmentally dynamic community that influences the development, maturation, regulation, stimulation and suppression of the immune system. It is linked to various diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and neurological diseases.

“A fermenter mimics the prevailing intestinal conditions by using representative bacteria,” explains Garrido. He

says that there are four to five bacteria that represent the entire community.

His research began in late 2013. He explains that he will need to validate a system and then test with several changes in diet to the fermenter, which will have a stable community of organisms. “I want to study how the bacterial community changes, how it responds to the type of diet it is given,” says the professor.

He will use microbiology to study how bacteria respond to these stimuli with dietary changes. He wants to know the effect on the metabolites produced by these bacteria in intestinal models.

For this study he will take representative samples of the entire population. “We are going to create two systems: one will simulate with newborn babies, and the other adults,” he explains.

“We want to understand the importance of this bacterial community and its impact on human health, and also discover other implications that may be helpful for the entire population,” says Professor Garrido.

Daniel garriDO

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Chemical


Engineer in Molecular Biotechnology, Universidad de

Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Davis, United States


opTimiZing business decisions

Pedro Gazmuri is currently designing a decision-making model to optimize company costs and processes.

Gazmuri, team leader at SIMULA UC, an area of DICTUC of the Universidad Católica, specializing in process simulation and optimization, has worked in several economic sectors, including mining, health, logistics and port operations, among others. His team has 30 years of experience in consulting and applied research and uses mathematical modeling and software to simulate production scenarios that explicitly incorporate aspects of variability and uncertainty.

Gazmuri and his team are currently developing a project with the newly merged airline LATAM to assess trade routes. The project simulates airline flight routes, considering factors such as weather, and aircraft and crew shortcomings, among others.

“The software is used to represent the entire airline flight operation to estimate the precision of the itinerary. It is an extremely complex process where we have tried to develop a simulation in its own language,” says Gazmuri. “This company will be three times greater than LAN, and this new software will provide an assessment of a trade route before implementation in order to understand the effects of this series of disruptions on operations.”

“For example, in a Santiago to Lima flight we would provide the airline’s commercial area with specific information on the actual precision of the flight routes based on the failure factors,” he says.

He expects the project to be operational in six months and considers it to be a contribution to the aviation industry and an innovation to the service of the industry. The professor says that some foreign airlines have shown interest in the project.

Despite the scale of this project, Professor Gazmuri also finds time to conduct research in the field of transportation, specifically on road safety in order to prevent deaths due to traffic accidents. He is also developing ways to systematize social problems such as crime through mathematical modeling.

Finally, in conjunction with the National research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales- CIGIDEN), Gazmuri is creating an agent-based simulation model to reproduce the evacuation required in Iquique in the event of a tsunami. “The idea is to replicate a catastrophic scenario and propose preventive measures to the appropriate authorities,” concludes Gazmuri.

PeDrO gazMuri

ADJUNCT PrOFESSOr Department of Industrial and

Systems Engineering

Civil Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Master in Industrial Civil Engineering, Universidad de Chile



The emergence of new Tools

For professor Gelmi, discovery is his passion. He conducts research, enjoys teamwork, but what excites him most is “when you delve deep into a subject - that’s the most enjoyable thing!”

He was in up to his elbows when he developed a computer tool to resolve a complex mathematical problem with full differential equations. Although the tool’s users know nothing of these equations, they are able to use the tool to find a solution to their problems.

The tool can be applied in many fields: cell cultures, neuronal transmission, displacement waves, particle dynamics, viscoelastic flows, the spread of pests, for example.

He is proud of the result: a publication in the number one journal in the field of mathematical physics: Computer Physics Communications: “ID-SOLVEr: A general purpose solver for nth-order integro-differencial equations,” in conjunction with Professor Héctor Jorquera.

The tool was developed for the tool library of the great math solutions engine: MATLAB. This platform is like Excel, but more specialized. Only in the United States it is used in over 3000 universities. And of course, it is also used in the School of Engineering at Universidad Católica.

“I loved the work because I love programming, I love numerical methods. I’m not a super mathematician, I

understand certain problems and those are the ones that I like, where I tend to dig deeper,” says the professor.

And he does what he does to make life easier. When you don’t know how to move forward on a problem because it requires using equations from the integro-differential family, and you know nothing of these equations, this is when the MATLAB ID - SOLVEr steps in.

Before designing it, they reviewed the literature. There were other options. But the advantage of ID- SOLVEr “is that you don’t need to know anything. You write the line, as you would on a spreadsheet, you apply the given function, you input the parameters and the solution appears automatically.”

The idea arose from a conversation, “an accident, like many other things that work.” After discussing a problem with Héctor Jorquera, Professor Gelmi began to think about unexplored routes. They analyzed the methodology, reviewed the literature and started programming.

The work caught the attention of the editor of Computer Physics Communications because “it was very simple, but it solved very complex mathematical problems.”

Professor Gelmi’s tool cabinet has no lock. He uses what is already there, but when he needs to, he adds new ones. “That is the beauty of this field,” he says.

clauDiO gelMi ASSISTANT PrOFESSOr

Department of Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses



Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Delaware, United States


opTimiZing TransporT sysTem operaTions To serve people

many cases we have proven that this is not necessarily the case. Furthermore, you can apply restrictions on the students’ maximum travel time in the models.”

One of the main projects being developed by TransitUC is a bus clustering control system. “Bus clustering is commonplace in the dynamics of bus operation. When there are changes in travel times or demand for services, it is common for buses to arrive all at once. This greatly impairs the level of service, because users must wait much longer and when the buses arrive, they are already full,” says Giesen. To avoid this problem, Professor Giesen has worked on optimization models to determine how and where to retain buses to prevent clustering and improve the service to users, reducing waiting times or overcrowding on buses.

Professor Giesen is also currently working on improving home delivery systems. “How can we optimize system design while simultaneously providing better information to users?” asks Professor Giesen. He assures us that they use data surveying to develop business intelligence. But the idea is to take it a step further.

“We want to optimize the systems by using information about travel times and service times at each house.” He adds that delivery to a high-density area, where parking is a challenge, is not the same as delivery in a low density area where the vehicle can park in front of the customer’s house.

“I hope that my research in the operation of transport and logistics systems will serve to continually help and improve processes,” concludes Professor Giesen.

ricarDO giesen

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOr Department of Transport




Doctor of Philosophy, University of Maryland, United States

“My motivation is to improve the quality of life,” says Professor ricardo Giesen, specialist in transport and logistics systems, who focuses on optimizing the operation and design of cargo and passenger distribution systems. Through his research, he hopes to solve contingent problems and have a real impact on people.

Through applied research he currently co-directs two enterprises, routingUC and TransitUC, aimed at applying his research to the real world. routingUC optimizes the design of transport fleet routes and operation, developing decision-making support systems based on optimization models, which work together with information and communication technologies to provide geographical information system solutions. TransitUC develops systems to improve the operation of public transport systems.

The first routingUC project was for the Alfa e Beto de Brasil Foundation, whose mission is to support education in the poorest municipalities. The foundation requested support to improve the efficiency of the school transport system in rural areas. “In Brazil, municipalities are responsible for providing education and transportation to local schools,” said Giesen. Applying optimization methodologies, Professor Giesen and the routingUC team made proposals to reduce school transport costs by 15% to 30%. He explains that optimization techniques reduce operational costs and improve the level of service. He explains, “People tend to think that cost reduction results in poorer services; however in


human inTeracTion wiTh hydrological processes and The environmenT

How do humans and their activities affect hydrological processes? How does hydrology behave in environments where human activities take place? These are the issues that drive Jorge Gironás. His area of expertise is Hydrology and Water resources, with applications mainly in urban and semi-urban areas.

Jorge Gironás is a specialist in EPA SWMM, the most popular storm water management model in the world, and he is the main author of its application manual. “We use this software to model and analyze urban basins, design and assess drainage facilities, and assess human impact on receptor water bodies and watercourses.”

He also developed the Urban Drainage Manual for the Ministry of Public Works in conjunction with Professor Bonifacio Fernández from the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering. This manual is a document of national importance and uses transport, storage and seepage techniques in the planning, design, implementation and operation of urban drainage solutions on different spatial scales.

Understanding the water balance on a residential level is another task that Professor Gironás spends time on. “rain, evapotranspiration, seepage, and runoff and base

flow generation are processes that have been studied and quantified mainly in agricultural and natural basins. There is still much to learn from these processes in urban basins, where human intervention is high and the local scale is key. A better understanding of these processes would result in more relevant management activities for the city such as irrigation and maintenance of green areas, domestic consumption and storm water flood control.”

He primarily works through Universidad Católica’s FONDAP centers, CEDEUS and CIGIDEN, where he applies the results of his research to two significant multidisciplinary problems for the country: sustainable urban development and management of natural disasters. He synthesizes his work in these centers: “We want to understand water and land as key resources, and human beings need to know how to interact with these. This means using structural and non-structural engineering measures to efficiently use these resources, preserve them and not turn them into a threat to society.” Professor Gironás is also a member of the Center for Global Change at our university.

JOrge girOnÁs

ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOrDepartment of Hydraulic and






creaTion of a cryogenic chip for high resoluTion images of The universe

“I always felt drawn to digital systems and the microelectronics they involved,” says Professor Marcelo Guarini in reference to one of his main passions. He says he had a rough start in this area because it was practically impossible to develop microelectronics in Chile. The inaccessibility and prohibitive cost of the necessary software has been a major obstacle in the development of this industry.

However, the situation has slowly begun to change. In 2010 Professor Guarini worked with professors Ángel Abusleme, Dani Guzmán and Christian Oberli from the Department of Electrical Engineering, to obtain the support of some microelectronic development software manufacturers, and began designing chips that can be applied to different industrial and scientific projects.

Professor Guarini currently works to create a cryogenic chip to provide large telescopes with high resolution images. His aim is to reduce the “noise” in the images and the size of the electronics of an astronomical CCD

reading through an integrated circuit that should work at -110oC. “One of our hypotheses is that we can reduce noise by cooling the electronic components,” he explains. The research team has been using a technique used in linear particle accelerator sensors to develop a multi-sampling scheme for each image pixel through a weighted average to further reduce noise. “We have been able to prove noise reduction through computer simulations,” he says.

“We believe this may represent a significant advance over the techniques used today,” said the professor. “The impact directly affects the astronomical community and our knowledge of the universe, thereby producing new information about our very origins.”

Professor Guarini also works in conjunction with Professor Oberli in creating microchips for wireless transmission and data reception to anticipate natural disasters.

MarcelO guarini

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Electrical

Engineering


Master of Science, University of Arizona, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Arizona, United States


Technology Transfer for asTronomical developmenT

By 2020, Chile will host 70% of the world’s terrestrial observatories. In Professor Andrés Guesalaga’s view, this is a great opportunity to contribute to the development of this discipline. His current research focuses on astronomical instrumentation. “We want to contribute and participate in the developments in this field around the world.”

From the vantage point of the Department of Electrical Engineering, this professor and researcher for Universidad Católica’s Astro-engineering Center works from the perspective of adaptive optics to address the challenges of the telescopes of the future, which will have the capacity to observe a wide field in the sky. He corrects atmospheric aberrations in real time, improving the resolution of optical systems. The techniques he uses include Wide-Field Adaptive Optics, which create high-quality images of the sky at greater vision fields per arcminute.

At the Department of Electrical Engineering laboratory, he develops technologies that can later be transferred to real systems. He also develops signal processing techniques. He uses high-powered computers to perform the tomography, a process that requires a great deal of computer resources.

Professor Guesalaga has developed signal processing techniques, which estimate where atmospheric turbulence is located, how high and how intense. In the field of telescope optic device control, the professor says that there is still a long way to go in terms of optimization of control links that regulate the telescopes.

Professor Guesalaga, says that this analysis has resulted in a new problem. By optimizing optical measurement techniques and reducing errors, other previously unidentified error sources have appeared. However, he claims that the quality of telescope images has been substantially improving.

On academic matters, he says they have developed specialized graduate courses at the University, which address astronomical instrumentation from the visible ultraviolet spectrum to infrared, and they have even created courses for radio astronomy observatories, millimeter and sub-millimeter wave.

“We want to contribute to the knowledge of advanced technologies in Chile and reduce the gap with developed nations. We also want to increase the human capital capable of engaging in this type of technology.” he concludes.

anDrés guesalaga


Engineering

Industrial Engineer, major in Electricity, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Manchester, United Kingdom


improving sTrucTural performance

Professor Gutiérrez researches optimal structural design and specifically focuses on finding the right material distribution to ensure the optimal performance of a structure, which may also include other materials.

Examples of this abound in all areas of engineering, explains Gutiérrez. “Where to place the steel reinforcements in a reinforced concrete beam to resist more weight or reduce deformities; or how to best evacuate heat by conduction to prevent the temperature from rising too much.”

Sergio Gutiérrez applies his mathematical education to civil engineering issues. The modeling tools used to tackle these issues come from Mathematical Engineering and are based on resolving an optimization problem with constraints written as partial differential equations. These explain the interaction between the small spatial scale, where materials distribution is decided, and the full structure scale, where design efficiency is assessed. For engineering problems, computer methods should be used to solve partial differential equations. Gutiérrez usually uses the Finite Element method.

“Mathematics is a very entertaining intellectual lucubration, but my greater personal interest lies in applying math to real problems,” he reflects.

He has had concrete results. He worked in collaboration with Professor Grégoire Allaire of the Ecole

Polytechnique to develop the optimization method based on small amplitude homogenization, which has allowed the development of efficient computational algorithms to detect defects in structural components, stress concentration control and other applications. The first aspect has been verified experimentally, he notes. He explains it proudly, in part because he was a doctoral student of Luc Tartar, “the person with the greatest influence on the development of the theory of homogenization.”

Also notable is his project with other professors from Universidad Católica’s Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Hernán Santa María and rafael riddell. This project addresses the problem of choosing a good strut-tensor model to design reinforced concrete elements for unusual geometries. “Initial numerical results have been validated with laboratory experiments, obtaining excellent performance in terms of efficiency in the use of the reinforcements (greater ratio between resisted load and the steel weight used) and less cracking.”

These kinds of tools have projections, says Professor Gutiérrez. In other countries they are already being used in high-tech industries such as aviation and automotive industries, and they also have applications in biomedical equipment and are starting to be used in civil engineering.

sergiO guTiérrez



Mathematical Civil Engineer, Universidad de Chile



nanosTrucTures To manipulaTe maTTer in life sciences and energy conversion

Professor Amador Guzmán is one of the few exponents of nanotechnology in Chile. He directs one of two laboratories in the country for micro and nano fluidics. Guzmán focuses in part on life sciences, working with regions and ducts that carry biological fluids such as blood, urine, saliva, which can transport bacteria, viruses, cells, and many other particles. The professor looks for ways to detect these bacteria and/or particles or how to quantify a specific protein in a fluid through nanotechnology.

Motivated by the existing arsenic contamination in some regions of Chile due to the large amount of minerals and the increasing extraction of mining resources, the professor has developed a project to detect metal particles, for example arsenic, in biological fluids or a water sample. “right now there are many (20 or 30) classical chemical detection methods. However, none of them are quick enough. That’s what’s important about micro and nano fluidics, the creation of a small, portable, inexpensive device that tests a sample of saliva, urine, blood or water to quickly and accurately detect arsenic and determine its concentration level.”

The professor also works in energy conversion through solid state technology systems. “We also feel the effects of radiation at night, we are constantly receiving radiation, but the materials and devices available today are unable to capture and store it.” Amador Guzmán explores how to use radiation from the sun and transform it into electrical or thermal energy, through the creation of new structures in semiconductor materials and new devices that use novel phenomena and technologies. One of his objectives is to develop thermoelectric generators, thermoelectric solar generators and hybrid systems that use semiconductor capacity to generate a flow of electrons (electricity), resulting from the temperature variation between different surfaces when they receive thermal radiation from sunlight or any other source.

Some potential applications of the above technology include, for example, a building that generates electricity and meets some of its energy needs from the solar radiation it receives; or the heat emanating from an internal combustion engine when used to generate the electricity needed to warm a seat or move a device.

aMaDOr guzMÁn

ADJUNCT ASSOCIATE PrOFESSOr


Mechanical Engineer, Universidad de Santiago de Chile


Chile



asTronomical insTrumenTaTion made in chile

Our country is a global powerhouse in astronomy. Natural conditions have set the perfect conditions for the installation of major observatories such as the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Paranal and the soon to be installed European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). To date, the instruments for scientific observation in this type of telescope are mostly imported.

Dani Guzmán has proposed the development of these instruments locally. His work is mostly in the areas of adaptive optics (instruments that correct for atmospheric turbulence and thereby improve the resolution of astronomical images), detectors (sensors that take pictures of the sky) and optical instruments with specific functionalities. In adaptive optics, Professor Guzmán focuses his work on the development of technologies to implement broad field high resolution instruments that will be used in the next generation of telescopes, such as the E-ELT. This research is conducted in collaboration with scientific and academic teams from foreign universities. In the area of detectors, Professor Guzmán worked in collaboration with Universidad Católica professors Marcelo Guarini, Ángel Abusleme

and Christian Oberli to implement the Fondecyt project Application of multiple Sampling and Cryogenic Operation for noise reduction in charged-coupled devices, the objective of which is the development of a microchip for controlling scientific detectors.

In the area of optical instruments, his project, “Multi-band, wide-field, near-UV/Optical Imager”, involves the design and construction of an instrument for the SOAr telescope in Northern Chile, financed by the 2013 QUIMAL Astronomy Fund for the Development of Technology for National Astronomy (Fondo de Astronomía QUIMAL para el Desarrollo de Tecnologías para la Astronomía Nacional 2013) run by Conicyt. This instrument will take three simultaneous images of a wide field of the sky in different colors.

Professor Guzmán’s research can be found primarily in journals such as “Monthly Notices of The royal Astronomical Society”, “Optics Express” and in the “Proceedings of the SPIE International Conferences for Astronomical Instrumentation.”

Dani guzMÁnASSISTANT PrOFESSOr



Doctor of Philosophy, Durham University, United Kingdom


incorporaTing Technology inTo TransporTaTion sysTems

Motivated by the explosive growth of technology and its incorporation into transport systems, Professor Juan Carlos Herrera says that the challenge lies in finding a way to use the vast amount of data available to improve transportation. Fifteen years ago, the process of obtaining information was very different from today. “For example, a GPS device provides the speed and location necessary to infer how the system is operating.”

The professor of the Department of Transportation and Logistics Engineering analyzes how to improve the operation of transport systems. He says that technology has no ceiling. A cellphone can be used to do practically everything: communicate data, receive information, dispatch information about traffic conditions, road conditions, etc.

This information provides a user with an idea of transit conditions, allowing him or her to make a smarter, more informed decision before departing or to choose alternative travel routes. “It results in more informed decision making for my travel needs,” explains Professor Herrera.

He is currently developing a project that uses information provided by telephones to estimate traffic conditions,

estimating conditions based on data provided by users along different parts of the road network.

He uses traffic theory models to determine how to incorporate the information received into these models, based on theoretical arguments that provide accurate estimates.

His doctoral thesis specifically addresses this topic. He conducted an experiment in the United States, where he collected information from cellphones with GPS tracking, installed in 100 vehicles that then travelled along a highway. His hypothesis was to prove that this technology was a reliable source of information and can be used to monitor traffic. And he succeeded.

“The benefit of incorporating technologies into transportation systems is significant because it provides information to both the user and the entity responsible for road network operation or management,” says the professor. “Users can make better travel decisions and transportation entities can operate more efficiently, controlling their systems, which in turn benefits the population.”

Juan carlOs herrera







compuTer sysTems ThaT enhance The qualiTy of human life

With a desire to understand how people interact with technology, Professor Valeria Herskovic works with a doctoral student to build computer systems for cancer patient caregivers. She collaborates with a team from the Universidad Católica School of Medicine. Based on concern about the emotional wellbeing of these people, the School of Medicine identified the need to find a way to detect how they feel.

For Professor Valeria Herskovic, there are different ways to address this problem. She says that there is already a cellphone application that asks people how they feel. However, she wants to do something less invasive. “We are designing a product that consists of a tangible interface that doesn’t require the person to stop their work and fill out a form, rather something that is natural and easy to do,” she explains.

“We are trying to understand the life and technological needs of these caregivers in order to design an interface and mobile application.” The idea is that the application could record the emotions of caregivers and simultaneously transmit this automatically to doctors.

The project began with an automated monitoring system for cancer patients. “They were called and asked how they felt, using a standard scale used in medicine.” This was then expanded to their caregivers, who have higher rates of depression than the general public.

The first phase involves understanding the lifestyle of those caring for cancer patients, and then design and test an interface that really works for them,” says the professor of the Department of Computer Science. Her idea is to use technology to monitor the emotions of caregivers, who are usually family members who provide vital physical, practical and emotional support to people with cancer.

The primary objective of this research is to ease the burden of cancer patient caregivers. “We hope that the development of technologies enables us to better support caregivers and doctors, thereby enabling them to give better treatment to those suffering from cancer.”

Valeria herskOVic

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Computer

Science

Computer Engineer, Universidad de Chile



seismic design To prevenT bridge damage

Professor Matías Hube spent two years designing tunnels for the Santiago subway. After obtaining his doctorate degree, he specialized in the experimental analysis and design of reinforced concrete elements, nonlinear modeling using finite elements, and, most recently, seismic analysis and design of bridges.

The professor is conscious of the significant potential of this area of engineering, given the seismic nature of Chile. Frequent earthquakes provide ongoing testing for new structures and technologies, which eventually lead to improved designs.

As a researcher, Professor Hube is working on how to keep bridge design costs as low as possible while minimizing seismic vulnerabilities. The professor is developing a computer model to simulate a bridge’s behavior in the event of an earthquake. His research involves laboratory tests to characterize different bridge components, for example, elastomeric bearings, seismic bars and side stops.

Chile’s comparative advantage is that the computer model can be calibrated with real data from bridges damaged during the 2010 earthquake. Once the

computer model is calibrated, the next step is to conduct a parametric study to analyze bridges with different characteristics.

This study will result in recommendations for a more efficient seismic bridge design in Chile. It will also identify strategies to repair structures and predict potential bridge damage in a future earthquake.

Matías Hube is also working on simulating the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete buildings during the 2010 earthquake. To simulate the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete walls, he ran laboratory tests on 10 walls at a scale of 1:2. He was able to replicate the damage observed in the earthquake and explain what caused and propagated the damage in the buildings’ reinforced concrete walls. His goal is to use the results of these tests to calibrate numerical models and predict the seismic behavior of an entire building.

The professor is also participating in research to create a new solution for walls in the construction of homes.

MaTías huBeASSISTANT PrOFESSOr

Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering





maThemaTical and compuTer modeling of The hearT

Daniel Hurtado’s formal training is in mathematical modeling and numerical methods, as applied to solid and structural mechanics, yet his primary motivation is a desire to understand the behavior of complex materials on different scales of size and time. This interest brought him to the field of biomedical engineering and specifically computer biophysics and biomechanics. He began to apply mathematical modeling and computer simulation to better understand the functioning of the heart and cardiovascular diseases, which are a major cause of death in Chile.

With the emergence of supercomputers, it is now possible to study complex systems, modeling their mechanisms on a molecular and cellular level to predict the behavior of organs and systems. Professor Daniel Hurtado wants to contribute to the development of multi-scale heart behavior models that are predictive and robust, for their use in the study and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases.

One of the first steps is to understand phenomena such as the electrical behavior of the healthy heart. Daniel Hurtado and his team made an important contribution in electrophysiological heart modeling. repolarization, which is the process in which the heart

muscle returns to a restful state after a contraction, is a very heterogeneous property in heart tissue. Although this is a phenomenon studied at length by the medical community, as recently as 2012, no computational model had incorporated the dispersion of repolarization that was consistent with observations in healthy volunteers.

Until that time, most of the simulations showed a uniform potential for action, and therefore a uniform repolarization in all heart cells. The professor’s team showed that an appropriate incorporation of repolarization dispersion provided much more predictive results than traditional simulations. “Indeed, T waves with positive polarity are recovered by incorporating dispersion in repolarization on a cellular level, obtaining heart simulations that are consistent with those seen in a healthy electrocardiogram.”

While the medical field has begun to rely more and more on computers, there is still a lack of trust in computer modeling for predictions. This is precisely what Daniel Hurtado is trying to change. Computer models that predict heart function and diagnose disease or enable virtual surgeries that improve clinical outcome in patients are no longer in the distant future.

Daniel hurTaDO

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Structural and


Civil Structural Engineer, Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Science, California Institute of Technology, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, California Institute of Technology, United States


improving The qualiTy of biomedical images

According to the World Health Organization, Chile ranks ninth in the world in the indices of obesity and persons overweight. This disease is a serious problem for human health. Concerned about this situation, Professor Pablo Irarrázaval leads research on biomedical imaging, and is the founder of the Center for Biomedical Imaging at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Together with researchers from the university’s Faculty of Medicine and Biology, and the Faculty of Mathematics, Universidad de Santiago de Chile - USACH), he works to improve the available technological tools to obtain better images, specifically MrIs, for the study of obesity. Working with professionals from other areas “has been a challenging, rewarding and productive process,” states Pablo.

Professor Irarrázaval explains that magnetic fields are used to obtain better images. These are enhanced with various techniques to achieve different image properties. “One goal is to make an image faster, for example, to obtain an image of a beating heart,” he says.

One study associated with this research involved measuring liver fat more accurately. Irarrázaval explained that this procedure currently involves a biopsy, which has two problems: it is invasive and only measures one part of the liver. “We developed techniques using MrIs

to measure fat percentage and distribution throughout the liver.”

This technique was subsequently tested on 40 patients who were also biopsied. “We found that the results of the MrIs are equal or better than the results of other techniques. It is tremendously useful,” he says. The professor and his team use MrIs to evaluate fatty liver diseases known as Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).

They have also refined another technique that measures blood flows. A heart deformation produces vortices, which end up breaking the arteries. The research team managed to improve measurement techniques and have published 28 ISI articles on the subject.

The research was conducted in conjunction with the Center for Biomedical Imaging, set up by the Department of Electrical Engineering and radiology at Universidad Católica, which develops new technologies to improve image acquisition, reconstruction and analysis to help develop health sciences. Today the center is able to employ state-of-the-art equipment.

“We don’t expect to solve the problem of obesity in Chile and the world, but we do hope to make a contribution by improving the technological tools that help health specialists make better decisions.”

PaBlO irarrÁzaVal


Engineering





behavioral sTudy of smoke and The prevenTion of associaTed risks

Professor Wolfram Janh’s graduate work in Edinburgh focused on the characteristics of fire in buildings, offices and compartments using temperature readings, smoke characteristics and parameters that influence the spread of fire. In Chile, he adapted this study and the mathematical modeling of fluids and heat transfer to the reality of the country, including the extension and modification of the model to forest fires.

“My research is focused on how to model a physical system on a computer. For example, I have used thermo-couplings, which are cables with heat-resistant tips that generate a voltage when exposed to high temperature; when placed on roofs, they allow smoke to be characterized so that experts can infer what fuel source is driving the fire,” explains the academic with respect to the “Fire Grid” project.

The reading of data such as temperature, density, and pressure provides an inverse structure, given that the objects consumed by the flames in a given space can be identified based on smoke characteristics. The ultimate aim of such a prediction of a fire’s characteristics is to help firefighters or personnel entering an affected structure take the necessary decisions. “We want firefighters to consult this integrated system, this software, before they act,” he states.

Jahn notes that an important part of his research was influenced by the study he participated in while in the UK

regarding the attack on the Twin Towers in New York on 11 September 2001. “It used a model that demonstrated that a collapse mechanism could effectively bring down a tower based on the thermal load produced by an exploding plane,” confirms the professor, adding that: “The towers were designed to resist the impact of a plane, but the fire caused by such an impact was not taken into account, and it was this that caused the towers to collapse. If firefighters had known that information they would not have entered the towers, and many lives would have been saved.”

The professor seeks to change the way buildings are constructed, promoting intelligent buildings that contribute to sustainability. “Interventions using thermo-couplings can also be made to older buildings, not just new ones. Installation is minimal and so is the cost,” he explains. “The idea is that fires are interconnected on a computer network, and thus data can be shared and resources distributed, otherwise each building would need an independent calculation server,” states the academic.

With regard to its application in forest fires, Professor Jahn explains, “It would be ideal to handle these more efficiently. You can apply the same methodology - you just need to use other models and data. It is an interesting subject for Chile, and has a high impact.”

WOlFraM JahnASSISTANT PrOFESSOr


Mechanical Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile


Doctor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom


mine exploraTion, creaTing value for The indusTry

“Exploration lays the foundations of the entire mining industry. Without exploration there is no mining,” said Professor José Joaquín Jara in reference to one of his main areas of interest, and also the focus of his masters’ thesis. “My thesis researched the state of mine exploration in Chile over the past 15 years and identified its challenges,” he explains.

“Mine exploration creates value and is fundamentally knowledge-based,” he says.

Before joining the School of Engineering at Universidad Católica, the scholar worked for BHP Billiton in the Studies Department of Minera Escondida Ltda; the Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco) where he served in the area of public policy and mining markets; and at Antofagasta Minerals in planning and development, eventually as Superintendent of Planning and Development for Minera El Tesoro.

He says that he has always loved teaching and research. “In mining, which is mostly applied engineering, it is good to have industry experience, because it connects you to real problems in the field,” says the professor.

Professor Jara says that his current focus is on completing his Ph.D. in Economic Geology and Mine Exploration. His thesis idea is based on the metallogenesis of IOCG (Iron Oxide Copper-Gold) deposits in Northern Chile. “These sites are not frequently studied on a global level, so there is a lot to research. They also have a high potential for Chile.” He adds that Chile has one of the areas with greatest potential for such deposits.

“The beauty of exploration and economic geology is that it has a very significant scientific component,” says Jara.

His goal is to work with the Geosciences group of the Department of Structural Engineering and Geotechnics. He has also developed a second line of research around Ore Economics, where he works with professors Gustavo Lagos and John Tilton from the Department of Mining Engineering, School of Engineering.

His aim is to develop the department’s exploration and evaluation of mining resources area.

JOsé JOaquín Jara

ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PrOFESSOr





simulaTions ThaT benefiT chile’s developmenT in various areas

Thanks to public funds, and in partnership with Universidad Católica’s Department of Anesthesiology, and engineering undergraduate and master’s students, Professor Jerez seeks to improve the instruments in use today through modeling and simulation. “This means bringing together two aspects of engineering, modeling and optimization, to perform low-cost virtual prototyping with a minimum development time, which is increasingly important in many industries,” says Jerez. The underlying electrophysiological, physical and biological building blocks are used to establish models that can describe the phenomena being studied with a high level of realism. He anticipates that they will begin pre-clinical trials on animals in order to prove the related concepts, and then move on to more sophisticated prototypes for eventual release onto the market.

In astronomy, Professor Jerez works with a team from CAIUC to improve the resolution of telescopes that analyze the effects of Big Bang microwaves, through the design and reduction of noise from ambient temperature. The project is funded by NASA, Japan and Chile and hopes to improve imaging from these instruments. “The funny thing is that we are using some of the same methods applied in the health field,” he states.

“We have the ability to make increasingly more realistic designs and models,” says professor Jerez. “Chile is known for its high level of mathematics, but we should be able to develop applications that contribute to the development of our country.”

carlOs Jerez ASSISTANT PrOFESSOr




Master of Science, Ecole Polytechnique, France

Doctor of Philosophy, Ecole Polytechnique, France

Specialists in anesthesiology need to reduce the time and error rate in nerve identification. With a desire to contribute to the field, Professor Carlos Jerez currently works to better understand and optimize the instruments used by doctors. He also collaborates on a research project related to the origin of the universe, in conjunction with the Center for Astro-Engineering UC (CAIUC).

The applications of his research cross many fields, including telecommunications and aircraft radar, but they all share a common denominator: mathematical modeling and computer simulation. Jerez carries out rigorous mathematical analysis of the proposed models and then develops the appropriate algorithms. He performs numerical implementations in supercomputers or in large computing clusters.

The academic of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Mathematics Engineering Program currently uses these tools to address the issue of neural location identified by anesthesiologists. He gives the following scenario: “Imagine that you just had knee replacement surgery. You will experience intense pain for several days, which is controlled by identifying and anesthetizing the neural structure involved. To locate it, a needle injects an electrical current. At a given amount of current, the neural excitation generated is inversely proportional to the distance between the nerve and the needle, which allows the physician to infer proximity. However, this technique can be very time consuming and on average one in five patients must undergo another analgesic procedure.


poor air qualiTy inside homes?

Next winter, Professor Jorquera and his team will travel south to measure fine particle matter (PM2.5) in the air inside people’s dwellings. Measurements in low-income sectors in Santiago showed that poorer people tend to wrap up rather than heat their homes. This is more possible in the Central region, where the cold is less intense than in the South.

How bad is air pollution inside homes? What is the relationship between outdoor and indoor pollution? What measures would be most effective to reduce human exposure to contamination? This is professor Jorquera’s field of research.

People spend between 70 and 90% of their time in indoor environments. According to the measurements taken during spring and summer in Santiago, about 50% of indoor pollution comes from domestic sources.

Specifically, cooking generates pollution. And this intensifies in low-income homes, which are smaller, with a single space for living, sleeping and cooking, and poor ventilation. Particulate matter from cooking continues to circulate and mostly affects those who stay longer in the dwelling: housewives, maids, infants and the elderly.

Professor Jorquera and his team hope that the data they gather will justify a policy change in the quality of housing. Subsidies for home improvements should

also consider the ventilation factor in the kitchen and for appliances like water heaters.

He observes the culture of frying food. It is doubly dangerous, increasing the amount of pollutants, which are suspected to be more carcinogenic than outdoor emissions such as motor vehicle exhaust fumes.

Something needs to be done to raise awareness of the consequences of frying in a poorly ventilated home.

Professor Jorquera envisages a joint opportunity for the design and engineering of extractor fans, cooker hoods and filters, which often do not function or are neglected. Such measures are quick to implement.

Professor Jorquera represents the School of Engineering in the Fondap project, which is run by the Center for Sustainable Development, and in which he envisages opportunities to generate better public policies on housing.

During winter 2014, professor Jorquera’s team will gather data on pollution from heating systems. But he is also drawn to another issue: the relationship between external and internal contamination, such as in hospitals. If they are in high traffic zones, how protected are patients in delicate conditions? Perhaps, he says, the biggest pollutants should be restricted, such as diesel vehicles, to prevent adverse effects on the most vulnerable patients.

hécTOr JOrquera

PrOFESSOrDepartment of Chemical


Chemical Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Master in Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota,

United States


The role of mining in chile’s developmenT

“Mining has been the most important vehicle for development in Chile,” says Professor Gustavo Lagos, a specialist in ore economics and the environment. He studies the ore commodities markets, its supply and demand, pricing and all economic aspects related to the strategic direction of the mining business.

Throughout his career, he has conducted research in materials science, particularly in lithium ionic conductor materials. In recent years he has also studied copper pipe corrosion and human exposure to copper in drinking water. Through his research he has been able to modify international standards.

He has also held several positions related to the mining industry. He was executive director of the Center for Mining and Copper Studies (Centro de Estudios del Cobre y la Minería) and the research Center for Mining and Metallurgy (Centro de Investigación Minero Metalúrgico-CIMM). “I’ve always had a political calling. I am interested in the development of my country,” he says.

From 2001 until 2009 he served as director of the Center of Mining at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, also known as the Department of Mining Engineering. He says that this institution “has become a public reference in all aspects relating to the copper industry.” This leadership is reflected in their continued presence in national and international media.

Professor Lagos has worked with a team of engineers, economists and sociologists to develop a database on

the history of mining since the year 1800. “This is a very important methodological tool because almost everything that happens today has already happened in the past.” He also uses econometric models and theoretical tools from economics and social sciences to further this field.

For eight years he and his team have been conducting an annual survey called “The Mine Barometer.” It is representative of the national population and reveals the perception that Chileans have on all aspects of mining, identifying the most and least valued areas of this industry. “This tool provides us with a Chilean diagnosis on mining”, he says, which is the most respected industry in Chile.

Professor Lagos has published over 150 scientific and technical articles, 15 books and over thirty book chapters. Over the past two decades he has been a consultant to the industry and to the Chilean and foreign governments on economic, strategic and environmental issues related to mining.

“The impact of the mining industry has been enormous. It is what has driven Chile towards becoming a developed nation over the past 10 years.”

gusTaVO lagOsPrOFESSOr


Mining Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Master of Science, Universidad de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Leeds, United Kingdom


design of express services in urban public TransporT

The quality of public transport is vital to the development of a city and a country; however there are several challenges associated with improving operations. Professor Homero Larraín addresses these in his doctoral thesis, which proposes a way to design express bus services for an urban public transport network, with the objective of reducing people’s travel time.

“Express services can be defined as services that cater to a subset of the stops along a specific travel route. The development of these is an operational strategy that can be beneficial to both operators and users,” says Professor Larraín.

His research began by posing the following issue: How do you design express services for a city? This question involved mapping out bus routes and determining which stops the buses should service. Currently a professor in the Department of Transport Engineering and Logistics, he originally focused on the case of an isolated route and subsequently built a heuristic model that designs express services for a network, breaking it down into individual routes.

The professor worked with a mathematical programming model to apply different algorithms to build routes for services. This resulted in a design methodology

that generates a set of services and provides their operating frequencies, taking into account maximum capacity restrictions on buses, as well as the existence of common lines and the possibility of transfers, which help passengers reduce their expected travel times.

He points out that one of the main benefits of express services is a reduction of travel times. “This is paramount in determining whether or not they work.” While determining the ideal frequencies to minimize system costs, he also discovered that operator expenses are equal to the ideal waiting costs of passengers. “This came as a surprise to me that this mathematical property would appear,” confesses Larraín.

The results of this research show that a reduction in the number of stops benefits passengers by reducing their travel times, but also benefits operators who are able to increase their fleet efficiency by reducing their cycle times.

“We want to build a computer tool that uses input data to build a public transport network with express services,” says Professor Larraín. He hopes to apply this methodology in Chile and other global public transport systems.

hOMerO larraín







uncerTainTy reveals iTs face

Most people do not feel comfortable acknowledging risk. Professor Ledezma believes that the perception of society on engineering should include this awareness.

This is exacerbated in soil mechanics, where the risk is not as easily quantifiable as in other areas, such as structural engineering.

Facility and structure foundations are in soil, which holds probabilities, for example, of liquefaction as the result of an earthquake. The soil is a given foundation and is not always fully comprehended or controllable.

Ledezma researches the relationship between soil undermining and deformations in the structures of bridges or docks. During an earthquake, “large amounts of structure and backfill that are supported on liquefied soils may begin to shift, applying very high loads and eventually affecting a bridge.” The piling and the structure will try to resist, “but it is a phenomenon that we still know little about, it is difficult to quantify.”

Ultimately, he wants to identify quantif iable recommendations and provide better design tools.

He also forms part of a team that develops seismic hazard maps to anticipate areas where the soil might magnify the movement. This research, led by Professor Gonzalo Yáñez, is currently concentrated on the section between Arica and Taltal.

Professor Ledezma works with a group of Hydraulic Engineering teachers from the National research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales) to study rainfall-induced landslides, especially in the Quebrada San ramón, a mountain gully on the eastern side of Santiago. These are much more recurrent phenomena and tend to appear every two years.

“My interest is to help minimize the impacts; it is not just an issue of human lives, which are certainly very important, nor just an economic cost, but also the country’s operating costs, insofar as hospitals, bridges and communication lines are concerned,” he explains.

He combines design with uncertainty. The design of bridges, for instance, should consider performance requirements. A bridge that needs to be operational the day after an earthquake requires higher standards than one that can wait for a month.

“Given the characterization of an earthquake, with all of its uncertainty, and given the model, which also has uncertainties, as well as a particular level of prediction of damages and costs, the ideal scenario would integrate all relevant aspects in a given location and provide a certain degree of foresight.”

There is no such thing as a risk-free construction.

chrisTian leDezMa

ASSISTANT PrOFESSOrDepartment of Structural and




Chile




measuremenT rules and models

At the beginning of his book, “Evaluating the Measurement of Uncertainty,” Professor Ignacio Lira attributes the failure of the 1999 NASA Mars Climate Orbiter mission to confusion over measurement units.

Measurement is the building block of knowledge. From the start of his career, Professor Lira has been concerned about measurement accuracy, errors and their tolerance levels.

“The result of any measurement is generally an estimated point of the measured quantity,” he writes.

“When I taught classes, I had this concern, but I didn’t know anything. Then I came across the Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement, published in 1993 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which motivated me to get involved in this field,” he says.

His work, compiled in his book, has a global impact. The two supplements to the ISO Guide, published in 2008 and 2011, cite text from Professor Lira’s book, published in 2002.

The ISO Guide clarified his doubts. He studied it, detected flaws in the document and spoke to some of the collaborators. He continued to develop his work, building models to determine uncertainty, and was then published in Metrology, the most prestigious journal in the field.

Today, the same level of precision is required as much in the cylinder industry for automobile engines as in

watch manufacturing, states his book. And then there’s nanotechnology, which is increasingly the focus of new developments.

He is aware that most engineers accept measurements from duly calibrated instruments. However, for Lira it is the essence of the academic spirit to question.

“I realized that there are inconsistencies in the Guide, inconsistencies also shared by other researchers involved in the field.”

He provides the example of a circular surface measurement. The formula is the diameter squared, multiplied by pi and divided by 4: a mathematical model.

The uncertainty lies in the measurement of the diameter, which depends on many factors. And that uncertainty, quantified, extends throughout the mathematical model to the uncertainty of the surface. This is where statistics intervene.

The result, after a series of individual measurements with uncertainty, comes from how this uncertainty is transferred onto indirect measurements. These are mathematical models that build an end value, with a given uncertainty.

He distinguishes between different metrologies: scientific, industrial, legal. But his is a scientific metrology: the assessment of uncertainty in measuring.

ignaciO lira PrOFESSOr



Master of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United

States

Master of Science, University of Michigan, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Michigan, United States


beyond sTrucTural damage

Professor Diego López-García is not Chilean, but 9 years after his arrival in Chile, not only has he learned to live in a region of frequent earthquakes, he has also made it his research subject, which focuses on reducing the seismic vulnerability of structures, particularly of multistorey buildings.

“There is almost global consensus that the next step to reduce earthquake-related economic losses is to incorporate nonstructural components into the process of integral seismic building design,” he says. López-García dedicates part of his time to this subject.

recent seismic movements, including the 2010 earthquake in Chile, reveal that although a structure may not suffer significant structural damage, there is still significant damage to nonstructural components. Nonstructural components are those elements of a building that do not transfer loads but provide functionality to the structure, such as partitions, air conditioning and lighting systems, mechanical and electrical equipment, among others.

The professor is motivated by the study of the seismic performance of nonstructural components, which is based on the differences between the seismic accelerations at the base of a tall building and the seismic accelerations on different floors. “A building as a whole is subject to the seismic acceleration at the base. However, in a 30-storey building, a non-structural component located on the 20th floor is not subject to

the acceleration at the base of the building, but rather to the acceleration on the 20th floor, which of course is usually very different.”

Part of the professor’s research was incorporated into the new Chilean standard for seismic design of nonstructural components, something he’s excited about, as well as his work for his double PhD (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile - University of Notre Dame, USA) on the behavior of buildings equipped with seismic response reduction systems.

The research involves developing a new kind of built-in liquid shock absorber. The innovation is the incorporation of a floating roof, which imposes a kinematic constraint, giving the device only one degree of freedom, which can be modeled relatively accurately. In addition, the floating roof incorporates passive, semi-active or active energy dissipating devices. The new shock absorber is much more efficient than a traditional liquid shock-absorber without the floating roof, which provides only very modest reductions in the seismic response.

The intersection of these two lines of research, he says, is a reduction in the seismic vulnerability of tall buildings. Seismic vulnerability is understood as any economic loss due to the effects of earthquakes. “A building’s loss of function can be equally or more expensive than structural damages.”

DiegO lóPez-garcía




Master of Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New

York, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University at Buffalo, State University of New

York, United States


Rising fRom the ashes

Mauricio López speaks about the surprises that arise from research. “The things that you can only imagine actually start to occur. There is so much joy in watching students get involved, because they are three times as surprised. It’s a joy to witness the astonishment they experience,” he says.

Many think that experimentation consists of deciding, measuring and drawing conclusions, but ultimately three-quarters of experimentation is actually deciding as you go. “In the experimental path, you discover things along the way that make you question your initial hypotheses and adapt your experiments.”

His focus is on concrete. “It’s a fascinating material. It starts out as a liquid that cannot sustain itself and a few hours later it transforms into a solid that can resist up to 20 storeys,” he says.

His research always includes a space to go one step further, to the whys. He is not satisfied with the purely experimental that provides new information for concrete management, without delving into the causes.

Mauricio López speaks of “a fundamental comprehension of what is happening.” He is quick to clarify that he is “a far reach” from the basic scientists, who pursue what is applicable. He always strays off the beaten path, moving away from the industry to seek more global answers.

His focus for the last few years has been on more sustainable materials. On the one hand he has tried to explain phenomena such as concrete deterioration to achieve longer duration and on the other hand, he creates materials.

He has mauve-colored samples on his desk. They are part of his favorite project: “flying ash.” He has been collecting and characterizing ash from different thermal power plants, and has managed to use it to replace up to 80% of the cement used in concrete. It still needs perfecting, because a sustainable product is not enough: it needs to be equal to the material it is replacing.

His research involves analyzing the aggregates required in the mixture. He also uses ash to manufacture stones in the ideal size and shape; some contain layers with different properties. This opens up a whole new world in construction.

Professor Lopez reduces the use of cement, reuses a waste product, prevents the extraction of rocks from rivers or quarries, and avoids the energy expense of grinding them.

He works towards offering these products at a competitive level. Because there is no point of a building being “greener” if the quality of materials used reduces the expected number of floors or life expectancy of the structure.

Mauricio lópez

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Construction




Chile


United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Georgia Institute of Technology,

United States


When tempeRatuRe Rises

As an agronomist, Alejandro Mac Cawley is quick to show his fascination with wine, specifically how logistics impact product quality or how to improve the sequencing of bottling lines. He focuses his efforts on studying these processes and proposing novel solutions for the wine industry.

He presides over a group of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Wine Supply Chain Council, who used thermographs placed in each bottle to measure wine temperature along their travel route from chile, Australia, south Africa and Argentina to the United states.

The research determined that the wines were not transported at appropriate temperatures. The presence of containers exposed to temperatures between 30° and 40° celsius “was something that everyone assumed, but there was no corroborating empirical information.” This is not such a positive result for the wine industry, but it set the stage for collaboration between the professor, his research team and wine suppliers.

The next step was to develop the “Wine simulator”, a device capable of replicating wine temperatures during distribution and transportation. “How do these logistics impact the product characteristics? Is the person responsible for buying the wine - the importer, the distributor, the sommelier – able to detect the differences in quality that occur with wine handling?”

To respond to these questions, Mac cawley uses what he calls “real time simulation, resulting in decisions on investment and how to structure the wine distribution chains. It is a multidisciplinary field involving designers, physicists, chemists.” Mac cawley developed the design himself because “we couldn’t find anything like it in the market.”

Another key area for wineries is the sequencing of bottling lines. Alejandro’s research identifies mathematical engineering as the solution to this problem, which is basically how to sequence or place the wine to meet demand and maximize the use of bottling lines. This is an interesting issue because bottling a Late Harvest after a Chardonnay or Carmenere requires cleanup and setup times on the bottling lines, which directly affects efficiency. Is there a better way to organize the wines to reduce the switchover times between wine types? What are the cleaning restrictions for bottling lines? Mac cawley customizes his model to the needs and characteristics of each company and has improved schedules that result in economic savings of 10% to 20%.

The professor anticipates the inclusion of temperature gauges, cork displacement sensors, and the implementation of new logistics and research tools in the field of biological systems and food chains.

alejandro Mac cawleyAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering




United States


expeRtise in “unsolved pRoblems”

“To solve problems you first have to understand them” is the premise of Professor nicolás Majluf. “When you finally manage to understand the problem, you are 80% there to finding a solution,” he says. Based on the range of issues that he has had to explore during his career, it is clear that he is someone who sees the forest through the trees.

His work reflects the most formal, operational research and mathematical models, to the more subtle behavioral sciences. After earning his master’s degree in operational research from stanford, he returned to chile to pursue management issues from a quantitative perspective, using mathematical models to address problems. His subsequent doctorate degree in management from MIT, where he explored finance and strategy issues, provided him with a perspective in economics, behavioral sciences and even computing. “Management is not an issue, it is a variety of issues,” he maintains.

A champion of soft management, he also pursues a “management approach that focuses on the person and his or her relationships.” It is what he calls “subtle management.” He applies this in a private sphere and teaches it in the classroom.

His experience as a director and consultant for major companies nationwide and his academic career, enhance his profile, diverse by definition. corporate governance, a term used to refer to the management of a company, its board or administration, is another of his areas of exploration. He admits he has had to learn by doing,

outside of a classroom setting. “I sometimes feel that this company governance experience is equivalent to laboratory experience in another area of engineering. It is very relevant; although I was lucky enough to study theoretical finance with some nobel laureate professors, such as Professor robert Merton and Professor franco Modigliani, when you step into a company, you have to understand the institutional system where financial theory is applied. You have to know the laws and how banks, financial firms, pension funds and mutual funds operate.”

“I am looking for a comprehensive view of a company and I think that is the biggest contribution I can make.” finance, strategy and soft management have all given him a certain ability to look at issues, understand them and structure them in a particular way. “rather than limit myself to purely mathematically modeling, I attempt to structure problems in much broader terms, including technical, economic and environmental dimensions, for example, in addition to human, political, cultural and social considerations.”

This is what he tells the students in his Organization and Behavior course. engineering is not limited to problem solving. The most relevant issue is problem finding, identifying what we are talking about. “This is where the engineer’s contribution is decisive and true progress is made.”

nicolás Majluf

PrOfessOr eMerITUsDepartment Industrial and

Systems Engineering

Industrial Civil Engineer, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile


States



the challenge of being Well placed

Where to locate prisons, landfills and power plants in order to reduce the negative external effects on the population? This is one of the issues Vladimir Marianov pursues. He is an expert in optimal location of resources and facilities. His work for several government agencies in chile and abroad has earned him a national and international reputation.

His goal is to support the authorities in finding efficient and equitable solutions regarding locations for all involved, which not only saves resources, but also provides better services to the population as a whole.

One of his first projects in the public sector was planning the construction of new prisons in chile. He joined a team of professors from different fields of Universidad católica’s school of engineering. His first step was to project the prison population, which he said was a significant challenge because of the changes brought about by the criminal Justice reform program. The study provided recommendations on the location of new prisons, proposed an agenda for their construction and suggested infrastructure changes to existing prisons to properly absorb the increased demand.

He also developed projects for the Department of education to assess the location of rural schools. Through optimization models, he gave recommendations on which schools to close, which to relocate and where to open new ones. The professor also played a key role in assessments following the 2010 earthquake in chile, which involved the development of a mathematical tool to advise the government on where to assign resources for rebuilding schools.

He has specialized in optimal location of infrastructure that may be affected by congestion, for example, the queues in a hospital or healthcare center, and location in competitive environments, where an assessment must be made of the best place to install an infrastructure.

Professor Marianov currently works with a professor from Universidad de chile, studying a design for the Police Quadrant Plan (Plan Cuadrante de Carabineros de Chile), so that the national police force can provide optimal coverage for all patrol areas.

VladiMir MarianoV

PrOfessOrDepartment of Electrical

Engineering


Master of Science in Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, United

States

Doctor of Philosophy, Johns Hopkins University, United States


optimizing pRocesses in the timbeR industRy

The application of quantitative methods to problems that require decision making, specifically in the timber industry, is one of the areas of research pursued by sergio Maturana.

One of the major studies directed by Maturana emerges from the issue of wood product homogenization. “To convert a log of wood into a plank, it has to be cut into rectangles. Often the standard sizes do not match the cylinder,” he explains. “How do I balance out the logs that arrive from the forest, which have different diameters and grades? It is not an easy task. even with a great deal of planning, there is a considerable amount of uncertainty involved as there is no way to predict the quality and size of the material you’ll be receiving.”

“The solution is to try to take this uncertainty into account in the plan and somehow obtain the right type of products, while maintaining backorders to a minimum to keep costs down,” he explains.

The solution developed by Maturana was a computer model to help the people in charge of planning in sawmills to meet their objectives, in consideration of the raw material. “We use a technique called robust optimization, which tries to find the optimal solution while taking the uncertainties into account,” he explains.

He conducted this research in conjunction with cMPc and the next step is to implement it in a plant of the company.

“Our objective is to turn as much of the piece of wood as possible into a useable product for cMPc, which can lead to a reduction in the amount of pieces of wood they use or logs they cut,” he explains.

The solution achieved an additional 5% utilization of timber volume. “The potential for long-term savings is significant,” asserts the scholar.

Maturana has also worked in conjunction with Georgia Tech and other countries for the past seven years in the wine supply chain.

“International collaboration is required for each country to follow up on the supply chain, which is global and involves export to different countries. specifically, the United states can follow the chain from the moment it arrives in distribution centers until it reaches the various consumers,” explains Maturana.

“We have discovered the travel time, the routes, and the temperatures undergone by the wines, which has led to the question of what is the real effect this has on the quality of the wine,” he concludes.

sergio Maturana

PrOfessOr Department of Industrial and

Systems Engineering


Master of Science, University of California, Los Angeles,

United States


United States


the identity behind the face

Image analysis is Professor Mery’s specialty. In his classes he sometimes registers attendance asking students to be photographed with an iPad and then a system clicks off “present” on a spreadsheet, one face at a time.

His two lines of research are automatic object inspection using X-rays and biometrics, the kind used in his automatic face recognition application, which have enormous implications. His current sabbatical at notre Dame University allows him to hone his work on this subject.

In the field of automatic X-ray inspection, for example, with luggage in airports, Professor Mery and his team have become an international point of reference. “There are very few people doing this kind of work,” he says.

He has taken a leap forward in the process. He has no desire to replace human inspectors, but he does think that a robot is capable of identifying detrimental objects.

He has already successfully tested this, developing algorithms to recognize salmon bones that may have remained in the fillet after processing. He has also worked on the revision of welds in gas and oil pipelines. His goal is to produce image analysis software that signals a red flag.

As for luggage inspection, he has observed inspectors and their bored expression. The work is tedious and error-inducing, and they need help. The professor is currently working on a system to identify knives with a

robotic manipulator that takes multiple images, which are then fed into an algorithm to locate the object viewed from different positions.

He also searches for triggers in order to find firearms. “I’ve worked on this for about 15 years and we have made a lot of progress,” he says.

In biometrics, professor Mery is not concerned with recognizing faces in passport type photos, perfect frontal images, which already have solutions that are 100% effective. He wants to identify faces “in the wild”, in spontaneous, poorly defined pictures, with different expressions. This is highly complex, especially if the origin of an image had been taken from blurry video stock.

clearly both lines of work aim at improving safety levels in public life. But there are many people waiting in line to see the effectiveness of this technology, from people wanting to monitor personnel/student attendance, control access or search large image databases. “The impact is very high, secure systems that help our society, it’s quite exciting,” he says.

At notre Dame University, in addition to working with two renowned researchers in the field, he will also have access to a huge database of images, which he hopes will help improve his logarithms to answer the questions, “What is it?” and “who is it?”

doMingo Mery

PrOfessOrDepartment of Computer

Science

Electronics Engineer, Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Peru

Master of Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany

Doctor of Philosophy, Technischen Universität Berlin, Germany


innovation With significance

Like all research, that of constanza Miranda is to conceptualize, make distinctions, to generate a theoretical framework for practical application, all with one crucial variable: people.

In her line of work, the concept “Design Anthropology” has just recently been coined, which is not quite the same as “anthropological design” or as the “anthropology of design”, roughly translated into spanish as “diseño antropología”, which is being used interchangeably with the original term.

“It is very difficult to speak of a whole, because I am involved in too many areas,” she says. “When you are innovating, you lack the lexicon to refer to things, lack the clarity to articulate, I can articulate it in bits and pieces, but I have a hard time summing up the whole.”

Her doctoral thesis at stanford, Multidisciplinary Teams of engineering for Innovation, aimed to design “boundary objects”, bridges, shared meanings that foster teamwork and project innovation on a multidisciplinary stage.

Visual references, such as maps, diagrams, presentations, synthesize information. Her thesis presents eight “boundary objects”, tools that can build coursework or be taught in a company to generate an organic structure where learning thrives and builds on its participants.

Miranda has developed visual methods to collect qualitative data. she has described the components to teams of engineers who are designing. not satisfied, she has only just begun: “the only place where we could do this was in a university with young people who have

such a developed intellectual capacity. In the end, I work a lot on specific applied research because I undertake my experiments in “living labs” for Design Anthropology.

Design is a way to make and apply things. “We’re not talking here about industrial graphics, but rather of systems, processes, services, logistics... everything, the big picture, but with a human component,” she says.

Design Anthropology (DAnthro) can be applied to a multitude of questions. The process starts with a confrontation and research stage, which contextualizes the response articulation to the scenario at hand.

The rigor in the description of human interaction narrows down the field of phenomena and results in better developments for these same. “You have to teach better boundary objects, better ways to communicate across different disciplines. students are already interacting with other disciplines; we are the ones who need to catch up.”

she quotes Professor Dori Tunstall, from the University of swinburne, Australia:

What are your values?

What do you believe? In the land of misfit toys seeking something to achieve? Yet, it’s not fame or money You won’t be that deceived. You need that deeper meaning from DAnthro to receive.

constanza Miranda

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Mechanical and


Designer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy in Design-Anthropology, multidisciplinary innovation, North Carolina State



viRtual constRuctions that pRevent eRRoRs in the field

Professor Claudio Mourgues specializes in information technologies for the construction industry, particularly in virtual design and construction, using virtual models to support the design, construction and operation of infrastructure, mainly Building Information Modeling (BIM), 4D (3D + time), and geographic information systems (GIs). He also works with process models and organizational models related to the construction industry. These models are the basic support for analyses and optimizations at different project stages, such as thermal energy analysis, cost estimates, schedules, constructability, etc.

The application of technologies associated with these virtual models is one of the professor’s main lines of work. An example is the definition of a GIs system to perform spatial analysis to support the prioritization of road maintenance projects as part of an urban pavement management system, a project that involves several professors from the Department of construction engineering and Management, Universidad católica. Another example of research along this line is the field of

parametric modeling. Professor Mourgues studies the use of parametric design to optimize development projects and semi-automate the Target-Value-Design process.

He also conducts research in the implementation of technology, notably the development of a method to plan the implementation of BIM within a company, and the formalization of BIM interaction diagrams between the various project stakeholders (architect, builder, client, inspector, etc.) and the assessment of impact on project outcomes.

Most of the research conducted by the professor is based on its application in companies, mainly the softer issues of implementation. claudio Mourgues highlights this, but warns that it brings advantages and disadvantages. Projects are more dependent on the availability of the company, but also have greater impact because soft implementations have the greatest potential to generate change in the short- and medium-term in the industry.

claudio Mourgues

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Construction






hydRogeological models and theiR application to enviRonmental pRoblems

The use of hydrogeological models to simulate groundwater behavior in several chilean basins has been one of the main research areas pursued by José francisco Muñoz. He maintains that this type of tool can be used to determine the amount of groundwater available for sustainable use in terms of both quantity and quality, while also assessing the potential impacts of such an extraction.

These models can also help resolve conflicts between multiple users disputing a scarce resource, or evaluate environmental impacts of groundwater extraction projects in environmentally sensitive areas. “These modeling tools have given me the great satisfaction of having achieved conflict resolution of great importance for the country’s development,” says Muñoz.

Professor Muñoz’ area of expertise is water resources, specifically the fields of hydrology, hydrogeology, modeling and flow simulation and solute transport in saturated and unsaturated porous environments. As a professor in the Department of Hyraulic and

environmental engineering, he has taught courses on Groundwater, Groundwater contamination, Applied Hydrogeology, Applied fluids Mechanics and Hydraulics.

During his nearly 40-year career, which has included several terms as head of the Department of Hydraulic and environmental engineering and Manager of the Hydraulics and environmental Division at DIcTUc, he has developed hydrological and hydrogeological studies for water supply for sanitation companies, mining companies and public agencies related to the assessment and behavior of groundwater resources. He has been a strategic advisor to several companies on issues related to the assessment and management of water resources.

He has used modeling of flow and solute transport in aquifers to research issues such as copper extraction from tailings dams, aquifer contamination from herbicides and assessment of evaporation from arid basins.

josé francisco

MuñozPrOfessOr


Civil Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile,

Ingénieur de Spécialisation en Hydraulique, INPG, Grenoble,

France

Diplôme d’Études Approfondies, Université de Grenoble, France

Docteur Ingénieur, Université de Grenoble - INPG, Grenoble, France


in the stReet

“At first”, says Professor Muñoz, “I thought freight logistics was my thing.” Today his focus is on public transport.

Two milestones altered his course. first, he was captivated by how public transport affects the quality of life of urban dwellers and how it influences their development. Then he obtained his doctorate on the optimization of drivers’ shifts. He looked at the issue of public transportation from all sides: the user, the service provider and the urban impact.

After completing his doctorate, he returned to chile and joined the team that designed Transantiago, santiago’s public transportation system. since then, his focus has been 100% public transport.

“It’s a big problem, with macro- and microscopic aspects. for me, the design of Transantiago was a very entertaining experience... and when the implementation and operation went so badly, I was able to fully comprehend the complexity of the issue,” he says. “It was a tough, sophisticated problem. The original attempt missed the mark but made it clear that there was a lot to think about.”

And think about it he does, along with his doctorate students. He is proud of several collaborative projects: his work with felipe Delgado to regulate bus circulation and prevent bus clustering; his work with Homero Larraín on an express services design, which was extended to the Metro (subway) with its red and green

express lines; and his ongoing work with sebastian raveau studying how people choose routes, a project that has already had an impact with the redesign of the Metro map.

He directs the Department of Transportation engineering, which has been very successful at attracting students, who find tools for their professional career in transportation and logistics, and also in industrial engineering. Professor Muñoz has joined forces with Professor Juan carlos ferrer from the Department of Industrial engineering, and is applying his doctoral experience in shift optimization to create shift, a company that provides shift optimization services for retail and transport.

The professor says that most students end up working in transport and logistics: “chile has some global leaders in the field.” He mentions Lan, sudamericana de Vapores, Metro, Transantiago.

“The beauty of public transport is that the lab is there. There is a lot to see, a lot of opportunities to intervene. It is complicated and requires the coordination of many players, but the potential for improvements is too great to sit back and keep quiet.”

He is moved by this, it is a big issue. And those who study it “must be able to move beyond the models and put themselves in the users’ place. This process is about predicting what the user will do, not what you want him or her to do.”

juan carlos Muñoz

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Transport




Chile




a public channel of infoRmation foR situations involving natuRal disasteRs

“The first time I saw Twitter, I never imagined it could become so important,” confesses Professor Jaime navón, who is now a huge fan of this social network. A specialist in Web Technologies, he currently participates as associate researcher at the national center of research for Integrated Management of natural Disasters (Centro de Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales- cIGIDen). He is researching the possibility of creating a Twitter-based information channel on natural disasters.

“Twitter has an amazing dissemination rate,” navón explains. Millions of tweets are generated per minute worldwide, which makes this an important communication tool.

How can we capture the enormous flow of information and then filter it? How can we develop an application that is useful to people? These questions are part of the technical challenges he pursues as part of this research. Professor navón works with a master’s student to develop filtering algorithms. “We have the tweets generated after the february 27, 2010 earthquake; we are using these data to train our algorithms to filter only what we want.”

“filtering is key,” he says. “All the tweets from the national emergency Office of the Ministry of Interior and

Public security (OneMI, Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública) will also be channeled through this information channel.” In this filtering process one of the most important factors is credibility.

formed by a multidisciplinary team of engineers, doctors and journalists, the project began in 2013. navón shares how enriching the experience has been: “I’ve learned to work with other disciplines.” This research is currently in the experimental stage. They are building a collection infrastructure. “We have a machine in the Amazon, we are capturing everything on a server in north America.”

This application would eventually be available for download from the Apple or Android store, and rather than connecting to twitter, the idea is that a person would connect to this specific channel for natural disasters, which will filter the relevant information. “There is a need to know what is happening.”

“The development of a support channel would be useful immediately after a seismic event to inform people about what is happening. We don’t intend to replace the radio or television, but to provide an alternative for a segment of the population,” he says.

jaiMe naVónAssOcIATe PrOfessOr


Civil Electrical Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Master of Science, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel

Doctor of Philosophy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,

United States


facilitating the integRation of ReneWable ResouRces

Facilitating the integration of renewable resources in an economically efficient manner, ensuring a safe and reliable energy supply is the research pursuit of Matías negrete. He is involved in a project about control of a fleet of electric vehicles. The goal is to use the storage capacity of their batteries while parked, to contribute to the operation of the electric system.

“Due to their inherent uncertainty and volatility, new sources of renewable energy impose a series of challenges for the operation and control of energy and power systems. The balance between the power generated and consumed is fundamental to the operation,” explains negrete, who explains that this balance is usually achieved by modifying the operation of the generation. “An alternative is to use the flexibility related to demand,” the academic says.

negrete’s research engages with various disciplines such as power systems, automatic control, operations research and economics. “Overall, I’m interested in problems that present an appropriate balance between theory and applications,” he says. Analytical and simulation tools are critical for handling problems with a large number of constraints and variables such as those related to energy and power systems. Part of negrete’s

research focuses precisely on the development of optimization models and stochastic control for large-scale problems.

The electric vehicle project is part of a collaborative effort between the University of california, Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley national Laboratory and the Los Angeles Air force Base in california. “so far, our most interesting finding has been proving that through the use of rather intuitive control algorithms, it’s possible to use the fleet of electric vehicles to provide balance to the service (frequency regulation, in more technical terms),” the professor states.

regarding the potential impact of this research on society, negrete explains that the integration of renewable resources in an economically efficient way empowers the transition to an economy that is less dependent on fossil fuels. “In the particular case of chile, he hopes to contribute to solving energy challenges by turning to the potential of the country’s renewable energy; leveraging these resources will require the development of technological solutions that could become a very important niche for chile,” he concludes.

MatÍas negrete

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Electrical

Engineering


Master in Science with a focus on Physics, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile

Master of Science with a focus on Physics, University of Illinois at

Urbana- Champaign

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering,

University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign


best pRactices foR softWaRe development

Fifty years ago, few people could have imagined the world we are living in today. Advances in mobile and embedded computing and the explosive growth of cloud computing are driving a revolutionary change in the way people communicate, interact and work with each other, and how companies do business. some examples of industries that may benefit from these technologies are mining, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, education, health services, to name a few.

The combination of mobile, embedded and cloud computing systematically brings about new research trends and questions. Andrés neyem pursues research related to these topics. from a software engineering perspective, he has a special interest in providing best practices guidelines on software development for this field.

“Developing software solutions for a mobile environment has always been a challenging task for developers, because they are typically unaware of certain requirements and limitations for the frontend and backend of the system. Most of these solutions require new software architectures and cloud services that are generally developed for either a specific device or class of devices,” explains the professor from san Juan, Argentina.

The professor’s research is focused on understanding the requirements, design, building, and applicability of new software architectures and cloud services for a mobile environment. “The goal is for the results to serve as guidelines for designing and building software solutions for this domain-specific application scenario. This will allow developers, students or researchers of this type of solutions to generate better systems, involving less effort and risks. These results will not only benefit the academic community, but also indirectly the software industry and other areas of our society,” he adds.

neyem leads his undergraduate and graduate students in developing software solutions for this type of mobile environment. One of the most notable projects is LiveAnDes (Advanced network for the Distribution of endangered species). It is a software platform designed to collect, store, and analyze data about Latin America’s wildlife - data that could prove vital to the preservation of the region’s rich but increasingly threatened biodiversity. One of the goals of this cloud-based platform is to hide large scale data complexities and their subsequent processing and transformation from the end users. shifting large volumes of data to the cloud will provide a flexible and expandable platform for developing a variety of science data and processing tasks.

andrés neyeMAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr


Diploma in Information Systems, School of Exact, Physical and

Natural Sciences, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina




education engineeR

He is an international leader in education and technology, not in the field of actual “educational technology” but at the crossroads of education and technology.

He is an engineer. “Technology speaks to me,” he says. By 1979 he had already built a computer. In 1995, he tried to get students involved by using Gameboy, an inexpensive platform of videogames language. education speaks to him in all its complexity.

since that time, he has continued to explore and teach. He participates in the government’s Agency for Quality education (Agencia de Calidad de la Educación).

He advocates integrating technology, currently only anecdotal, into teaching. Today it only serves to take away study hours from children, or it is brought into the home in incoherent ways, he complains.

The outcome of these technologies is not automatic: he cites a University of chicago publication which found that in romania, children without a computer learned more than their peers with a computer at home. Technology without a plan can be harmful.

He is not a full time “proselytizer.” The transfer has been difficult to achieve, he says. “It is simply not compatible to conduct cutting-edge research, have ten PhD students and publish 37 IsI papers in five years, and at the same time pursue technology transfer.”

changes in education lead to conflicts. When he proposed introducing video games to keep students active in 1995, the response was negative: one does not come to school to play.

since 2000, wireless communication has enabled the installation of small networks for collaborative work in the classroom under teacher supervision. Always one step ahead, he managed to install his system in several schools in chile and he exported his idea to Great Britain and U.s.A.

He remarks on the slow but incessant appearance of giant screens today through interactive work in the virtual world and collaborative work for those sharing the same space.

The professor recently directed two projects in colombia and Uruguay in which students who integrated technology with conventional resources learned a great deal. He received an integral plan for using technology as part of daily work, something that doesn’t happen every day.

“In colombia we worked at the children’s pace.” In contrast, in chile, the emphasis is on presenting material and moving kids to the next grade regardless of where learning transpires.

You can achieve personalized instruction for a child through the use of a computer, he says. But typically computers are handed out, which is what wins votes, and real pedagogy is left behind.

He would like to transform classroom practices and create meaning for children, rather than “shove” a curriculum down their throats. “We need to create an educational constituent Assembly. The dialog should begin at the schools, so they are the ones telling us what we should teach them.”

Miguel nussbauM

PrOfessOrDepartment of Computer Science


Master of Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, United

States

Doctor of Philosophy, Eidgenössische Technische

Hochshule Zürich, Switzerland


small but poWeRful

Professor Oberli’s research doesn’t stay on the screen; his prototypes are up and running. He abandoned wireless technologies “for humans” - the cellphone, Wifi, Bluetooth – some time ago, moving on to address the issue of collecting data from sensors in remote regions. The result was Wireless Technologies Laboratory (Latina, www.latina.uc.cl).

One of Latina’s projects is monitoring the Quebrada de ramon in the municipality of La reina, santiago. The goal is to gain access to certain information at all times, such as the altitude of zero isotherms and the soil’s ability to absorb water. These data are vital to efforts to forecast flooding from rainfall in the Andean foothills and warn the public. The information is collected by small radios equipped with sensors for temperature, humidity and other variables, and the readings are fed into an online database that is constantly checked by the early warning system.

This endeavor is divided into two stages: electronic development of sensor-transmitting nodes and software programming to create an interconnected intelligent network between them. Once a node is activated, it identifies each of its neighbors, identifies its place in the network and determines the “drainage” route of the collected information. Drainage occurs via relay from one node to another, until reaching nodes on the

outer urban limits, where there is cell phone coverage. The network must have an intelligent response to node failure. If one node fails, other nodes are re-configured to drain their readings from alternative pathways. It’s like the Internet.

He is interested in applications over broad geographic areas: hydrology, the forestry sector, the mining sector and the livestock sector. “We aim to cover hundreds of acres with networks of thousands of nodes,” he says. The applications may be revolutionary.

There are thousands of these solar sensors, which are small and inexpensive. some connected to a satellite and others to the cellular network. Together, they could support a process of early earthquake warning. An early warning does not require precision on the magnitude of the earthquake. If a group of neighboring nodes agrees by vote that the ground is shaking, the location and magnitude of the event could be reported within seconds to organizations like Onemi to generate an alert.

The professor is proud of his achievements: “To bring a scientific outcome to the field, prove it in operation, prove the technology and put it in practice is a huge effort; this is what sets us apart. It can be used to generate a real benefit to society.”

christian oberli

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Electrical

Engineering



Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles, United

States


integRation of ReneWable eneRgy into poWeR systems

The focus of Daniel Olivares’s research is how to incorporate renewable energy sources into electric power systems. His doctorate, undertaken at the University of Waterloo, canada, was based on his work with operational models for the integration of renewable energy in power systems, initially addressing the operation of isolated electricity micro-grids. Isolated micro-grids have no connection to the main network, and are intended to supply energy to remote locations which are unable to connect to a main grid for economic or technical reasons.

“One of the great challenges in terms of the integration of renewable energies in micro-grids is that variability has a strong impact on the system due to its reduced size and limited number of controllable generators. This can manifest in load slips or other problems associated with the quality of electricity services in micro-grids.

fortunately, as we’re dealing with small systems, the models used to determine their operation are also small, which allows for a more sophisticated approach to cope with such variability, so maintaining reasonable computation times,” explains Professor Olivares. This advantage of micro-grid models does not occur in large power systems, an area to which the professor has expanded his research.

The latest study, “Operation models for the integration of renewables” has included the participation of department professors Matías negrete and Hugh rudnick. “We have developed operating models that allow us to maximize the integration of these renewable

sources, which are characterized by their high level of variability. The models take into account the uncertainty in the generation of this type of energy, and characterize it” indicates Olivares.

However, additional difficulties exist with large power systems: current operating models work according to the assumption of controllable generation. “The question is whether or not you are able to handle the load that you insert with your generators,” explains the professor. By introducing renewable energy to the system, control is not such an issue. The challenge identified by the academic is to increase control variables through consumption management.

“flexible consumers favor renewable energies, and the system will be able to absorb the variations pertaining to this source of energy,” Olivares states, adding: “A flexible consumer could help the system integrate higher levels of solar energy, for example.” But in order to actually get users to support the integration of renewable energies, incentives and other strategies are required that “will help create awareness in the population of the benefits of renewable energy, and how people can facilitate its integration. That is one of the objectives of this study,” he declares.

regarding strategies for promoting civil participation, the professor adds, “This research has an important sociological dimension, because encouraging flexible consumers who are able to respond by decreasing or increasing their consumption with respect to certain system incentives goes hand in hand with a cultural shift.”

daniel oliVares


Engineering


Doctor of Philosophy, University of Waterloo, Canada


global inseRtion

Challenge-seekers sign up for Ortúzar’s graduate courses. He is strict, and his coursework is a rare blend of abstraction and application. Working in groups, students tackle real problems but, in the end they are evaluated on an individual exam.

His strictness doesn’t contaminate the warmth he generates in his classes. Although he doesn’t appear to be an eminence, he was the third chilean to receive the prestigious Humboldt Research Award, the first Latino to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association for Travel Behaviour research and the first recipient of the Universidad Católica Engineering Award. He is co-author of “Modelling Transport” (with Luis Willumsen), a key text in transportation graduate programs around the world, and is a member of the editorial committee of the most prestigious journals in his field.

He is fun, eschews formality, seeks opinions, answers emails, uses facebook, uploads photos, and invites people to his home where he hosts along with his wife, Margarita Greene, Professor of Architecture at Universidad católica.

He works with both chilean and foreign graduate students to research choice models when discrete alternatives are available, like many we make every day: What drink should I buy? should I take the subway or go by car? should I use the shortest path or the safest? Making predictions in these cases is not easy, but it results in the design of better policies, urban

interventions or products. He has explored many areas: social housing, public safety, conservation of heritage neighborhoods, winemaking... and transportation.

“I am interested in understanding human behavior,” he says.

And he unleashes the floodgates on concepts related to research on “how people choose.” He starts with the “random utility theory,” for situations where people consider factors hidden to the observer. This is an entertaining subject that has gradually become more complex with the capacity of computers, ushering in models with a richer potential to replicate the diversity of individual behavior. Interactions with sociologists, psychologists and economists have been part of his discovery, integrating their methods and designing common languages.

Lately, he is researching the field of winemaking. He works in collaboration with chinese scholars to design wines suitable for the chinese market. But transportation remains his focus: he currently works with a student on failure to pay transport fees in the Transantiago system , and during Professor Luis rizzi’s doctorate studies, they worked together to design a method to estimate the value of a life lost in an accident which is already being applied in Australia, spain and norway. His international alumni network keeps him up to date and helps him place his students in the globalized world.

juan de dios ortúzar

PrOfessOrDepartment of Transport






macRo and micRo mechanics of gRanulaR mateRials

Motivated by the environmental challenges of large-scale waste rock dams and mine waste deposits, Professor Ovalle has been interested in the mechanical behavior of granular materials: how are they affected by size, humidity, time and the loading history?

This task requires a multi-scale approach, i.e., an analysis of the granular properties and the contact conditions between them, to explain macro behavior with micro parameters.

In geotechnical engineering, generally the size of granular materials that conform to standard laboratory equipment are about 5 to 10 mm and specimens are less than 1 kg. In waste rock, these constraints force an extrapolation of results for materials that are several orders of magnitude coarser. scaling effects are not considered and the question arises: Is the coarser material more or less resistant, more or less rigid?

Having worked in france with equipment capable of testing 2-tons specimens, Professor Ovalle has experimentally validated multi-scale methods, evaluating the effects of size between samples from the same material on a different geometric scale.

It is clear that the larger the size of the individual grains, the lower its fracture resistance. A coarser granular material is more vulnerable to granular breakage when

required mechanically, which makes it more deformable and less resistant.

This contradicts the intuition of some geotechnical engineers, who believe that the thicker the material, the more it resists.

The clues found by Ovalle in the micro-mechanics of waste rock have led him to examine the effects of humidity. The propagation of micro-fissures is known to produce fractures in fragile materials such as rock particles. On a microscopic level, the resistance to fissure propagation is governed by the attacks of corrosive humid conditions: dilution of minerals and variations of the capillarity. Thus, increased humidity decreases fracture resistance.

These effects take a while due to the slow process of humidity penetration. The gradual opening of a fissure also triggers further degradation. These effects would be the source of settlement in some dams, which take years to stabilize and are augmented by rainfall and seepage.

The scientific debate remains open. experimental results feed mathematical models and lead to the study of civil works and to the explanation of anomalies. The challenge is multidisciplinary and requires interaction with materials experts, geologists, physicists, chemists, and others.

carlos oValleAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr


Civil Engineer, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile

Diploma in Applied Soil Mechanics, Universidad de Chile

Master of Science, École Centrale Paris, France

Doctor of Philosophy, École Centrale Nantes, France


measuRing and analyzing hoW institutions and Regulations affect leaRning

Professor Paredes worked for the IDB and the World Bank and as a consultant to various governments and major companies. His expertise is in applied microeconomics, specifically labor regulation and economics. He chaired the committee of experts on “student funding for higher education,” appointed by the Ministry of education of chile in 2011, which resulted in five important laws. But in recent years, education has been gaining ground within his field of research.

What happens with education between preschool and higher education? How does each of the cycles connect with the others? Paredes analyzes the ways in which institutions and regulations affect learning, how quality is measured, and how this is affected and evolves over time. some important issues for him include the 1980s educational reform and the influence it continues to have on the different stakeholders in the school system, how parents choose a school for their children and the consequences of these decisions.

Through a study of simple choice, he empirically analyzed the choice of families. He and his team used the location of homes and schools to analyze the movement of students in choice models. He has pursued this with more sophisticated models. The estimates derived from econometric models provide information about the particularly high cost of transportation, price sensitivity, and how families view and infer quality without necessarily being explicitly aware of the results of the schools they choose.

choice models and geo-referencing households provided an excellent basis for developing simulations to understand the effect costs have on parents in school segmentation. He has been engaged in a line of methodological research that has led to the development of a fairly accurate form of program assessment. This is especially useful when there are no randomized experiments.

He also has used his models to generate findings in the field of higher education. “The choice models in higher education tend to confirm the preference of students for a relatively small group of universities, which is broadly consistent with general metrics of university quality. The analysis of the quality of institutions and the development of metrics that can be made objective and which are not subject to critique by the arbitrary factor weighting criteria, has provided an understanding of the diversity of institutions within groups or clusters. Likewise, the analysis and design of selection mechanisms in higher education through predictive educational success models has complemented the very broad agenda that I pursue in this area.”

His work in this field is not limited to research. Based on his analysis and diagnostics on educational financing, he now spearheads the Growing in Talent and Inclusion (Creciendo en Talento e Inclusión) program at Universidad católica, whose objective is to increase the inclusion of students from municipal and subsidized schools.

ricardo paredes

ADJUncT PrOfessOr


Economist, Universidad de Chile


States


customization in socio-technical systems

“Human beings are good at finding explanations to events once they occur, but not at predicting them,” says Professor Denis Parra, citing the book “everything is Obvious, Once You Know the Answer“ by Duncan J. Watts, which can be found on one of his office shelves. He says that “making predictions is the basis for customizing systems effectively.” Professor Parra is interested in developing customization and adaptive systems, i.e., systems that adapt to each user’s personal characteristics rather than presenting static content. His idea is to predict the preferences and tastes of a user on the Web or a mobile device in order to enhance his or her experience. “We live in information overload. recommendation and customization systems try to help the user filter the most relevant information from a large data set that people don’t have time to visit,” he says.

His research is divided into two main interests: social media analytics and recommendation interfaces.

In conjunction with Dr. christoph Trattner, researcher from Graz University of Technology, Professor Parra studies social networks in order to make recommendations. One of his lines of research resulted in the application of My Second Life, a Web interface of a virtual space where users can socialize, do business and share knowledge and information. “Unlike facebook or Twitter, we were able to identify the profile of a common user in the My Second Life network and simultaneously identify the same user with a buyer-seller profile in the virtual world,” explains Professor Parra. “This enables us to determine which factors of interaction in a friend network can influence transactions in an online shopping network.”

The scholar from the Department of computer science is also interested in studying the contents of the messages that users post. He wants to analyze, for example, if the

feeling that can be inferred from comments influences transactions or other user actions. He is interested in using information from social networks to extrapolate it to the real world, for example, to predict whether a user will create a new online store or to generate friend or product recommendations.

His idea with recommendation interfaces is to complement the recommendation algorithms with the interaction of cyber-physical systems (to use the definition of German researcher Wolfgang Wahlster). This implies that existing algorithms are used but with the possibility of different interfaces that allow users to experience varying degrees of control or view information with various representations. How much control is given to the user to ensure he has the best experience is a key factor in the acceptance of recommendations: in many cases, if the user receives a recommendation of average relevance but understands why it has been recommended, it is likely that the user will accept it, instead of another recommendation which is more relevant yet the reason for suggesting it is not clear. “If a user receives a recommendation to buy a soccer ball after reviewing books on politics, it is likely that the user will reject it, even if it’s relevant, because of doubts about how that suggestion was generated.”

“In short, I’m interested on the one hand in conducting studies to understand what factors influence the use given by users to technological and social systems (socio-technical systems), yet I’m also interested in creating models and applications that enable people to make a more effective use of such systems. Both aspects promote a constant cycle of learning and innovation.”

denis parra AssIsTAnT PrOfessOr


Civil Engineer in Computer Science, Universidad Austral de

Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Information Science and Technology, University

of Pittsburgh, United States


gReen chemistRy

Professor Parra has just completed her first year in academia at the Universidad católica school of engineering. If her work was to be observed by a chemist from the last century, it would cause an adrenaline rush.

she speaks of catalysis, a term coined in 1835 to define the acceleration of a chemical reaction —which could take centuries if it occurred spontaneously— by a substance called a “catalyst.” The reaction does not change the catalyst, the viewer already knows this.

she speaks of biocatalysis, or the use of biological and therefore biodegradable catalysts to replace highly contaminant chemical ones. The observer from last century also wouldn’t be surprised, s/he would have learned of the use of proteins, enzymes, and catalysts.

she adds an element. first, she looks in nature for genes that encode enzymes of industrial interest; enzymes that can be instruments of production for the market.

Once these enzymes, which work so well in nature, are found, how do we adapt them to conditions in the industry? To do this, she uses “protein engineering”, specifically “directed evolution”.

At this point, our observer feels uneasy, especially if the professor explains that in the laboratory you accelerate the evolutionary process of a gene to optimize the properties of the enzyme that the gene encodes. noteworthy among these properties is the level of activity of the enzyme, or its stability, or its acceptance of different substrates.

And finally, the application: the use of the enhanced enzyme on an industrial scale.

The professor, in her post doctorate studies, worked on the directed evolution of a particular enzyme which is very stable at high temperatures but shows no activity with enzyme substances of industrial interest.

finally, she found a variety capable of converting a substrate into a product: a precursor of the main monomer of nylon, a sought-after polymer. Today, this product is manufactured by the ton, but using a chemical catalyst.

The results were patented this year and she is now working on refining them for the industry.

At this point, the observer from the last century is surely sitting in astonishment, as would a chemist who discovers a new element in the periodic table, thinking of the endless application possibilities.

This is how Professor Loreto Parra thinks: starting from the protein identified, which converts the substrate to a very good product, she can explore more reactions to convert it into something much better. What, for example? An environmentally friendly biodegradable polymer, as it is biologically generated.

The observer from the past now understands: it’s green chemistry.

loreto parraAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr


Engineer in Molecular Biotechnology, Universidad

de Chile

Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Universidad de Chile

Post-doctorate Fellow in Protein Engineering, Max-Planck-Institut

fûr Kohlenforschung. Germany


optimizing management of physical assets in the mining industRy

Chile faces huge challenges in Physical Asset Management. economic growth largely driven by the mining industry has caused a steady increase in demand for production equipment. Motivated to help develop this area, the professor and chair of the Department of Mining engineering, rodrigo Pascual, has specialized in the development and implementation of methods to optimize the management of assets, specifically in matters relating to the maintenance of industrial and military equipment.

Professor Pascual directs the Universidad católica Laboratory for Physical Asset Management. Thanks to his research, he is regarded as one of the drivers of Physical Asset Management at the regional level. “We have managed to raise community awareness about the importance of good management of physical assets throughout their life cycle, with a focus on meeting organizational goals.”

Today he works with mining companies and suppliers to generate solutions for mobile equipment, trucks and road mine infrastructure solutions. This aims to ensure better overall performance.

As director of the Department of Mining engineering, he is interested in encouraging the development of an interdisciplinary approach to in mining. He views mining as a place where all kinds of professions come together, from the hard sciences and the humanities. “The most interesting problems are those that require expertise from different backgrounds,” he says.

“This school, this university is a natural environment for innovation around mining. Yet we lack the development of innovation in this industry, which is a gap that must close.”

In terms of training human capital, Professor Pascual points out that his students leave with a different view about the management of physical assets, which turns them into agents of change for the industry. “The students develop a critical, creative and curious outlook. They obtain a technological and scientific training that allows them to solve a problem in an innovative and economical way,” he says.

Professor Pascual envisions big challenges in the mining industry. He asserts that much of the production in this field will be closed pit. “We need expertise in the development of closed pit infrastructure,” he says.

rodrigo pascual

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Mining

Engineering


Doctor of Philosophy, Université de Liège, Belgium


RiveR doctoR

Improving and protecting water quality in the Lluta river in region XV of chile is one of the pursuits of Pablo Pastén. Through the study of basin geochemistry, he endeavors to understand the dynamics of arsenic and other pollutants that are carried by the river and that limit the uses of this resource. The ultimate goal is for water to be used more safely and sustainably in economic activities.

“Our goal is to provide information to the community and officials who make decisions regarding the regional water infrastructure given that water is so scarce and needs to be protected and understood. for example: How can we improve water quality? How do mining activities impact water quality?”, he adds.

environmental geochemistry is not his only field of research. Pablo Pastén also studies environmental biotechnology. specifically, he analyzes bacteria and microorganisms that may be used for water treatment, immobilization of contaminants connected with mining waste, and environmental remediation.

The professor’s third line of research is sustainable Urban Development focused on critical resources such as water, energy and soil. “We develop smart

technologies that reduce the use of resources and control sources of risk. We learn from nature in order to use them and transform them into technology,” he asserts.

ceDeUs, the center of excellence where he is lead researcher, hosts several initiatives related to sustainable urban development. The goal of one of these is to develop technologies to remove contaminants from drinking water such as arsenic, a field in which the professor has a patent pending in conjunction with Professor Gonzalo Pizarro. Other initiatives included in the project funded by cOnIcYT through fondap and coordinated by Pastén are related to the use of ground covers, energy savings in wastewater treatment and the study of urban geochemistry and its relation to possible risks to city dwellers.

However, he says his main challenge is not only to generate advanced knowledge about the environment and to develop technologies, “but also to have direct applications aimed at solving real human needs” and “to be able to effectively communicate information to decision makers, officials or the general public,” concludes Pastén.

pablo pasténAssOcIATe PrOfessOr




Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Northwestern University, United

States


the thReat of acRylamide

In 2002, Professor Margareta Törvqvist of the University of stockholm announced the presence of significant levels of acrylamide in widely consumed fried foods. The substance appears during cooking or heat processing.

since then, the scientific community has been working on understanding the formation of acrylamide and weighing the dangers.

The announcement from stockholm University, an “unexpected discovery,” motivated Professor franco Pedreschi to pursue this subject as a researcher.

His concern is the generation of toxic elements produced during cooking or heating food such as acrylamide and furan, both of which are carcinogenic.

Because we cook our food, we will always ingest acrylamide, but we can reduce our intake and prevent its toxic expressions. Professor Pedreschi researches the subject and wants to favorably impact the health of citizens.

He wants to identify the main formation mechanisms of acrylamide in chilean food, and use this as a basis to develop mitigating technologies.

Professor Pedreschi is an expert on the subject and a member of the scientific Advisory committee of the chilean Agency for food Quality, AcHIPIA. The Agency is

proposing standards for laboratories that evaluate food safety. It opens research channels on food, educates, and, of course, certifies and monitors the quality of chilean food products.

This is what motivates Professor Pedreschi, who was the doctoral student of national Prize of sciences winner and school of engineering Professor José Miguel Aguilera. food should be healthy.

Professor Pedreschi’s latest publication, which has won high praise, is “chemical food safety and Health,” which he edited with Professor Zuzana ciesarová. The book was published by nova, new York. He notes that his papers are what further knowledge.

A dozen years after the original swedish discovery, the subject is a moving target. Professor Pedreschi and his team work in an increasingly broader field of research.

He heads the Department of chemical engineering and Bioprocess and also the food safety Laboratory, which is currently developing two state-funded projects. He seeks to mitigate acrylamide contaminants in two foods which are widely consumed in chile: bread and potato chips.

His career is enriched by the doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows that he directs.

franco pedreschi

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Chemical


Seafood Processing Engineer, Universidad Nacional Agraria La

Molina, Peru


Chile

Doctor of Science in Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de

Chile

Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Food Engineering, University of

Lund, Sweden


neW electRic poWeR conveRteRs

There is currently a need to maximize the available energy. Motivated by this challenge, Professor Javier Pereda is working to create a power converter that is capable of delivering a voltage of very high quality, reducing costs and system complexity. “This is one of the limitations of the industry because power converters are very expensive and complex.”

His research was conducted as part of his doctoral degree under the leadership of Professor Juan Dixon from the Department of electrical engineering. They used power electronics, which uses semiconductors and adequate control mechanisms to convert energy. His idea was to simplify multilevel power converters, and in turn, increase their output. The key challenge was determining how this could be done.

They were successful. They simplified the system’s technology without reducing the output and developed new optimization algorithms that substantially increased the quality of power output. “That was a success,” recalls Professor Pereda. His contribution to knowledge on new multilevel converters for enhancing virtues and eliminating disadvantages was awarded the Prince Albert II of Monaco Medal.

In addition, Professor Pereda has implemented an electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion batteries using

technology developed in his doctoral thesis through state of the art industrial controls. This research led to the publication of articles in IsI journals. “Our publications on the subject have had global impact,” he says.

This Department of electrical engineering scholar says that electric engines account for the main electricity consumption worldwide. “There is a very important benefit here because more than 50% of electricity use is from the consumption of these engines, therefore a small step leads to great impact.”

He has also made a contribution to non-conventional renewable energy, such as wind, solar, tidal energy. An integration of these technologies to the grid requires a power converter. “You can achieve this with the available technology, but this will eventually lead to an issue as it hits mass use because the current systems deliver very low quality energy to the main supply. The integration of new high efficiency and high quality energy converters for renewable energy is therefore essential.”

“The main impact would be in industries such as mining because these converters could be applied to industrial and mining processes.”

jaVier pereda AssIsTAnT PrOfessOr






a lab With a vieW

Professor Pérez leads a lab with a wide open future: The Laboratory of extraction of High-Value compounds (LecAV, Laboratorio de Extracción de Componentes de Alto Valor) uses cutting-edge technology to certify and scientifically validate bioactive natural compounds based on their potential value for the food industry.

The lab’s future is bright: it is not limited to the study of plant species and their use in the food industry, which is currently its main focus. On the road ahead, they will also analyze their application in cosmetics, study microorganisms as a natural resource, and address the development of veterinary products for animal health and pesticides for agriculture.

Professor Pérez has built a technological system with advanced analytical equipment that provides sophisticated spectrophotometric, Gc-Ms and HPLc analyses. The core capabilities of this infrastructure attract researchers who know that it is here that they will find the tools that they need to further their tests and experiments.

LecAV is currently carrying out three main activities:

first, it addresses the exploration of natural resources, isolating and describing plant and waste materials rich in polyphenols and essential oils. The main goal is to develop a database of natural resources available in chile categorized on the basis of their bioactive properties of interest to the food industry: bactericides, fungicides, virucides, antioxidants, antibiotics, to name a few.

second, Professor Pérez emphasizes isolation and processes with an outcome of bioactive compounds

obtained through the filtration and absorption of selected plant materials and agro-industrial wastes. These processes require the complex technological equipment and know-how that LecAV is proud to house.

Third, having produced the bioactive compounds, Professor Pérez directs their functional and chemical categorization. He is on the lookout for antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity and other potential applications, especially in designed food matrices.

Professor Pérez lives in an environmentally conscious world. “The growing concern for personal wellbeing has steadily increased the use of natural products,” he writes.

Many new functional and fortified foods with bioactive natural compounds are marketed in the food industry each year, including polyphenols and essential oils.

These opportunities for growth in the food industry are manifold, and the explosion of new products will depend on, and will bring about, the socioeconomic progress of the many actors involved.

Professor Pérez’s roots are in chile, where he recognizes there are plenty of untapped resources with bioactive potential.

His mission is therefore to conduct high quality research in order to create scientific-technological knowledge for the development of functional foods with tangible benefits which meet industry requirements and regulations.

josé ricardo pérez

PrOfessOrDepartment of Chemical



Master of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Chile

Diploma in Chemical Engineering, Imperial College, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, Imperial College, United Kingdom


leaRning engineeRing in an eveR changing WoRld

Mar Pérez explores and studies the incorporation of “Massive Open Online courses” (MOOcs) into the academic content of the Uc school of engineering as part of the engineering 2030 initiative.

Technology is part of daily life in the 21st century. Internet and mobile devices have transformed our world and how we communicate, interact and learn. In these interconnected contexts, in which learning can occur at any moment or place and is primarily collaborative, new educational digital ecosystems have emerged that require new skills and forms of learning. “We need people to be able to work and learn in these ecosystems,” states the academic.

Mar Pérez has dedicated her career to understanding how the integration of Information and communication Technologies (IcTs) can be used to support collaboration in these ecosystems for more effective learning. This is why she developed “etiquetar,” a tag-based tool that allows teachers to create Qr codes to transform any space into one that is interactive and allows them to engage in mobile activities with students.

In the context of the 2030 project, the professor’s aim is to explore how IcTs can be used to help students learn more and better. “I am working to ensure that they

learn other skills that they need in today’s world, such as collaboration, self-learning and learning to learn. All of these skills are all essential in an increasingly connected world. It is also necessary for students to learn to solve problems, which is one of the essential skills of a good engineer,” says Dr. Pérez.

One of the first steps in this direction is to study the incorporation of MOOcs into the school of engineering. Pérez is looking to “provide students with opportunities to learn independently.” Work is currently being initiated on the first MOOc, which will be developed using the coursera and Open edx platforms, two structures that have had a major impact at international level.

The first MOOcs will be launched this year, and the school intends to evaluate: (1) which formats are most appropriate for the school, and (2) what indicators should be used to measure their impact on students’ learning abilities. “some will support leveling; others belong to Undergraduate studies and extension activities. each one will present different challenges for students and professors,” Pérez concludes.

Mar pérezAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr


Master in Information and Communications Technologies,

Advanced Engineer in Computer Studies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

Doctorate in Information and Communications Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

Post-doctoral fellow, Universidad Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Stanford

Research Institute, SRI International, CA, United States


hoW to build the Relationship betWeen the univeRsity and the industRy

Convinced of the great potential in chile to strengthen the relationship between universities and industry, Professor Julio Pertuzé focused his graduate studies at MIT on this field . He analyzed how technology projects are managed as a whole and, from the company standpoint, how changes in strategy affect their relationship with academia.

The transfer of new knowledge “is one of the fundamental tasks of the university. This third mission is becoming increasingly sought after by society and I believe that it is very important to be able to contribute and help to build this, especially from the Universidad católica’s school of engineering.”

His research included the analysis of various companies in the forestry industry in north America, and northern and southern of europe. He chose this field due to its potential for expansion into Latin American countries, including chile. Which factors affect the outcome of university research and what is the subsequent impact on industry?

He determined that there is a wide gap between the results of research projects, which are rated as very good, and the impact achieved in the industry, which ultimately ends up being very low. Why don’t these good results in research translate into competitive

advantages or increased productivity for the company? In many companies, the problem lies in subsequent implementation.

How can we bridge this gap? Pertuzé outlined seven best practices for managing collaboration between universities and companies. Key aspects according to Julio Pertuzé’s research include the following: a good selection of projects by the university; effective leaders in project implementation who can adapt it to different areas of the company; sharing the vision of why this implementation is positive with the rest of the university; investing in long-term relationships with the university teams; undertaking extensive project communication; and supporting the project beyond its implementation.

How can strategy changes within a business impact its relationship with the university? This is another question that the professor elucidated. In some industries, ties with the academic institutions decay in times of crisis, which can weaken overall project results or impact. “Building university systems, expertise and technologies in fields that might be relevant to industry takes time. However, it takes very little time to change company strategy, and deconstruction can be a very quick process.”

julio pertuzéAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr




States



neW technologies foR the futuRe challenges of astRonomy in chile

Chile is home to most of the astronomical observation capacity that currently exists on the planet. It is expected that within the next ten years, around 70% of the world’s astronomical observation will be conducted from our country.

new computer tools are urgently needed to help scientists explore the universe through these large stellar databases. This need has led to the creation of new areas of science such as Astro statistics and Astro computing. Motivated to make a contribution to these new scientific disciplines, Professor Karim Pichara, specialist in the development of artificial intelligence for data analysis, is working on new technologies for the exploration of astronomical data.

He co-directs the Uc laboratory of astronomical data analysis with Professor Pavlos Protopapas of Harvard University. One of his main research areas is the automatic classification of stellar objects from patterns of variation in brightness in different frequency bands. There are several problems associated with this challenge: detecting unknown objects; early analysis of spatial data that is not yet finished; development of models that integrate tools already trained for specific tasks in order to perform more global classification

tasks; the construction of algorithms discover patterns intrinsic to each object class, without previously training; implementation of algorithms that efficiently indicate sections of the sky that are more informative for building learning bases for the training of future intelligent tools.

Another initiative developed by Professor Pichara is related to the data from the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array) observatory, which produces data with high spectral resolution. In this project, the professor is working to develop an algorithm capable of analyzing the spectral lines delivered by ALMA and automatically detect the presence of molecules in the different objects scanned by the telescope.

In 2012, Professor Pichara obtained the first results of his research. He managed to develop an automatic classifier to detect quasars in the universe. Later, he made a model to incorporate information from incomplete astronomical catalogs in order to improve classification information from unknown data.

Professor Pichara says the problem facing chile today is urgent: “We must be prepared for the arrival of the data produced by the new generation of telescopes.”

KariM picharaAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr


Civil Industrial Engineer, major in Computer Science, Pontificia

Universidad Católica de Chile



Post-doctoral Fellow, Harvard University, United States


Quality of potable WateR foR human consumption

“Research follows different specializations,” says Gonzalo Pizarro, director of the Department of Hydraulic and environmental engineering at the Universidad católica school of engineering. “This is interdisciplinary and is something we have been promoting for years in the field of environmental engineering.” Knowledge of biology, chemistry, geology and mathematical modeling are essential to address complex problems of pollution and environmental remediation. Professor Pizarro has been devoted to the mathematical modeling of biofilms: bacterial films grown on surfaces such as rivers, wastewater treatment plants, teeth and medical implants, among others. In this interface, chemical and biochemical reactions occur, which change the surrounding water quality.

An example of an interface is the study of copper corrosion in water pipes. since 2003, Professor Pizarro has led a research group in corrosion and bio-corrosion of copper pipes for drinking water. This study began in the environmental field, out of concern about the change in quality of drinking water due to the corrosion of copper plumbing. The increase in the concentration of copper can be so high that it exceeds environmental quality standards and can even be detrimental to human health. This is what was identified in a house on the outskirts of Talca, where the study began.

The need to explain the phenomenon found in Talca forced researchers to look for hypotheses and discuss

the situation from an interdisciplinary perspective and from different viewpoint: environmental microbiology, surface analysis, in-situ analysis, hydrodynamic and mathematical modeling. “copper is toxic above certain concentrations. If you understand how and why the metal is released into the water pipes, you can prevent toxicity issues or contamination of drinking water.”

Through this interdisciplinary approach they were able to collaborate with professors specializing in hydraulics and environmental engineering as well as those from other departments, and have now expanded their collaboration to other universities such as the University of notre Dame. Professor robert nerenberg from notre Dame and Professor Pablo Pastén from Department of Hydraulic and environmental engineering have joined forces with Professor Pizarro to develop new technologies for drinking water treatment and biological reactors. They also drive the dual Ph.D. program between Universidad católica and University of notre Dame.

Gonzalo Pizarro also conducts research related to water quality modeling in aquatic systems and their effect on the environment. Many of these studies have been conducted for the chilean Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of environment in remote areas such as the Lluta river basin in northern chile and the Torres del Paine region in the far south of the country.

gonzalo pizarro

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Hydraulic and






efficiency and accuRacy of magnetic Resonance imaging

Claudia Prieto researches the acquisition and reconstruction of Magnetic resonance Imaging (MrI), a noninvasive technique for medical imaging used to visualize the inside of the human body.

“Magnetic resonance imaging provides an excellent contrast between different soft tissues such as blood and myocardium in the heart,” says the academic, who is interested in applying this technique on patients with cardiovascular disease.

“In recent years MrI has demonstrated a tremendous potential to improve early diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, there are two major challenges that have yet to be resolved: quality degradation of the image due to respiratory motion during acquisition, and the length of acquisition time,” says Prieto.

Prieto’s research focuses on developing new techniques for sub-sampled reconstruction to accelerate the acquisition and new methods of motion correction. “More recently I’ve focused on combining these two types of methods in a generalized reconstruction to solve both problems simultaneously,” she explains.

The scholar, who is currently at King’s college London working as Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Images and Biomedical engineering, aims to improve the

diagnosis of cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease. Prieto is part of the group that designed and is currently teaching the first degree in Biomedical engineering at the school of Medicine at King’s college London.

According to Prieto, two of her recent generalized reconstruction projects have been evaluated on healthy volunteers and on a small number of patients with coronary artery disease and congenital heart disease. “The results show that the proposed methods achieve excellent image quality and a diagnosis value similar to standard methods; all with a shorter acquisition time and without requiring collaboration from the volunteer or patient. The methods must now be evaluated on a larger number of patients.”

regarding the impact of her research, Prieto argues that both projects will decrease the acquisition time of MrI images. “This translates into a more efficient use of the MrI scanner, with a consequent reduction in costs and greater patient comfort. furthermore, this time savings can be used to improve other image parameters such as increasing the spatial and/or temporal resolution of images, which could result in more accurate diagnoses,” she concludes.

claudia prieto


Engineering, Structural and Geotechnical Engineering

and Industrial and Systems Engineering




laseR to the bone

After seeing the windows of the school, filled with bone prototypes, you would think this is an embryonic work in Professor ramos’s department, but it is not. There have been over 150 clinical cases where the surgeon has been able to visualize the operation he is about to perform using these models. “And that’s all I really need!” observes the professor.

But there’s more.

As current director of the Department of Mechanics and Metallurgy, his spectrum of interests has broadened to infinity. But his career, his background as a researcher and discoverer, is making an impact in the niches in which he delves most deeply.

He starts with mechanical engineering, but his curiosity leads him to lasers as manufacturing tools. They cut, weld, do rapid prototyping. It is his duty, he says, to jump to the materials; not only the practical engineering of materials, but also their physics.

“I have discovered the physics of materials, which is nothing more than quantum mechanics.”

Without knowing the materials, he says, you cannot prototype; laser application makes no sense. You have to know materials on a practical and fundamental level.

He has researched copper alloys with form memory, using sophisticated techniques of laser synthesis. He aims to imprint complex parts with predictable behaviors. Physics is not fully represented here; there is still a lot missing in the area of memory materials.

The laser, which he demonstrates by taking out an industrial one in his laboratory, can weld, and also coat

and deposit layers on a material, which is another of Professor ramos’ areas of research.

He also works in the modeling of the mechanical behavior of the bone to design prosthesis, first for surgical trials, and eventually for actual bodies.

He has achieved four landmarks:

first, he set up a process laboratory for laser materials, the LATIL, funded via donations, to undertake research projects that form part of the institution’s budget. This is a unique center in chile, and has been the source of approximately 10 IsI papers and about 20 studies, including reports, theses, and doctorate studies.

second, the development of bone bio-models and their introduction into the market through DIcTUc.

Third, creating a center of considerable interest to students. Around 15 master’s students have specialized here in the last 10 years, while another three are currently working on their PhDs in switzerland, Holland and the United states.

fourth, providing value-added to manufacturing in chile. The professor visits companies and highlights the potential of 3D prototyping, furthering manufacturing with highly sophisticated object control.

students are the driving force: in this field they find material with which to dream and play. And because they are intelligent, “if you motivate them, innovations emerge,” he says.

jorge raMosAssOcIATe PrOfessOr



Master of Science in Engineering, University of Liverpool, United

Kingdom

Master of Science in Engineering, University of Texas at Austin,

United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin, United States


Randomization and open dynamic systems to undeRstand natuRe

“Randomization has been my line of work since I was first trained as a mathematician,” says rolando rebolledo. “randomization is not arbitrary or esoteric. randomization tells us that in nature all the parts are connected, and any of these can act on all of the others. There is a deep unity in nature and that unity is demonstrated through two principles, interconnection and interaction.” To explain this, Dr. rebolledo resorts to open systems. We usually attempt to study phenomena as closed systems, isolated from their environment. An open system, however, considers all the elements that can influence it, even if they are not observed. “To understand an open system we need the principles of interdependence and interconnection, which are present in nature. These systems need to be described by mathematical theories that model randomization: Probabilities and stochastic Analysis.”

rebolledo’s works came to inaugurate a new branch of the Theory of stochastic Processes. It incorporates the analysis of poor topologies of measurements through structural process properties (central limit Theorems for martingales and semi-martingales).

He is also known for his work applying stochastic Analysis to open systems in physics, especially Quantum Optics, furthering the Theory of Quantum Markovian semigroups, and to biology and more recently, to ecology.

He collaborated with Professor rolando chuaqui in the foundation of the Universidad católica school of Mathematics; he has chaired the Mathematical society of chile several times and directed the committee on Development and exchange of the International Mathematical Union. His research has received two awards: the Presidential chair in science, and the Universidad católica Award.

A champion of interdisciplinary work as inspiration for his mathematical research, he leads the center for stochastic Analysis and Applications (AnesTOc), is actively involved in the development of mathematics and engineering at the University, as well as in various projects that include the participation of engineers, biologists and physicists.

He explains part of his project in cIrIc (center of excellence formed by InrIA chile) based on the numerical modeling of wind farms: “It doesn’t make sense to think of the energy obtained from a single isolated wind generator. It is an open (or complex) system, so you have to consider all possible wind variations depending on climate, altitude and topography of the terrain… An open system is composed of a part that we call principal, always interacting with everything around it, in constant motion.”

rolando rebolledoADJUncT PrOfessOr

Mathematical Engineering Program

Mathematical Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies, Université de Rouen, France

Doctorat d’Etat ès-Sciences Mathématiques, Université de

Paris VI, France


visually simplifying the neveR-ending

“The most terrible thing is that you can formally demonstrate that there are some things that the computer cannot do. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s one of the most beautiful things in the theory of computing,” says Professor reutter.

He pursues visualization and analysis of information structured in graphs, in a network of connected nodes, such as a social network.

He doesn’t study information, databases, structured as banks do, in spreadsheets where the analysis is almost obvious. Graph databases for one, are huge, endless… and structurally “loose or slack,” which complicates things.

The Professor recently obtained his doctorate degree in scotland, where he worked in the world of logical abstractions.

contemporaneity incorporates so much data organized in graphs that it becomes increasingly imperative to analyze them. In medicine, the gene databases will give rise to gene therapy; in astronomy, the immensity of the collected information requires that it is represented graphically to generalize knowledge; in e-commerce, the analysis of market participants requires an increasingly finer analysis to truly optimize it; in botany, ethnography, history, philosophy, sociology...the list goes on.

Professor reutter wants to know how to analyze a graph, filtering information to see a smaller segment. He is

supported by fondecyt, which provided the resources for an initiation project.

“We need to build bases, knowledge that allows us to fully understand what we want, what we have, what we need. The practical approach will come later,” he says. “If we start to tackle the issue on a practical level, without the bases, we will have a solution to a particular case, but we will not comprehend which elements are excluded from the final result or why.”

He seeks for ways to generate “views,” visual representations of graphic information. And he needs these to be universal, “to function regardless of what my database set is,” he says.

A knowledge and mastery of the bases are what define the outer limits. “sometimes you say, ‘watch out, because if you really want to work with this, you will not be able to do it; take another route, look for another approach, put less or more constraints on the problem.’”

Like the graphs, the field he undertakes is immense. “There are thousands of aspects you have to solve, the data volumes are huge... but this is the future impact, to be able to navigate and extract all that information that is out there, just waiting for us,” he concludes.

juan reutterAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr



Master of Computer Science, Pontificia Universidad Católica de

Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Edinburgh University, United Kingdom


Keeping an eye on finance

Professor Tomás Reyes specializes in finance; however, his research is in one of the newer areas: its relationship to human behavior.

The different sophistication profiles of investors and how their levels of attention influence the financial markets are part of the professor’s study area. These studies have helped reveal if financial markets are affected differently by professional investors versus retail investors, i.e., non-professionals who invest their savings in stocks, for example.

studies show that the level of attention of retail investors on stock may deviate its price from its fundamental value, which challenges traditional finance theory, which considers that price fluctuations are only generated based on existing information about future cash flows of an asset in the market. Under this premise, a news story in the media may have the ability to affect prices not only by virtue of the information it provides, but also by the level of attention it gets from some investors. On average, retail investors buy stock that appeals to them, positively influencing its price, regardless of the type of news that generated the increase in attention; therefore the asset price can climb even if the publicity is negative.

supported by empirical studies, one of his papers tries to explain why the impact on price is higher after negative news than positive news. One explanation is that, because of their human condition, people are simply predisposed to pay higher levels of attention to a negative stimulus than a positive one. This is the same phenomenon that explains why, when given a choice we always want to know the bad before the good news, and why newspapers and news reports focus more on negative stories.

In this paper, the question is whether or not retail investors hold a negative bias regarding market events that appeal to them, such as extreme stock returns. This is what motivates Professor Tomás reyes.

One of the main tools he uses to measure the attention of retail investors is Google Trends, which identifies the most frequent user searches over a certain period of time and assesses how attention levels fluctuate.

Tomas reyes is one of the few researchers dedicated to behavioral finance in chile. It is a relatively new area, but already well-established and with important contributions, where there are still many questions that need answering.

toMás reyesAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr




Chile

Master of Science in Business Administration, University of

California, Berkeley, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Finance, University of California, Berkeley,

United States


spectRa of seismic design and seismic RisK-thReat

The seismic spectrum is a graphical representation of the effect of earthquakes on structures and civil works, representing the different response they suffer depending on their characteristics, specifically their dynamic properties in relation to their natural vibration frequency. nathan M. newmark and William J. Hall, from the University of Illinois, were the great leaders of the spectral formulation. rafael riddell identified the spectral formulation in the inelastic response range based on sophisticated models of structural behavior. His thesis remains a fundamental resource on the subject, and the conclusions of newmark, Hall and riddell now govern most of the existing design spectra in design standards in most countries around the world.

In chile, the design spectra of the nch433.Of1996-Mod2009 standard, seismic Design of Buildings, are consistent with studies by riddell for chilean accelerographic records spectra.

He plans to conduct further studies to include the effect of the february 2010 earthquake. However after 4 years, he is still awaiting the geotechnical classification of many accelerographic record stations for the earthquake, due to the economic constraints of soil surveys. “such a classification is needed to link the spectral forms to groups of soils with different dynamic amplification characteristics,” says the scholar, who

worked with newmark, his PhD thesis adviser at the University of Illinois.

Professor riddell also researches seismic threat, i.e., he determines the ground accelerations that could affect different sites (geographic locations) during an earthquake. “It is basically a probabilistic matter, since the occurrence of earthquakes, especially the larger ones, is essentially uncertain. for example, we could define which event may occur with a 10% probability in a 50-year period, which is mathematically equivalent to a return period of 475 years,” he affirms.

Dr. riddell points out that in addition to the threat, the risk itself can be assessed. “The risk is the economic assessment of the damage that an earthquake of a given magnitude can produce. This depends not only on the earthquake itself but clearly on both the materials and the structural design of a structure,” explains the professor. Dr. riddell is co-author of a paper published in 2002 in the journal, engineering structures, elsevier science Ltd.: “An integrated model for earthquake risk assessment of buildings”, co-authors M. Alvarez, Jc De la Llera, and T. fischer. This paper received the honor of being awarded Best Paper of the Year by the magazine.

rafael riddell

PrOfessOr eMerITUsDepartment of Structural and




Doctor of Philosophy, University of Illinois, United States


development of eaRly WaRning systems

Forty years ago, telecommunications in general were all analog. Internet did not exist, there were no mobile phones, and long distance telephony was via satellite. “Today the situation is completely different,” says the Professor, Miguel ríos.

“Progress in telecommunications over the past 20 years has been amazing. There have been technologies that have disappeared and others have conformed to expectations,” he points out.

When he undertook his graduate studies at the University of Ottawa in canada, ríos worked on LAn protocols (Local Area networks). He created a protocol that is currently not in use, but did provide a scientific contribution to the area of telecommunications.

During his career he has participated as head researcher or co-researcher on numerous projects, which have generated more than 60 national and international publications.

He is currently working with the national research center for Integrated natural Disaster Management (cIGIDen). He works on an early warning system to detect earthquakes and then transmit that information to control centers like the national emergency Office of the Ministry of the Interior and Public security (Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública-OneMI), the final aim of which is to

forewarn the population so that it is prepared before an earthquake takes place.

The professor of the Department of electrical engineering said that he initially thought he was going to have to design the system from scratch. However, there are some things that can be bought. His contribution will focus on the architecture of the whole system. This involves defining the sensors and how they connect with each other, which requires a direct communication system to OneMI, plus software that receives the signals emitted by an earthquake.

“The main difference between the system I am proposing and the Japanese system is that theirs has an elevated cost. They use a different detection structure to the one I propose,” says Professor ríos.

His idea is to position sensors that transmit coded information to Antofagasta, and from there disseminate the information. He explains that the research will need to define the architecture, and conduct modeling and simulations to ensure that the system works well. He confesses that the most critical issue is time. “If it takes you more than a minute, the earthquake has probably already occurred.”

“This research will not solve the problem, but it will help us make public policy recommendations and that will be extremely useful,” says the professor.

Miguel rÍosAssOcIATe PrOfessOr



Master of Science, University of Ottawa, Canada

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Ottawa, Canada


a secuRe inteRconnection betWeen the sic and sing

In January 2014, the Chilean senate approved the latest observations made to the project that allows the state to authorize the electrical interconnection between the Interconnected central Grid (sIc in its spanish acronym) and the far-north Interconnected Grid (sInG), in order to strengthen the country’s electric power matrix and meet its growing energy needs.

sebastián ríos pursues research that includes a technical analysis of the static and dynamic behavior of the Unified Power system upon the occurrence of critical disturbances that may occur anywhere in the electrical system and particularly in the future interconnected grid.

ríos is specifically focused on the dynamics related to the operation status of the unified system when failures and disturbances occur. “There may be a breakdown anywhere in the electrical system, from Arica to chiloé. My job is to study, analyze, and verify through mathematical models, controllers designs and computer simulation methods of the operation, so that when a disruption occurs, the unified system can quickly resume stable operation, with a good power oscillation damping level and implementation of the remaining established metrics,” states the academic.

“How do you get the Unified Power system to respond to disturbances with power oscillation damping?” the professor asks in his research. “This is done by incorporating modern technologies with fAcTs (flexible

Ac Transmission systems) equipment or elements such as sVc (static Var compensators) and/or Tcsc (Thyristor controlled series capacitors), which have Primary and secondary controls. These controls are responsible for damping power oscillations, which is the focus of our research, to design and coordinate these primary and secondary controllers,” he says.

ríos is also clear and emphatic about the kind of interconnection required in the future unified electrical system.

“There must be a double circuit transmission line with an intermediate substation and Alternating current technology between the sIc and sInG electrical systems. It is the most suitable for the country, both technically and economically, as it allows, among other things, the integration of renewable energy at a minimal cost across the full length of a wide strip of the country, about 600 kilometers. It will also provide an inexpensive supply to future large industrial projects developed along this strip. finally, the Alternating current technological solution has an approximate total cost of UsD690 million, a much lower value than the overall cost of technology solutions through a Direct current transmission line,” concludes ríos.

sebastián rÍos PrOfessOr



Master of Science, Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom



haRvesting the futuRe

Professor Rivera knows that mist water can be captured and used to solve droughts.

“for engineers, this is almost virgin territory,” he says.

Universidad católica Professor of Geography, Pilar cereceda, asked him to join her effort with fog collectors. “fog collectors” are mesh barriers installed at strategic locations to collect droplets of 10-20 microns and channel them through the force of gravity into a container or receptacle.

He was hesitant to accept the invitation, but he realized that without an understanding of the physical principles of the process, there would be no theory or modeling. He accepted.

Today the professor is an expert on the subject, and through his participation in the MIsTI-MIT program, he has generated a virtuous process between Universidad católica and the University of cambridge.

The main objective is to reduce the cost per cubic meter of fog water. And MIT is not his only partnership; he met chris Pedersen almost by chance, who patented a type of mesh two decades ago, created through pure intuition, which is highly efficiency in fog harvesting.

Uc, MIT and Pedersen shared the primary goal.

The possible outcomes in a 50-year horizon, are water-supplied towns, forestation or reforestation of current desert lands; business opportunities through the sale of carbon credits; new recreational areas; and new

housing developments, say, alongside picturesque beachfronts that at present are uninhabitable. On an industrial scale, this could supply water for agriculture and mining. On an environmental scale, it could refill aquifers and capture carbon dioxide.

There is a lot to research, starting with the issue of net positioning and angling. Professor rivera’s work with a master’s student has shown that the nets should not cross the wind at a perpendicular angle, as they work best at an acute angle.

In search of efficiency, they have already addressed the question of how dense the mesh should be, the “shading coefficient.” They have also explored the size of the filaments, as water is best collected by thinner meshes, as well as the hysteresis of the angle in which the drop wets the filament: if it is large, the drop doesn’t slide.

In visits to MIT, rivera partnered with Professor Gary McKinley and analyzed the issue of the droplet; if it sticks too much to the mesh it covers the openings, blocking the air passage. And if the droplets don’t stick enough, the wind carries them away. Professor rivera says, “they have already established formulas and graphs to determine how much to reduce the size of the filament so that the mesh doesn’t block up with water.”

Universidad católica provides the theory for calculating the optimal “shading coefficient”; a complex process that can transform the future, similar to the incorporation of wind into electric power generation.

juan de dios riVera

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Mechanical and




Doctor of Philosophy, Pennsylvania State University,

United States


data issues

Cristian Riveros begins by clarifying that he is not concerned with semantics, the meaning of the data in each database. He is not concerned with the meat, but rather the skeleton.

“We study the action of extracting information from a data structure,” he says.

Today the complexity of society generates numerous databases. The owners of vehicles with electronic toll passes make up a highway database; newspaper subscribers, the newspaper’s client database; students and alumni of universities...and the list goes on.

Databases keep Professor riveros busy, as well as millions of people who search current sources of information available today: Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, and others.

The databases that interest Professor riveros are more complex. They respond to more structured languages than the flexibility of the questions supported by Google, for example.

A user often grows frustrated when looking for very specific information on a database, because the response often takes too long or does not answer the question. This is the process that has to be optimized.

The first question is what language to use. The next, in reference to the answer, is how to process the data to ensure a correct answer in the shortest possible time.

Logic, rhetoric and language structure have been studied since the time of ancient Greece. Professor riveros joins in the analysis in an attempt to develop standards that help clarify the queries.

He also studies the internal organization of the database. Where to locate data and how to organize it? How to index it? What algorithms to design that will act like robots to organize and search for data?

He works with highly abstract mathematical tools. He models the computer, the computing process, and where there is a procedure, he asks how to optimize it.

He opts for a model of an abstract machine, one that answers yes/no, like an automaton, or another model that is better able to undertake calculations and identify gray areas in the information.

He focuses on the finite automatons model, on getting the most out of its properties, on identifying its weaknesses, its strengths, and eventually connecting language and database.

In the end, he hopes to generate solutions for the user, useful for whoever makes a search and gets a relevant and timely answer, even though the user may never know the backend work that went into this.

cristián riVeros

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Computer

Science

Bachelor of Mathematics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de

Chile


Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford, United Kingdom


contRibuting to public decision maKing

“Helping to improve public decision making” is partly what motivates Professor Luis rizzi, who works on the valuation of the benefits associated with public health projects related to air quality and traffic safety. He is currently involved in a project commissioned by the Ministry of environment, which aims at valuing reductions in the risk of mortality associated with air quality and/or traffic safety improvements.

The academic notes that one could naively say that the cause of a death is irrelevant. However, he says the opposite is also true. He argues that the way we face different risks of death is not the same. “The less control we have over a particular risk, the greater the sense of insecurity, which causes a change in behavior,” he explains.

Professor rizzi notes that there is enough scientific evidence that indicates that one of the harmful effects of air pollution is cardiorespiratory mortality. “Life expectancy changes if a person lives in a polluted city, which is why private companies are required to invest

in air quality improvements. The question is up to what point is this cost justified,” he says.

The Institute of sociology of the Pontificia Universidad católica de chile is also involved in this project, in addition to the school of engineering and DIcTUc. This institute will conduct the surveys and raise hypothetical alternative scenarios. A random sample will be taken in santiago. “What we want to know is how much people are willing to pay to be exposed to better air quality or greater traffic safety,” says Professor rizzi.

“Our contribution will be to generate the context in order to obtain the information needed for better decision making,” he says. This will also require processing epidemiological information and its impact on health, as well as data related to traffic accidents. He will apply statistical tools and make an econometric analysis.

“In terms of public decisions, our analysis will help determine how much should be invested in improving air quality and/or road safety,” says rizzi.

luis rizzi AssOcIATe PrOfessOr


Bachelor of Economics, Universidad de Buenos Aires,

Argentina

Master of Arts, University of Leeds, United Kingdom



fRom design to implementation of public policies in eneRgy

Dr. Hugh Rudnick Van de Wyngard not only contributes through his technical vision as an electrical engineer, of master researcher in energy, but also through his political experience.

He has the necessary political, legal and social vision. rudnick has been called to join national commissions studying the energy issue. He passionately follows new efforts in energy generation, transmission, distribution and use ... and efficiency issues. And he knows how much clout people’s reaction has on a proposed energy generation or distribution: “not in my back yard.”

He focuses his research on the development of electric power generation systems and electricity markets, considering aspects of planning, operation and regulation.

His main objective is to contribute to the development of sustainable power systems, considering different dimensions: technical, safety, economic, environmental.

Professor rudnick has developed international research projects in electric energy, contributing technical and economic models, mathematical optimization algorithms, regulatory pricing methods, energy policy proposals and more. He has published over 300 articles in peer-reviewed magazines and participated in international technical conferences.

Perhaps what is most rewarding to professor rudnick are his students. He has directed more than 80 graduate students in the field of energy, creating a permanent network for the exchange of experience and knowledge. His students have instituted the “Hugh rudnick Award” granted periodically.

His research has contributed to the development of sustainable electrical systems, especially in the deregulation of the electricity sector, the organization of competitive markets, regulation and pricing of electricity transmission and distribution, and the definition of public policies in energy.

Professor rudnick’s studies and contributions have brought support to businesses and governments in Latin America, north America and europe, as well as the UnDP, UncTAD, and the World Bank. His work has served as a reference for deregulatory processes in other parts of the world too.

Professor rudnick felt compelled to dig deeper into these issues when he participated in the early stages of market deregulation, a pioneering development in chile, bringing together the identification of industry needs that were not being met either locally or internationally.

And he continues in this field, as one of the most well-traveled researchers from the school of engineering.

hugh rudnicKPrOfessOr eMerITUs



Master of Science, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Manchester, United

Kingdom


micRoalgae foR biofuel pRoduction

In the Laboratory of Renewable energy and Waste, Professor césar sáez performs research and development in the area of bioenergy, specifically focused on the production of biofuels such as biodiesel from microalgae and photocatalytic and biological hydrogen production.

He strongly pursues the possibility of having a sustained production of biofuels from microalgae in northern chile, through the Algaefuels Biofuels consortium, where he leads the engineering area, which is formed by several companies, and the Universidad católica’s faculty of Biological sciences and school of engineering.

Until now, microalgae cultures in chile were oriented toward the nutraceutical market and their volume was very small. However, with this project, the goal is to produce biodiesel from microalgae culture oil extraction taking place in the north of the country.

His work focuses on production in the desert, particularly in Mejillones in the Antofagasta region, a strategic site for the large-scale production of these photosynthetic microorganisms. The soil in this area has no agricultural value and has a high presence of carbon dioxide sources. Moreover, it is a flat land with seawater nearby, high solar radiation and limited cloud cover.

The professor proudly states that there are about 20 thousand hectares available for open cultivation (shallow pools) and explains that although the amount of fuel produced would be small compared to national consumption, what’s most important, “is that it would be introducing a significant carbon-neutral fraction to the fuel circuit in chile, i.e., photosynthetic organisms are used for collection, fuel is produced and combusted in a virtuous circle, which is the direction society needs to take regarding fossil fuels.”

Professor sáez and his team designed a process plant to efficiently drain algae from the aqueous environment in terms of energy and cost. This is already a great challenge overcome, considering that given the low concentrations of a few grams per liter, other drainage alternatives, for example evaporation of water or centrifugation, would involve high costs. His next challenge is to find the best way to extract oils for biofuel production.

In the future the professor wants to extend the use of microalgae to purposes other than biofuels. By applying the concept of biorefinery, he wants to utilize every last fraction of the organism, for animal or human nutrition, for example.

césar sáezAssOcIATe PrOfessOr


Bachelor of Engineering Science, major in Industrial Engineering,

Universidad de Chile

Bachelor of Engineering Science, major in Chemical Engineering,




Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh, United

Kingdom


seismic zoning in noRtheRn chile

Northern Chile is one of the possible sites for the country’s next major earthquake. A multidisciplinary team is developing a project in the area, led by the Department of structural and Geotechnical engineering. Its goal is to develop seismic hazard and vulnerability maps, which will provide information in digital, qualitative and analog format to Google earth. from the field of seismic Micro-zoning, Professor esteban sáez works to assess the effect that an earthquake will have on land with different characteristics.

His focus is on the study of soils. He collects available information on these and supplements it with as many geophysical measurements as he can, which allow him to make a thorough characterization of the properties of the sites. He also performs large-scale computer analyses to develop possible site responses, based on the property of the materials.

recently the academic of the Department of structural and Geotechnical engineering acquired a computer that performs dynamic experiments from soil samples taken in the field. “We will feed the field description we currently have with geophysical and laboratory data in order to arrive at a realistic numerical modeling of the problem,” says the professor.

focused on the cities of Arica and Iquique, located in northern chile, the research team is working on a web search platform, which will add new data as it is generated. for example, if the authorities are planning to build a hospital, they will be able to access this platform, which will indicate the movement characteristics of the site.

“This web platform will be a decision-making tool for both the authorities and the public as a whole,” says the professor. They will be able to tell if a building located in a given area is likely to move more than another located relatively close by. The idea is that the authorities can make good decisions regarding intervention or construction, based on the specific seismic risk of each site.

According to Professor sáez although this research will not result in regulations, it will provide recommendations that may motivate the authorities to review seismic construction standards for northern chile, an area that has accumulated a vast amount of kinetic energy and where, according to experts, the next major seismic event in the country is likely to occur.

esteban sáezAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr


Civil Engineer and Master of Science, Universidad Técnica

Federico Santa María, Chile

Master of Science, École Nationale des Ponts-et-Chaussées, France

Doctor of Philosophy, École Centrale Paris, France


incessant agitatoR

Professor Ricardo San Martín builds an atmosphere around him for design thinking, which seems to spring from him like a steady beat and encourages his students along a similar path.

He debunks the expression, “if you cannot do it, just teach it.” He demonstrates how designs live their test of fire when they are commercially integrated into society. He has pursued the development of botanical extracts for worldwide use, having developed these extracts from native chilean or locally grown plants.

“There’s no reason for chile to export raw materials,” he says. The technology is available for local production. “I’ve always felt that as engineers we should contribute to building new technological companies in chile.”

He and his students have developed several commercial products, as well as a production company mainly based on the soapbark tree. This is an endemic tree to chile, the Quillaja saponaria, which provides the raw material for many services and applications.

for example, BAsf distributes natural nematicide, based on soapbark, thanks to Professor san Martín’s enterprise. Likewise, codelco, the chilean state copper company,

along with other international mining companies, currently apply an acid mist generation mitigator, also derived from the soapbark tree, in electro-winning plants for this metal. soapbark extract is also used as a vaccine adjuvant in both animals (BAYer - fMD) and humans (GsK – against malaria).

Professor san Martín does not rest, and to observe him reminds one of nicola Tesla in his permanent quest for basic research applications. Of course he could just continue with what he has to date achieved: the ecologically sustainable use of a national resource such as soapbark; the setting up of a company that provides direct employment to 150 people and indirect employment to 200 others; exports totaling more than UsD10 million per year. But it is not in his DnA to stop here.

In 2013 he placed his efforts as a visiting academic on opening up new directions at the University of california in Berkeley, and he now works for the Universidad católica from that institution, establishing a bridge between its students and silicon Valley, motivating all those who come within his sphere of influence.

ricardo san MartÍn

PrOfessOrDepartment of Chemical




Doctor of Philosophy, Imperial College of Science and Technology,

United Kingdom


assessing the seismic behavioR of masonRy constRuctions

Chile is one of the most seismically active countries and the world. The february 27, 2010 earthquake once again put the earthquake resistant design of chilean buildings to the test. Buildings constructed with reinforced masonry in particular suffered damage, in some cases severe damage, prompting Professor cristián sandoval, a specialist in modeling modern conventional masonry structures and historic structures, to conduct a research project to evaluate the vulnerability of this structural typology.

Using an approach similar to his 2011 doctoral thesis research, he tested full scale masonry, which underwent cyclic lateral loading, and he then numerically reproduced these tests. The objective was to establish the influence of several parameters that determine the behavior of these walls, and then propose an alternative design formula to current national regulations.

The numerical tools used by the academic in the modeling of reinforced masonry structures, are applied to both modern and historic buildings, which

enabled him to evaluate the seismic performance of older buildings also built with masonry. As for repair and reinforcement, he says the principle of minimum intervention is what matters. “The priority is that it is reversible.” The models generated should provide an assessment of different reinforcement strategies.

Masonry is a brittle material that is virtually unable to resist any tensile stresses. The challenge is to control that tension, while complying with chilean seismic design regulations. There is currently a lot of experimental information available, which can use digital tools to be extended through a kind of “numerical experimentation.”

“My goal is that by using a combination of experiments and numerical modeling, this research enables us to formulate an alternative design equation that considers all the variables that influence the design of reinforced masonry walls,” says Professor sandoval.

cristián sandoVal

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Structural and

Geotechnical Engineering Faculty of Architecture, Design

and Urban Studies

Civil Engineer, Universidad Austral de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya, Spain


multiplying Resistance

When we look at a picture of a mammal’s anatomy, we can see that that what holds it up is not only its skeleton; there are tendons and muscle ligatures that help to keep it upright.

This is how researcher Hernán santa María approaches masonry walls. could carbon fibers be used to reinforce or repair them?

fibers became commonplace globally in civil engineering in the 1980s, but not in chile, a seismic country, where more than 50% of homes consist of masonry, many in the poorest social sectors.

repairing or rehabilitating housing is costly, and the industry welcomes research into the use of fibers in masonry to minimize costs.

Professor santa María found that there was insufficient rigorous experimental research on shear strength in masonry walls. There was, however, research on reinforcing walls outside their plane, called emptying a wall, but not for forces acting inside the plane.

A swift kick can break the shinbone. You can’t do much by “emptying” titanium plates or surrounding the leg with grids.

Professor santa María turned to carbon fibers, the equivalent of tendons in the leg. He took clay brick walls and put them through loading and unloading cycles on their plane, measuring the results. Then he reinforced identical walls, adding fibers to their surface, assuming that this would increase their resistance and deformability capacity compared with the unreinforced walls. “We tried different fiber densities and different directions” ...diagonal and horizontal. The fibers fulfilled their role:

“They significantly increase the resistance, and you can even control how much you want to increase resistance... You can design!,” he says. It also increases the ability of lateral wall deformation, which helps redistribute force in a building in the event of damage.

But, post-disaster, what do you do with traditional masonry walls?

They used fiber to reinforce previously damaged walls, taking advantage of the newly acquired knowledge. “We noted that, even when there was significant damage, you can recover the strength of the wall and part of its rigidity.”

They were able to produce a damaged and repaired wall with the same ultimate strength as an undamaged wall that had been reinforced with the same amount of fiber.

These results and others have been used to define U.s. construction standards, he says proudly. But he still regrets that they are not being used in vulnerable buildings in chile, such as social housing or cultural heritage buildings.

for example, fiber should be used on heritage structures, because it is non-invasive; you adhere it, it’s between 0.1 and 0.3 mm thick, then you cover it, with no impact.

Although the fibers are rather expensive, they offer a solution to protect structures through increased resistance. And they are there available for use in repair.

They are very light, they are applied quickly and they set within hours. “You can’t just compare the direct costs of the system, but all of the costs associated with a repair project,” he says, and he knows that this means breaking traditions.

hernán santa MarÍa

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Structural and



Master of Science, University of Texas, Austin, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Texas, Austin, United States


pRoactiveness in the electRic poWeR system

The 1980s reform which decentralized the chilean electric power system resolved many problems, but these were quickly replaced with the significant challenge of coordinating different agents responsible for power transmission, distribution and generation. This is what motivated the professor, in conjunction with a professor from Berkeley, to propose a previously unheard of concept called proactive power grid planning.

The professor says his research has shown that a “proactive planning of the transmission network can induce a customized installation of generators in places where they are most needed”. His study focuses on assessing the best way to expand the power grid, i.e., which lines should be built, considering all the energy that could be in the system: conventional, coal, oil, gas and renewables, such as solar, wind and geothermal energy.

“Although in percentage terms, savings on social costs may not be much, but this percentage on the electric power system means savings of several billion dollars. By being proactive, we can be more efficient in terms of a greater social benefit and we can also pursue additional

objectives, for example, encourage renewable energy, through a network planning that promotes renewable generators to be installed in locations where they are most needed. As we develop more sophisticated models that represent the interactions between different agents, we become more confident that what we say is correct in terms of actual setup costs for this renewable energy goal or another.”

The professor’s proposed system is already being discussed at the state level in the United states, and has been implemented in some areas of canada. In chile more discussion is needed.

enzo sauma applies the design of mechanisms and game theory in analyzing electricity markets. On the one hand, he is concerned with analyzing the structure of the market, an economic analysis of the consequences of different public policies, and on the other, he focuses on the modeling of different planning or operation processes for electrical systems, which require coordination with various actors and the regulatory entity that dictates public policy.

enzo sauMaAssOcIATe PrOfessOr




Chile

Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations

Research, University of California, Berkeley, United States

Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering and Operations



an essential tool foR the WoRK of oRganizations

Each day the amount of stored data is multiplied, which implies significant challenges to store and analyze such information for any type of organization. To facilitate this, Professor Marcos sepúlveda, a specialist in the area of Process Mining, works to develop tools to help discover and improve their performance.

He develops tools able to discover more effectively the reality of an organization’s processes, to see whether they run the way they should. “This helps determine who is making mistakes, in order to correct them, but it can also detect if someone has taken an interesting approach to a given process, so this can later be replicated to the rest of the organization.”

Professor sepúlveda explains that they analyze temporary performance. How long does the process take? What are the different ways to run the process? Algorithms are used that run on a software package. The input from this software is recorded as events and stores information such as what the activities are, who runs them and when they are carried out. This information is used to create diagrams describing the process.

Professor sepúlveda works with graduate students from the school of engineering to develop techniques that

work with a larger amount of information than previously possible, leading to enhanced performance. He says that one of the most interesting things he has done recently is the prediction of remaining time. He developed an algorithm with a student to estimate the time remaining to complete an on-going process.

“We developed new software that extracts more complete information than other algorithms, which have improved the existing techniques,” says sepúlveda.

Professor sepulveda worked with another master’s student to expand the concept to estimate remaining costs. How much do I need to spend to complete the process? Is it worth it compared to the profit generated? He stresses that the work they have done with these students has been quite forward-thinking and innovative. “It opens an unexplored line of research within the area of Process Mining,” he says.

“Using the tools of Process Mining we can help increase organizational productivity and efficiency,” concludes Professor sepúlveda.

Marcos sepúlVeda

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Computer

Science





a KnoWledge-based appRoach to suppoRt RisK management in constRuction pRojects

Professor Serpell works with a team of researchers and graduate students in direct contact with the construction industry. “Almost everything we have done in research, to a greater or lesser extent, has been transferred to the industry or at least to one of the companies we have worked with,” he states proudly.

His desire is to help improve the sector’s performance. He is currently leading a fOnDecYT project that addresses the questions: To what extent is risk management applied to construction projects in chile? How can it be improved? What contributions can knowledge management make in this regard? Various questions have already been addressed in recent years, such as: Which useful knowledge management application can be used? How can we innovate in the industry? How can we develop innovation management?

for Alfredo serpell, risk management presents major challenges. “We study how to help companies improve risk management so that they can properly address situations of uncertainty and risk that occur in projects and are often not anticipated, resulting in very negative consequences,” explains the professor. A risk analysis and identification, coupled with the development of appropriate responses, will help minimize or manage risks better. serpell warns that poor risk management also affects the customer-contractor relationship, creating conflicts and economic loss for both the customer and the contractor. In chile, there is still

little knowledge on this subject and in many cases the risks are ignored.

serpell is also looking for new knowledge management approaches and applications in construction. He says that “knowledge that is generated for each project should be made available to the rest of the organization.” from the vantage point of risk management, this point becomes stronger. “If all experience and lessons learned are documented for use in future projects, a company can use this to do things better the next time or at least not make the same mistake again,” he explains.

Innovation also plays a role in this field. serpell’s experience confirms it. “Incorporating technology and new ways of doing things improves the performance of companies in all areas, resulting in better projects and better companies.” He developed a tool to measure the degree of maturity of innovation management within a group of construction companies, in order to see if they were doing something about it and how they were approaching it, i.e., if the degree of organizational maturity in this area was enough and if there was room for improvement.

“We must be alert to opportunities that both hard and soft technology can provide for project management. We want to further innovation and make it more effective and enhance its impact for the development and benefit of the company and its projects,” he concludes.

alfredo serpell

PrOfessOrDepartment of Construction



Master of Science, University of Texas, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Texas, United States


toWaRds a moRe sustainable city

As cities continue to grow, concrete has become the most requested building material worldwide.

The figures speak for themselves: according to the most conservative estimates, global demand for concrete now exceeds 35 billion tons per annum, concentrated mainly in cities located in developed and developing nations. consequently, the production of cement and concrete, and demolition waste, have a significant impact on the environment.

chilean cities are no exception. “There are many illegal construction waste dumps, where concrete is one of the most substantial and significant materials,” points out Professor ricardo serpell. One of the academic’s main areas of research is the development of methods for recycling and the sustainable production of cement and concrete.

serpell has explored alternatives for the recycling of waste concrete based on different types of processes. More recently, his research has focused on the production of cementitious materials recycled via the thermal treatment of waste. During the process, “cement dehydrates and forms new reactive compounds,” indicates the researcher.

His research is focused on studying the parameters that affect the quality of recycled material, such as

the composition of the original concrete. “results so far have been quite encouraging and we now have to identify a feasible scenario for this method from an environmental and economic point of view,” he says.

According to serpell’s estimates, recycling through the use of heat is the most cost-effective option given that much higher temperatures are needed to manufacture conventional cements compared to the recycling process. He has already considered possible applications of his research. “companies could have a mobile plant that reactivates material for reuse at the same construction site.” Projects that produce large amounts of waste concrete would benefit from recycling and reusing these materials, as this would substantially reduce their impact on the environment.

The recycling of construction waste is closely linked to another area of the professor’s research. He has been working on the restoration of heritage structures with cristián sandoval, another academic at the school of engineering. serpell is fully committed to assessing the uses of existing materials and the development of compatible materials for their restoration. “Today the city is our environment and the good preservation of its infrastructure and buildings is critical to our quality of life,” he concludes.

ricardo serpell

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Construction


Architect, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master’s and Doctorate in Engineering Sciences, Pontificia



intelligent Robots

In recent years, the creation of machines that try to mimic human behavior has become increasingly more common. considered one of the pioneers in the development of social robotics in our country, Professor Álvaro soto has focused his research on the development of machine learning and cognitive robotics, namely, giving computers the capacity to learn from their experience. Just as we acquire new skills through experimentation with the world, the idea is that a robot may also acquire and develop new knowledge through machine-learning techniques.

In 2001, after obtaining his doctorate degree, Professor soto began to develop initiatives in chile focused on the autonomous navigation of robots. How can you get a robot to build a map of the environment and navigate it without the need for someone to lead it? That was one of the first challenges that the professor considered. Motivated by this challenge, he developed algorithms for the construction of environmental maps, and obstacle detection and avoidance, and made autonomous navigation designs. And the goal was achieved: a computer-operated machine was able to act autonomously in indoor environments such as an office building.

Professor soto recalls that he was aware of the limitations the robot still had; its representation of the environment in particular was still too primitive. for the robot, doors, furniture or corridors were only free

or occupied spaces to navigate. “We had to improve the representation of the environment and increase the robot’s semantic understanding, so I started working on the area of visual perception. Humans use vision to distinguish objects, people, actions, or scenarios, so we wanted to give the robot the ability to semantically understand its environment.”

Professor soto’s research today is focused on providing a mobile robot with visual perception modules. This means that “the robot can understand its environment, know that what is before him is a door, not simply an obstacle, and the robot can potentially open that door and move on.” he explains. “The idea is to generate higher-level tasks, with greater semantics so that the robot can visit a person or search for a book, for example.” He has also collaborated with the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in this area.

“I want to make a significant contribution to the technological development of chile, both through the creation of intelligent machines, and in training new generations who are interested in the development of this area in chile,” says Professor soto. “If we can provide a robot with suitable systems of perception, this will be the beginning of a new technological revolution, opening a wide range of applications that will significantly change our daily lives.”

álVaro sotoAssOcIATe PrOfessOr



Master of Science, Louisiana State University, United States



ReneWable eneRgies and innovative tempeRatuRe measuRement systems that benefit WateR ResouRces

Due to the high availability of solar energy, the low availability of fresh water in the northern regions of chile and the social role of water for both human life and environmental conservation, Professor francisco suárez focuses his research on this field. A specialist in distributed temperature sensing systems to quantify water resources, one of his motivations is to maximize water availability for society.

During his doctorate studies, he studied the use of salt-gradient solar ponds to collect and store solar energy, to desalinate water and to reduce the salinity of terminal lakes. His research was focused on the use of computer fluid dynamic models to represent double heat and salt diffusion phenomena in solar ponds, and on experimental evaluation of a thermal desalination pilot system linked to these ponds. Based on the data collected, he has found that by reducing evaporation in the solar pond, the stored energy can be increased by approximately 20%, which is associated with an increased production of fresh water.

By using innovative f iber-optic distributed temperature sensing systems and monitoring the thermal performance of solar ponds, he observes how water moves within the environment, which enables

quantification of water resources in natural systems. “With this technology we can see movement distributed over time and space, at a spatial scale of the order of centimeters for distances up to 5 km or more. This allows us to study interactions between surface water and groundwater, hydrogeological processes, explore geothermal resources, analyze eco-hydrology issues, engineering and many other disciplines,” explains professor suárez, who has driven the development of this technology in chile.

His research focuses on hydrological processes, addressing issues of evaporation in both solar ponds and arid soils. He looks at arid soils in order to quantify the natural availability of water resources in areas where the only water source comes from underground reservoirs. His goal is to be able to generate fresh water in arid areas, where there are only saline waters. “The idea is to generate greater availability of water for society as a whole, but primarily benefiting small towns in northern chile. This can be achieved in two ways: developing engineering systems that allow us to create new sources of fresh water, and understanding the hydrological balance in its natural state,” underlines.

francisco suárez

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Hydraulic and


Hydraulics Civil Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de

Chile


Doctor of Philosophy, University of Nevada, United States


integRation of advanced technology to study bRain activity

“In Chile there is no equipment capable of simulta-neously measuring the electrical and hemodynamic activity of the brain,” says Professor cristián Tejos, in reference to a new technology he has acquired, which will perform functional imaging through magnetic resonance imaging (fMrI) at the same time as an elec-troencephalograph (eeG). These two techniques allow us to observe brain activity and identify which areas of the brain are activated when performing certain tasks or when exposed to certain stimuli.

Through eeG we can measure the electrical activity of the brain and determine fairly accurately when it produced brain activation, whereas we use the fMrI to measure hemodynamic brain activity and thus know precisely where this activation occurred. “The focus of this project is to bring the two worlds of functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography together, to create a brain activation map that can locate things in precise time and space,” explains the professor of the Department of electrical engineering and the center for Biomedical Imaging.

The standard eeG and fMrI equipment are not compatible, so he is in the process of integrating hardware and software needed for his research. His challenge is to use this equipment to combine eeG and fMrI in a single tool. “This would enable us to obtain a map of brain activity that is able to accurately measure where and when each activation occurs.”

He also uses these tools with researchers from the Universidad católica’s neuroscience center to develop Brain computer Interfaces (BcI). The idea is for people

to develop the capacity to learn to control their brain activity when they cannot do it naturally. “Our focus is on developing knowledge and understanding how a brain works, what things are important and what is happening.”

“Think of a person who had an accident and lost his motor function,” he says. Through this technology this person can train his brain to think that it is moving his foot, hands or arms. “This task is carried out mentally and can be measured and employed to control devices that can perform these functions for us or develop therapeutic tools.”

One of these tools can be used for certain psychiatric disorders. In therapeutic terms we want to control certain emotions that might lead to depression or other pathology; in a sense “train ourselves to develop a cure for certain diseases.”

He will have to solve a lot of scientific, mathematical and technological problems. He explains that the complete system cannot be purchased, so they must join software with hardware from different manufacturers and companies. The key is that “we have to make these tools talk to each other.”

“This is not one piece of equipment; it’s a whole system that involves a magnetic resonator and the addition of multiple hardware and software devices. It’s quite a development and it will provide better quality brain activation maps, which will impact the development of knowledge and improve the quality of life of humans.”

cristián tejos AssOcIATe PrOfessOr


Industrial Civil Engineer, major in Electricity, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile


Chile

Master of Science, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge,

United Kingdom


peRfecting the design and constRuction of Road infRastRuctuRe

About 35 years ago, Guillermo Thenoux set out to contribute to improving road infrastructure. He studied in england and the United states and has visited universities and research centers in europe, Australia and south Africa, in order to bring to chile new knowledge, while also developing some of his own. He formed the center for engineering and road research (Centro de Ingeniería e Investigación Vial-cIIV) and got his undergraduate and graduate students involved in order to connect academia with practice and develop essentially applied research.

Among his contributions, Guillermo Thenoux and his team pursued research and transfer of innovative pavement recycling techniques, gaining international recognition for recycling both concrete pavements and asphalt. Their slogan: “We reuse the same roads and improve them.”

His work has been the subject of coursework and government and private consulting contracts throughout Latin America. With his ears to the ground and constant travels within Latin America, he detected that roads with low transit, or the “roads of the poor,” didn’t get the engineering attention they needed. since this discovery, he has committed to developing special

engineering for these routes, which account for “80% of road infrastructure in Latin America” and launched a project for the chilean government’s Ministry of Public Works.

Through his extensive research in the field of roads and pavements, he attracted students to the graduate program from all over Latin America. Working with students has allowed him to develop very specific research topics, such as: reduction of aging of asphalt pavements through the use of grape skins and seeds; recycling of concrete pavement through resonant micro-crushing; measuring dust emitted directly from the vehicle wheel; on-site asphalt recycling with foaming technique; development of high-strength ultra-lightweight concrete; development of articulated asphalt pavements that don’t suffer from fatigue; and use of Magnesium chloride for complete dust emission control, etc.

Guillermo Thenoux has earned several awards for the quality of his teaching and his publications. He currently places the greater part of his energy into the topic he’s been most concerned about in recent years; improving the engineering and quality of pavement projects.

guillerMo thenoux

PrOfessOrDepartment of Construction



Master of Science, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, Oregon State University, United States


oRe economy: the impoRtance of competitiveness in a coppeR-pRoducing countRy

Copper is Chile’s main export and primary national source of revenue. Its importance in the domestic market is undeniable.

John Tilton, has worked for years in the study of ore economics, i.e., understanding the market for copper, steel and other minerals, metals and commodities. “I’m interested in economics and public policy associated with mining and metal production,” says the professor, who has been studying the economy of copper in chile for more than ten years.

recently retired from the colorado school of Mines, Tilton has published several papers and articles throughout his career. One of his last papers was published in “economic issues in mining”, edited by Professor Gustavo Lagos of the University’s Department of Mining engineering, and contained eight articles written by experts from different fields. Tilton participated in “Ore economics: Overview of a discipline,” with richard Gordon of Pennsylvania state University, to provide a review of the discipline since 1945, and in the article “Investor demand and spot commodity prices” where David Humphreys and Marian radetzki analyze the effect of investors on the international ore market.

Professor Tilton is currently in the process of writing a book with Juan Ignacio Guzmán, Adjunct Assistant Professor of school of engineering, where he reviews

the principles of ore economics applied to the domestic market.

The book is divided into three parts and presents an analysis of the application of basic economic principles such as supply and demand in metals and commodities markets. It also compares the relationship between the mineral wealth of a country and its economic development. Another topic researched by Tilton is how the government should promote the competitiveness of the mining industry and whether taxes for mining companies should be higher than regular taxes, among other topics.

One of Professor Tilton’s favorite topics of discussion is the cost of copper production.

“When people say that chile has only 70 years of copper reserves, they are measuring the availability of ore reserves in already discovered deposits, which are easy to extract with today’s technology. But in the coming years, we will find more deposits and develop new technology that will allow us to commercially extract poor quality copper deposits,” he says emphatically. “In 70 years, the question will be: What happened to the cost of producing copper in chile? And from a local point of view, what really matters is how competitive we will be compared to Australia, Mongolia and Peru,” he concludes.

john tiltonADJUncT PrOfessOr


Bachelor of Arts, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International

Affairs, Princeton, United States

Master of Arts, Economics, Yale University, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Economics, Yale University, United States


Robotics in mining and agRicultuRe

Like the rest of the world, chile is moving from open-pit mining to massive underground mining. It is estimated that by 2035, underground mining will prevail worldwide. An example is the world famous largest open-pit copper mine, chuquicamata, which will convert entirely to underground operations in 2019. Professor Miguel Torres notes that the surface deposits are being depleted and massive surface excavations are becoming increasingly less profitable. Building tunnels to enable a more efficient extraction with less environmental impact is gaining strength. Here lies one of the great challenges of his research: to create automated machines that can operate and navigate in tunnels.

“robotics makes sense for highly repetitive, tedious and dangerous tasks,” says Professor Torres, referring to one of his main areas of research. When pursuing his undergraduate studies at the school of engineering at the Pontificia Universidad católica de chile, he began participating in projects in this area that seemed very interesting to him and showed a significant growth potential. “That’s how I found my way into robotics and automation,” he says.

since 2011, the academic of the Department of electrical engineering has worked on automatically controlling robotic arms mounted on mobile platforms. This initiative has direct applications in mining and agriculture.

Tunnels run the risk of cave-ins, so companies have begun to invest in automating the ore extraction with robotic machines. Professor Torres has recently focused on the development of physically accurate simulators that provide reliable numbers on the behavior of mobile robotic manipulators, in order to enhance their design and control.

“How much force do I need to pick up a rock and what is the best way to take hold of it?” poses Torres. He explains that this variable affects the design of more efficient remote-operated or autonomous machines, considering the interaction of the robot with the field, which is essential for a physically realistic simulation of this interaction.

The professor has developed simultaneous localization and mapping (sLAM) algorithms and the automation of an industrial excavator. “The machine builds its own map, but to do this it must know where it is located,” he says. The development of this technology in mining could reduce the risk of accidents and health hazards for people, and in the case of agriculture, it will also help improve productivity,” says the academic. He adds that “not only does this project have an important component of cutting edge research, but it also has an important role in proving to the industry that this technology can be Made in chile.”

Miguel torresAssOcIATe PrOfessOr




Doctor of Philosophy, Mc Gill University, Canada


film is a collaboRative effoRt

She does not like to work alone, she likes to collaborate.

Her personality makes it easy for her to establish professional relationships, with both professors and students. she explicitly says that in chemical and bioprocess engineering, teaching is her passion.

she is a fan of undergraduate research, “they have two years to make mistakes, because it doesn’t count yet.” so, when starting the thesis, “all of that initial energy is already invested.”

for her, the hardest part is starting. More than the persistence required in the laboratory, where you keep perfecting the processes, accepting failures. starting involves assembling a team of collaborators, defining the problem, making the experimental plan, developing protocols, choosing the software. A lot of people grow frustrated and abandon the projects.

she pursues three distinct research areas, where the common thread is polymeric materials.

One project is the use of polymers in edible food coatings. she wants to improve product quality, increase shelf life and enhance their properties.

The second, of a biomedical nature, uses polymers to achieve a final goal: tissue regeneration. This is achieved naturally, it’s true, but the professor wants to support

it by using polymers and cell therapies, when natural regeneration is insufficient.

The third project is more theoretical: the professor and her team use molecular modeling tools to understand the relationship between different molecules. she started with polymers, but she moved on to smaller molecules. It’s about active compounds and their relationship with the solvent extracted. This information is used to better understand processes of solubility and extraction of these compounds.

efforts in the biomedical project have been focused on teambuilding, multidisciplinary work. The team is now in place, the students are hard at work, building fabrication and characterization methods. They explore a process that uses voltages of up to 3000 volts to obtain polymer fibers in a controlled environment.

she works with Professor José Manuel del Valle in modeling; she extracts compounds in supercritical cO2.

But the closest she has come to application is in the food project funded by the copec-Universidad católica foundation. she works with professors José cuevas and ricardo Pérez, looking for edible films based on natural ingredients. They wish to extend the shelf life of salmon by applying these films. “We are very close to proving it can be done,” she says.

loreto ValenzuelaAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr




Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,

United States


developing technology foR laRge telescopes

Chile is a country with enormous potential in astronomy. Interested in contributing to the development of this discipline, Professor Leonardo Vanzi works in the area of astronomical instrumentation. He says the country has always been host to telescopes, but has had no active participation in the construction and development of the technologies involved.

The professor works on the construction of instruments for astronomical observations. Among other projects, he is researching a precision instrument for large international telescopes. The instrument is a multi-object spectrograph for the VLT telescope at cerro Paranal, part of the european southern Observatory (esO), which will allow simultaneous observation of a large number of stars and galaxies and will also obtain their light spectrum.

The instrument, known by the acronym MOOns, will be built by an international consortium, which includes the active participation of the astronomical instrumentation group from the Astro-engineering center at Universidad católica (AIUc), led by Professor Vanzi. Its mission is twofold: develop a system to accurately position a set of optical fibers in the telescope focus and develop the control software for the instrument.

The instrument involves many parts and typically is not developed by a single group. The consortium consists of ten institutions with over a hundred people involved. currently Professor Vanzi, in collaboration with Professor Miguel Torres, is developing system

prototypes. They will travel to england in 2014 to integrate it with the other part of the equipment and test it as a whole. The instrument should start its construction phase in 2015 and it should be operational by around 2020.

The professor says that his work addresses a need in the astronomical community to perform certain types of observations. Their ultimate goal is to respond to scientific inquiries about the origin of the Universe.

Parallel to this, Professor Vanzi is also building a smaller spectrograph in both size and scope, compared to the MOOns, for a telescope in northern chile. “It’s one hundred percent Made in chile,” he highlights.

“We worked for the past two years developing the idea and the design. We handled everything, from the mechanical design, optical design, manufacturing of components, and assembly of components in the lab.”

“At AIUc we are aware that astronomy is a niche. Our aspiration is not to change the face of the country, but we do believe we can make a significant contribution to help chile move away from an economy based exclusively on basic natural resources to an economy that includes technology Made in chile.” We are developing this tool within an area where chile has a huge competitive advantage, which is why we have a strong commitment to the public and private sectors interested in research and innovation.

leonardo Vanzi

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Electrical

Engineering

Bachelor in Physics, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy

Doctor of Philosophy, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy


Waste: the eneRgy of the futuRe

In nature, microorganisms are the main catalysts for the chemical reactions of transformation and mobility of contaminants. The study of microorganisms in the environment and their use in the development of energetically-sustainable treatment systems is one of the motivations of Ignacio Vargas, expert in environmental biotechnology.

The extreme natural habitats of northern chile (i.e., high temperature, salinity, high concentrations of heavy metals) present an excellent opportunity to understand the biological processes that control the mobility of contaminants and to find microorganisms with new and special abilities. This line of research is particularly interesting for the study of microorganisms capable of withstanding these extreme environments and the exploration of strategies to use these capabilities in engineering systems to develop innovative treatment systems and sustainable cities.

reliance on fossil fuels is not sustainable over time and it is time to explore new energy sources. The Microbial fuel cell (Mfc) is a new opportunity to generate clean

energy, using the metabolic activity of bacteria capable of transferring electrons outside of the cell. This type of technology can be used to develop wastewater treatment systems, bioremediation of sediments and more energy-efficient desalination processes. Ignacio Vargas’ Mfc research group is currently developing various initiatives to improve knowledge in this field and find solutions to the country’s needs.

The development of such systems could generate a tremendous impact on low-income communities and remote locations of the country, where there’s no electricity or treatment systems. “If you have a self-sufficient waste treatment system that works by taking the energy from itself, without adding external power, it would be a tremendous step forward in terms of savings for the energy matrix and access to sanitary technologies.” Ignacio Vargas, further projecting the impact of these studies, speaks of cities, and how the integration of constructed natural systems, such as green roofs, wetlands or flood parks could operate as treatment systems and energy sources.

ignacio Vargas

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Hydraulic and


Environmental Civil Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de

Chile


Chile

Post-doctorate Fellow, Pennsylvania State University,

United States


With mathematical gRace

“If you are a researcher, you have to know how to communicate what you research,” says Professor Vera. “That is intrinsic to a university; otherwise, we would just be a research center.”

His students comment on his passion for teaching. He gets excited with mathematics. “I’m a civil engineer, mathematician,” he says when introducing himself. “Mathematics has that grace, since it is, in some way, the top layer of knowledge. Those who understand it well can make a difference. The same concept used in one field can also be used in another.”

He chose operational research, where he applies and develops theory, “very important, absolutely necessary for what you’re doing, but it cannot just be about theory, the basic premise is that it helps to solve problems.”

In one brushstroke, he exemplif ies: operations planning, investment decisions, products delivery, the organization of hospitals.

He develops increasingly complex optimization models. He studies the impact of noise and generates sensitivity analyses. He wants robust computable models, whose solutions do not change significantly when there are variations.

And the demands are increasing: previously a company needed control, for example, of the truck fleet day-by-day; today it’s minute by minute.

And what if the system conditions change?

“Of course you can develop it computationally, but I also want to know more fundamental things. This leads me to study characteristics of the problems, even those that are connected with the geometry of events in multidimensional spaces where these issues are analyzed.”

reality gets complicated. He approaches planning where details are met on different time horizons. Plans often fail because there is no room for flexibility or uncertainty.

He speaks of stochastic optimization, of convex optimization; of new projects where he applies algorithms that he knows well: he works on images in collaboration with Professor Pablo Irarrázaval, and on hospital optimization with Professor Juan carlos ferrer.

He has focused on optimizing, he says, because that’s what interests him and it has a very important practical relevance. It also allows the development and management of “very interesting and quite sophisticated” conceptual, theoretical and algorithmic issues.

“some of us who work on these issues have developed responses from applied research, but we have also generated results in terms of mathematics, which is great, because you generate knowledge on both sides: practical and conceptual knowledge, which interests me as a vocation and as a researcher”.

jorge VeraPrOfessOr


Civil Engineer Mathematician, Universidad de Chile

Master of Science, Cornell University, United States



engineeR at the seRvice of the design of sustainable buildings

What excites Professor Vera is the design of sustainable buildings. He has focused his research in this field on building envelopes and their impact on indoor environmental quality (thermal, visual, acoustic comfort). Professor Vera takes part in r+D+i projects whose main objective is to experimentally evaluate the performance of two types of building envelopes, complex fenestration systems and plant cover. In addition to the experimental work, he collaborates with other researchers and students to conduct modeling for transfer of heat, humidity and air of these envelope systems. He also directed existing building monitoring efforts to assess how its envelope behaves and its impact on the quality of the indoor environment.

With the increasing use of plant cover in chile, new challenges arise that the professor takes as his own. The design and technology of plant walls and ceilings in use come from rainy, wet and/or cold weather, in contrast to the arid and semi-arid climate of central chile. “These covers require an architectural and engineering design that allows them to perform adequately in a climate with low rainfall, high temperatures and solar radiation,” explains Professor Vera. To meet this challenge, he built the Laboratory of Plant Buildings Infrastructure (Laboratorio de Infraestructura Vegetal de Edificios-LIVE), the first r+D+i laboratory of its kind in Latin America.

LIVe currently researches 18 full-scale specimens of green roofs and two specimens of plant walls.

This is a multidisciplinary innovation project, involving the participation of professors from the school of Architecture and the Department of Hydraulic and environmental engineering, along with undergraduate and graduate students from the University. The main concern is to have plant cover solutions of known performance and benefit the city and its buildings. At an urban scale, plant cover helps reduce the “heat island” effect, encourages biodiversity, mitigates noise and air pollution, and reduces water runoff that can cause flooding.

We are currently researching the thermal, biophysical and hydraulic performance of green walls and plant covers. The next challenge, according to Professor Vera, is to research the extent to which these plant covers can reduce air pollution and noise pollution. This could help solve these serious problems present in several cities in chile.

Vera is a research Professor of the center for sustainable Urban Development (Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable-ceDeUs) of the Pontificia Universidad católica de chile, and co-founder of the Integral engineering Unit in sustainable construction (Ingeniería Integral en Construcción Sustentable- IIcos) at DIcTUc.

sergio VeraAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr




Doctor of Philosophy in Building Engineering, Concordia University,

Canada


anticipating eneRgy

Professor Vergara is at the pulse of changes in nuclear energy, which he says, is the basis of other forms of energy. He is attentive to technology and its developments, as well as its complexities in the face of public perception and political views that affect decision making.

Despite the fukushima accident in Japan, and also as a result thereof, the technology continues to evolve. “You have to know it, and size its industrial capacity,” says Professor Vergara. Japan shut down its reactions and some countries have followed suit, thereby increasing greenhouse gas emissions. sooner or later, it will have to be replaced.

Professor Vergara’s students and the master’s program he directs serve as a channel for his constant attention to the issue.

He knows that current nuclear reactors and their technology seem increasingly obsolete. He doesn’t see the industry moving towards a technological change, but “you can reverse the scale”: reducing the size lowers the investment risk and further enhances safety, which, despite the negative press, actually has the lowest mortality and morbidity rates.

The investment is increasing –exaggerated at time due to regulatory issues– and the economic feasibility of projects thus suffers. The investor must assess the likelihood that the completed project will not receive an operating license because of social pressures.

With smaller, less expensive nuclear reactors, the risk is manageable, because “a large reactor that cannot be licensed for reasons beyond the company’s control can lead to bankruptcy.”

He stresses that its conversion is clean and production costs low, contrary to fossil fuels and firewood, which emit greenhouse gases. He does not see shale gas in the long run, because its production is complicated. It needs to be fragmented and requires lots of water, which becomes contaminated and emits carbon.

He believes it is necessary to invest in renewable energy, especially hydropower, but it’s main defect, the natural intermittency, has not yet been overcome.

He is convinced by the progress that distinguishes the new reactors from the old ones. Most units today are second generation, while fifth generation concepts are currently under development, bordering the elusive and attractive nuclear fusion that emulates the processes of the sun.

julio VergaraADJUncT AssOcIATe

PrOfessOrDepartment of Mechanical

Engineering and Metallurgy

Bachelor of Naval Science, Academia Politécnica Naval, Chile

Naval Mechanical Engineer, Academia Politécnica Naval, Chile

Master in Business Administration, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile

Master of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine

Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States

Master of Science in Materials Engineering, Massachusetts Institute

of Technology, United States

Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering, Massachusetts Institute


Doctor of Philosophy in Nuclear Materials Engineering, Massachusetts

Institute of Technology, United States


mathematical models and algoRithms applied to the technology sectoR

The methodological development for problem solving is one of the main interests of academic José Verschae.

Verschae, who received his doctorate from the Department of Mathematics at the Technical University of Berlin, is passionate about his discipline. His area of research is the analysis of algorithms for combinatorial optimization problems.

Professor Verschae has studied mathematical models and algorithms with applications for the technology sector, particularly for companies that need to store large amounts of data.

“As computer firms start to grow, storing large amounts of data in ways that allow quick access along with safeguards in terms of preventing breakdowns in individual storage units becomes an increasingly challenging issue,” he says. “One way to maintain such a system at low cost is to use different sized storage units organized via a large number of servers. The heterogeneity of the storage units can mean that different servers have different capacities. Hence, the need to identify algorithms that allow us to distribute the storage units in a balanced fashion,” states the academic.

Verschae’s research is focused on balancing the capacity of servers via a mathematical model. Part of the difficulty is that this is a dynamic covering a period of time and storage units can of course fail. Therefore, solutions are sought that can adapt to changes undertaking local disturbances to the solution, in order to maintain a nearly optimal quality.

This family of mathematical models can be used in different fields. “The abstract mathematical model can be applied to different areas such as scheduling problems in tasks where the aim is to balance the load of production lines in terms of efficiency,” he points out.

“studying these problems from a theoretical point of view helps us understand the underlying mathematical structure of the problem. This understanding in turn allows for the design of algorithms that can carry this mathematical development to an applied field,” he concludes.

josé VerschaeAssIsTAnT PrOfessOr


Faculty of Mathematics


Dr. rer. nat. ,Technical University of Berlin, Germany


stRengthening small and medium-scale mining

Interested in driving innovation in the mining industry in chile, Professor Álvaro Videla works on developing a leach test to short columns with the goal of generating a protocol for small- and medium-scale mining operations to run feasibility studies of their leaching and bioleaching projects at costs well below those incurred today. “My sight is set on the medium-scale mining industry. If you create opportunities for them, they are potentially more audacious than a large-scale mining corporation in terms of taking risks and pushing innovation”.

The professor from the Department of Mining engineering, explains how he carries out copper ore leach tests. This process exposes the rock surface to an oxidizing solution under conditions that cause the copper to change its state from solid to liquid, thereby obtaining copper. “The test is carried out in one-meter columns, where all variables are controlled. The results are scaled to anticipate what might happen in an industrial heap leach facility,” says Videla.

Professor Videla works with Professor Marcelo Andía from the school of Medicine to observe the evolution of ferric ion within the columns, using magnetic resonance imaging (MrI). Videla states that they meet regularly to determine how they could look inside these one-meter columns with more precision. “Through the production of ferric ion, we intend to observe the evolution of the bacteria that accelerate the leaching process.”

The researchers have since considered addressing the definition of external conditions that lead to a more uniform bacteria distribution within the porous bed, so that the generation of ferric ion is catalyzed in the

entire column and not just in some areas. The solution to this problem or the development of a monitoring system, would significantly increase the leach process recovery. “We are at an early stage, but we believe that there is potential to increase the leach process recovery by at least 10 points.”

They have used MrI imaging to observe and illuminate the ferric ion in a three dimensional image inside an opaque medium. They use algorithms developed by Professor Marcelo Andía, which are applied during the exposure of the material in the MrI.

“We want to verify the results of ore extraction through a low-cost, non-invasive, non-destructive and reliable test at an early assessment stage of the project, to enable medium-scale mining to raise capital for project development.” His goal is to generate more entrepreneurs in this area.

Today Professor Videla is also focused on the area of purification and refining of elements. He works in manufacturing nano-copper particles from bio-sustainable processes. “It is an important challenge because it would open up tremendous opportunities for small copper producers in chile. They could not only sell electro-refined copper cathodes, but also a much more refined product such as nanoscale powders at a very low cost.”

And they are taking steps in this direction. “We created a clean laboratory with a lot of effort, where we have enough equipment to reach the hundred nanometer range of high purity. We will continue working to achieve the minimum possible size.”

álVaro Videla AssIsTAnT PrOfessOr



Doctor of Philosophy, Metallurgical Engineering,

University of Utah, United States


technological innovation in concRete

The trend in construction projects is to increase concrete requirements and demand higher quality standards. This makes it a challenge for engineers to consider the evolution of the properties of concrete in the design and construction phases, and evaluate the design of materials and construction procedures so that structures perform safely and durably. These are the challenges addressed by Professor carlos Videla, during his long career as a researcher and consultant to construction companies.

The priority research areas for carlos Videla in the field of concrete technology and construction range from the study and modeling of its properties, application development and optimization of special concrete, assessment of its properties in situ and in laboratory, and the analysis of pathologies of construction and the durability of concrete.

As a researcher, he was able to model the long-term shrinkage of concrete made from domestic raw materials to be applied to the structural design and the construction process, and to assess and quantify the impact of different methods for reducing the magnitude of this phenomenon and controlling the occurrence of cracking in buildings.

In the field of research of special concretes, he has made noteworthy contributions in the development

of methodologies for the design of structural concrete mixtures with lightweight aggregates to be applied in construction and prefabrication, roller compacted concrete for dams and porous concrete aggregates for urban permeable pavements. He has also made significant contributions in modeling the properties and optimizing the dosage of high-performance concrete and the mechanical properties of lightweight structural concrete.

Videla also developed a technology for cold agglomeration of fly ash for manufacturing lightweight aggregates for concrete and other projects focused on improving the durability and sustainability of concrete construction.

He has also made considerable contributions in traffic engineering, with active participation in research projects for government organizations aimed at implementing road Management systems for roads and streets throughout the country.

He has received distinctions for his contributions to technological development in concrete and for his vision and perseverance to transfer knowledge from the University to society, such as the “Technology Development” award from the chilean Institute of cement and concrete; “DIcTUc for Development of chile” and Delmar L. Bloem Distinguished Service Award from the American concrete Institute.

carlos VidelaPrOfessOr



Doctor of Philosophy, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom


a peRsonal jouRney

Professor Walczak can be compared to sisyphus as she sets research objectives for herself, with the difference that she has already reached the summit with rock in hand.

During her three-year doctorate degree, she developed her objective: to achieve self-repairing surfaces threatened by corrosion.

“How do I do this?” was a recurring concern. In the lab, while starting down a path, she always questioned whether every hypothesis would work.

she had to develop a coating for a piece to “self-cure” from corrosion. It was not a question of designing a coating, a passive protection, but she had to find one that reacted actively against corrosion.

she focused on a solution with an inhibitor which was stored in capsules incorporated into the coating and in the event of corrosion, would be released. The inhibitor is toxic, the doses should be “homeopathic,” to avoid contamination of the environment.

she developed 300-nanometer capsules, given the typical size of galvanic coating which measured 7 microns, and she demonstrated how to incorporate the inhibitor.

When she came to chile, she still didn’t know if her solution would work, or if it was worth it. As she did not have the necessary laboratory equipment, she opted for numerical modeling.

she took the data from the capsules, programmed its behavior, determined the inhibitor release rate and how it affects corrosion.

she obtained fondecyt funding to answer the question of how many capsules were needed to achieve the self-repair effect. After four years, she already has the answer. “I have the paper, which is like the paper of my life. It will work. It was worth it. This is my foundation!” she declares.

The experience of understanding modeling in her field led her to jump into other areas. now she works with Hydraulic engineering, researching biocorrosion. “I’m adapting my model to incorporate a bacterial biofilm that is introduced into the process,” she says.

for her newest project she wants to complicate the model and predict the corrosion of tubes that carry ore concentrate pulp. The damage is abrasive and corrosive. The wear rate is not known a priori, so you cannot calculate the cost or durability of the ducts. she wants to combine corrosion and wear in the model to predict synergy between the two processes.

she also wants to achieve environmental security, sustainability and amiability, and to complete the personal journey she is on.

Magdalena walczaK

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Mechanical and


Master in Mechanical Engineering, Technical University

of Wroclaw, Poland

Dr.-Ing., Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany


integRal modeling of ReneWable eneRgies and policies foR theiR integRation

With a desire to influence public policies on energy and distributed generation, Professor David Watts has specialized in electrical engineering and economics applied to operations, planning and regulation of electrical systems. Through his research and consultancies, he has worked with governments and companies related to this field. During his doctorate in the United states, he began to study wind energy and its integration. On his return to chile, he became involved in the renewable electricity market.

In one of his consulting jobs, during a bid for energy supply of a large power generation company, “We studied nearly one hundred renewable projects, modeling several of them technically, from the resource and its technology to their production and integration to the power grid.” from this research, he studied all the lower-risk alternatives and the development of portfolios. several solar power projects emerged out of this. “four years ago nobody thought anyone could commercially develop solar energy,” he says.

Professor Watts leads a team of more than a dozen graduate students and professionals who develop proposals on matters of net Metering and net Billing, flexible pricing, smart metering, cogeneration, gas,

and distributed generation. He also encourages undergraduates to pursue these issues. “students are greatly motivated to participate in projects that contribute to the development of public policy in the country and I love to inspire them along this path,” says the professor.

“Our development goes hand in hand with renewable energy, with a major emphasis on solar development and cogeneration, but unlike other groups, we complement the technical analysis with the laws, regulations and standards to integrate renewable energy,” Watts points out.

He and his team developed a standardized model, simplified and segmented to facilitate the connection of residential and industrial generators. “We developed our own tools for modeling solar and wind resources, technical, commercial and optimization modeling, which we validated and compared with commercial tools.”

Today, Professor Watts collaborates on various legislative bill proposals, regulations and standards for the Ministry of energy. “Our team has a significant influence on the development of public policies, which have removed the barriers for non-conventional renewable energy.”

daVid watts AssIsTAnT PrOfessOr




Master of Science and Master of Arts, University of Wisconsin-

Madison, United States



obseRvation to the centeR of the eaRth

Professor Yáñez has specialized in geophysics for the past 30 years. He is joined by two geologists as members of the Geoscience Group of the Universidad católica’s school of engineering, formed in 2010 to address geological hazards, natural resources and energy, specifically geothermal energy.

The professor uses instrumentation for determining the physical properties of the interior of the earth. The signal that originates or is propagated from inside the earth explains a number of natural phenomena and distribution of geological resources. for example, it explains when, how, where and what size major earthquakes will be; where mineral or water resources are located; or how foundation soil will behave, among other phenomena. The instruments of his discipline are like the eyes, ears and hands to recognize the interior of the earth on spatial scales of a few meters to hundreds of kilometers.

from the perspective of geological hazards, Professor Yáñez leads a project on earthquake hazards in northern

chile, which ranges from geosciences to structural engineering, with the goal of providing a tool for public use that allows better decision making and better preparation of the population and infrastructure. This project is developed in northern chile because the existing scientific knowledge and historical seismic records indicate that the next major earthquake will occur in this area in the coming decades. consequently, this project aims to incorporate preventive tools that will establish construction parameters appropriate to the characteristics of each location.

The great methodological goal is to integrate knowledge of geosciences and structural engineering into a single project and consolidate it in a public domain GIs platform. This platform will be displayed on a map of the riskiest areas, where stricter construction rules should apply. It is an unprecedented platform in chile, which after completing its pilot phase in northern chile, should be expanded to the rest of the country.

gonzalo yáñez

AssOcIATe PrOfessOrDepartment of Structural and


Master of Science in Geophysics, Universidad de Chile

Master of Science, Columbia University, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Columbia University, United States


establishing neW spaces foR innovation

There are not enough researchers like stephen Zhang in chile, experts on managing innovation and entrepreneurship. The professor says that one of the main challenges is to multiply action.

Before joining academia, stephen Zhang was an engineer, a management consultant and a designer of technological innovation.

He came from singapore to the school of engineering at Universidad católica to promote innovation from within, encourage new initiatives and new academic programs and to involve the largest number of students possible in a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

His influence extends from the school of engineering to the rest of the University, through the Certificate of Innovation, which he leads. It is a multidisciplinary program in which he teaches students methodologies to develop innovations with global impact and increase the likelihood of success of their ventures. In addition, stephen is a member of Innovation Factory, the University’s think-tank focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. He also leads Aukan, an area of innovation at DIcTUc, where he focuses on advising businesses on innovation strategies.

In the field of research, his main line of work is how to make decisions and manage innovation and entrepreneurship actions in environments marked by constant evolution and uncertainty. such uncertainties must be handled differently than those in the field of finance. In the field of entrepreneurship, perceptions and behaviors of entrepreneurs and innovators come into play.

How to manage uncertainty? Organizations are transforming and technology is advancing rapidly. Professor Zhang’s studies propose the component of flexibility, effectuation, ‘heuristics and biases’ and ‘exploration and exploitation’ as major weapons to counterbalance the lack of information on strategic decisions. This is demonstrated again and again in chilean companies, through his intervention from Aukan.

His research also addresses the problem from a broader perspective: the design of organizations and organizational structures prepared to innovate, and manage change and uncertainty.

stephen zhang

AssIsTAnT PrOfessOrDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering

Bachelor of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Doctor of Philosophy, National University of Singapore


glossaRy

AIUC (Centro de Astro-Ingeniería de la Universidad Católica – Universidad Católica Astro-Engineering Center): The mission of this center is to serve as a channel for cutting-edge research and to generate new technological and computational opportunities in the field of astronomy and engineering.

Anillos de Investigación en Ciencia y Tecnología (Science and Technology Research Rings): This is one of the instruments of the Research Partnership Program (PIA) of the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT), which seeks to promote the scientific and technological development of the country, through the funding of research projects supported by collaborative, comprehensive and multidisciplinary work.

CEDEUS (Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable – Center for Sustainable Urban Development): The aim of this unit is to promote learning and knowledge transfer; generate a new mass of high-level researchers in Chile; and produce ideas on critical issues of sustainable urban development, as well as policy recommendations that could provide solutions. Co-led by UC Engineering.

CEGA (Centro de Excelencia de Geotermia de los Andes – Andean Geothermal Center of Excellence): A body dedicated to improving and increasing scientific knowledge about geothermal energy in Chile. With participation of UC Engineering, together with other institutions.

CIGIDEN (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales - National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management): The aim of this institution is to contribute to the mitigation of sociological, psychological, physical and economic impacts

generated by natural disasters, taking advantage of the fact that Chile is one of the most important natural laboratories in the world where in-depth studies of such phenomena can be undertaken. Led by UC Engineering.

CIIV (Centro de Ingeniería e Investigación Vial - Center for Road Engineering and Research): This unit forms part of DICTUC S.A., and is dedicated to the study and scientific and technological research of areas related to road infrastructure, with particular emphasis placed on pavements.

CONICYT (Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica - National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research): An agency under the Ministry of Education, with two strategic pillars: promoting the formation of human capital, and strengthening the scientific and technological foundations of the country through scholarships and various funds such as FONDAP, FONDEF, FONDECYT, along with other funding initiatives.

CORFO (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción – Production Development Corporation): A Chilean government agency with the mission to improve the country’s competitiveness and diversification by encouraging investment, innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as strengthening human capital and the technological capacity to obtain sustainable and territorially-balanced development. One of its funding programs is INNOVA - CORFO.

DICTUC S.A.: An affiliate of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC), dedicated to the transfer of the knowledge and technology generated by the UC School of Engineering, so as to place it at the service of the community, through individual or multidisciplinary services.


FONDAP – CONICYT (Fondo de Financiamiento de Centros de Investigación en Áreas Prioritarias - Financing Fund for Research Centers in Priority Areas): The aim of this body is to coordinate the activity of groups of researchers who have proven productivity in areas of knowledge that are important for the country, and where national basic science has reached a high level of development. FONDAP has funded scientific research centers of excellence such as the National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (CIGIGEN) and the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CEDEUS).

FONDECYT – CONICYT (Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico - National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development): The aim of this body is to encourage and promote the development of basic scientific and technological research; it is the main fund of its kind in Chile. It finances regular projects by experienced researchers; initiating research projects aimed at young researchers, and postdoctoral projects.

FONDEF – CONICYT (Fondo de Fomento al Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico - Scientific and Technological Development Support Fund): The purpose of this initiative is to help increase the competitiveness of the national economy and improve the standard of living of the country’s inhabitants. This is done through the promotion of linkages between research institutions, companies and other entities that undertake applied research and technological development projects, deemed important for the production sector and geared towards public interest.

FONDEQUIP (Fondo de Equipamiento Científico y Tecnológico - Scientific and Technological Equipment Fund): A CONICYT program that provides funding through a competitive selection system for the acquisition, updating and/or access to medium- and high-level scientific and technological equipment for research activities; also allowing for access to such equipment at international level.

GEPUC (Centro de Excelencia en Gestión de Producción de la Universidad Católica - Center of Excellence in Production Management of the Universidad Católica): The aim of this center is to develop, implement and disseminate knowledge regarding management and production technologies in the main economic areas of the country. Led by the UC Department of Engineering and Construction Management.

Iniciativa Científica Milenio (Millennium Science Initiative): A government body under the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism (Minecon). The main objective of which is to promote the development of cutting-edge scientific and technological research in the country.

LIVE (Laboratorio de Infraestructura Vegetal de Edificios - Laboratory of Plant Infrastructure for Buildings): The aim of this body is to develop research, development and innovation in technologies for green roofs and walls for buildings. It is the first R&D+i laboratory of its kind in Latin America. Led by UC Engineering.

PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DE CHILEEscuela de IngenieríaAv. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul

[email protected]

TEXTSMarta ApablazaCarolina ConejerosMaría José CortésTamina HepnerNicolás Luco

EDITORMaría José CortésFrancisco Pizarro

ART DIRECTIONSoledad HolaDiseño Corporativo UC

DESIGN AND ARTDiseño Corporativo UCClaudia Brenning y Valentina Iriarte

PHOTOGRAPHYJaime AlalufCarmen Duque

COORDINATIONMaría José CortésFrancisco Pizarro

TRANSLATIONPeter Kozak

First English edition of 200 copies.

IMPRESIÓN

Fyrma Gráfica

DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

20 NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND METHODOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING PROJECT AND COMPANY COMPETITIVENESS Luis Fernando Alarcón

30 THE IMPORTANCE OF MULTICRITERIA DECISIONS IN THE DESIGN OF CIVIL WORKSPaz Arroyo

48 A SUSTAINABLE LOOK AT INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENTAlondra Chamorro

70 INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT SERVING THE COUNTRYHernán de Solminihac

142 RISING FROM THE ASHESMauricio López

156 VIRTUAL CONSTRUCTIONS THAT PREVENT ERRORS IN THE FIELDClaudio Mourgues

240 A KNOWLEDGE-BASED APPROACH TO SUPPORT RISK MANAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTSAlfredo Serpell

242 TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE CITYRicardo Serpell

250 PERFECTING THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD INFRASTRUCTUREGuillermo Thenoux

264 ENGINEER AT THE SERVICE OF THE DESIGN OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGSSergio Vera

272 TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN CONCRETECarlos Videla

DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURAL AND GEOTHECNICAL ENGINEERING

24 BUFFERING VIBRATIONSJosé Luis Almazán

26 OBSERVING THE IMPRESSIONS OF ROCKS AND MINERALSGloria Arancibia

46 KNOWLEDGE OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN CHILEJosé Miguel Cembrano

68 DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION IN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERINGJuan Carlos de la Llera

108 IMPROVING STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCESergio Gutiérrez

118 SEISMIC DESIGN TO PREVENT BRIDGE DAMAGEMatías Hube

120 MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTER MODELING OF THE HEARTDaniel Hurtado

1 36 UNCERTAINTY REVEALS ITS FACEChristian Ledezma

140 BEYOND STRUCTURAL DAMAGEDiego López-García

176 MACRO AND MICRO MECHANICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALSCarlos Ovalle

212 SPECTRA OF SEISMIC DESIGN AND SEISMIC RISK-THREATRafael Riddell

228 SEISMIC ZONING IN NORTHERN CHILEEsteban Sáez

232 ASSESSING THE SEISMIC BEHAVIOR OF MASONRY CONSTRUCTIONSCristián Sandoval

234 MULTIPLYING RESISTANCEHernán Santa María

278 OBSERVATION TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTHGonzalo Yáñez

DEPARTMENT OF HYDRAULIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

34 QUANTIFYING MASS AND ENERGY FLOWS IN THE ENVIRONMENTCarlos Bonilla

52 TIDAL POWER GENERATION IN THE CHACAO CHANNELRodrigo Cienfuegos

80 TURBULENCE IN NATURE: FROM RIVER DYNAMICS TO RENEWABLE ENERGIESCristián Escauriaza

86 URBAN DRAINAGE MANUAL: PHYSICAL MODEL FOR A HYDROELECTRIC PLANT AND FLOW PREDICTION METHODSBonifacio Fernández

102 HUMAN INTERACTION WITH HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES AND THE ENVIRONMENTJorge Gironás

158 HYDROGEOLOGICAL MODELS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMSJosé Francisco Muñoz

186 RIVER DOCTORPablo Pastén

200 QUALITY OF POTABLE WATER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTIONGonzalo Pizarro

246 RENEWABLE ENERGIES AND INNOVATIVE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS THAT BENEFIT WATER RESOURCESFrancisco Suárez

260 WASTE: THE ENERGY OF THE FUTUREIgnacio Vargas

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT ENGINEERING AND LOGISTICS

58 ZOOMING IN ON TRANSPORTJuan Enrique Coeymans

66 DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYSIS MODELS FOR URBAN AND INTER-CITY TRANSPORT SYSTEMSJoaquín de Cea

74 OPTIMIZATION OF AIR TRANSPORTFelipe Delgado

92 ENHANCING HUMAN CAPITAL IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATIONPatricia Galilea

100 OPTIMIZING TRANSPORT SYSTEM OPERATIONS TO SERVE PEOPLERicardo Giesen

114 INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY INTO TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMSJuan Carlos Herrera

134 DESIGN OF EXPRESS SERVICES IN URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTHomero Larraín

160 IN THE STREETJuan Carlos Muñoz

174 GLOBAL INSERTIONJuan de Dios Ortúzar

222 CONTRIBUTING TO PUBLIC DECISION MAKINGLuis Rizzi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

54 HOW TO MANAGE HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKSLuis Cifuentes

62 AN OBJECTIVE LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL MARKETGonzalo Cortázar

64 TECHNOLOGY-BASED INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAlfonso Cruz

88 A CERTAIN UNCERTAINTYJuan Carlos Ferrer

96 OPTIMIZING BUSINESS DECISIONSPedro Gazmuri

144 WHEN TEMPERATURE RISESAlejandro Mac Cawley

146 EXPERTISE IN “UNSOLVED PROBLEMS”Nicolás Majluf

150 OPTIMIZING PROCESSES IN THE TIMBER INDUSTRYSergio Maturana

178 MEASURING AND ANALYZING HOW INSTITUTIONS AND REGULATIONS AFFECT LEARNINGRicardo Paredes

196 HOW TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND THE INDUSTRYJulio Pertuzé

210 KEEPING AN EYE ON FINANCETomás Reyes

236 PROACTIVENESS IN THE ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMEnzo Sauma

262 WITH MATHEMATICAL GRACEJorge Vera

268 MATHEMATICAL MODELS AND ALGORITHMS APPLIED TO THE TECHNOLOGY SECTORJosé Verschae

280 ESTABLISHING NEW SPACES FOR INNOVATIONStephen Zhang

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING

42 STRETCHING CELLS Alfredo Celedón

44 DEVELOPMENT OF FOUNDRY AND CASTINGDiego Celentano

50 MACHINES AT WORKLuciano Chiang

60 IMPULSE, CROSSROADS AND RISKCatalina Cortázar

82 THE CHALLENGE OF DEVELOPING RENEWABLE ENERGYRodrigo Escobar

110 NANOSTRUCTURES TO MANIPULATE MATTER IN LIFE SCIENCES AND ENERGY CONVERSIONAmador Guzmán

124 BEHAVIORAL STUDY OF SMOKE AND THE PREVENTION OF ASSOCIATED RISKSWolfram Jahn

138 MEASUREMENT RULES AND MODELSIgnacio Lira

154 INNOVATION WITH SIGNIFICANCEConstanza Miranda

204 LASER TO THE BONEJorge Ramos

218 HARVESTING THE FUTUREJuan de Dios Rivera

266 ANTICIPATING ENERGYJulio Vergara

274 A PERSONAL JOURNEYMagdalena Walczak

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND BIOPROCESSES

16 SMALL IS SCALABLEEduardo Agosín

18 FOOD ARCHITECTJosé Miguel Aguilera

38 FROM THE MICROSCOPE TO FOOD DESIGNPedro Bouchon

72 THE UNKNOWN QUALITIES OF CO2José Manuel del Valle

90 IN SEARCH OF MICROORGANISMS AND BETTER BREADWendy Franco

94 A SYSTEM TO STUDY THE INFLUENCE OF DIET ON THE INTESTINAL MICROBIOMEDaniel Garrido

98 THE EMERGENCE OF NEW TOOLSClaudio Gelmi

130 POOR AIR QUALITY INSIDE HOMES?Héctor Jorquera

182 GREEN CHEMISTRYLoreto Parra

188 THE THREAT OF ACRYLAMIDEFranco Pedreschi

192 A LAB WITH A VIEWJosé Ricardo Pérez

226 MICROALGAE FOR BIOFUEL PRODUCTIONCésar Sáez

230 INCESSANT AGITATORRicardo San Martín

256 FILM IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORTLoreto Valenzuela

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

14 CHIP DESIGN FOR ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTATION Ángel Abusleme

56 INCREASINGLY INTERESTING COMPLEX SYSTEMSAldo Cipriano

76 EFFICIENCY OF ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLESJuan Dixon

104 CREATION OF A CRYOGENIC CHIP FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES OF THE UNIVERSEMarcelo Guarini

106 TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR ASTRONOMICAL DEVELOPMENTAndrés Guesalaga

112 ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTATION MADE IN CHILEDani Guzmán

117 IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF BIOMEDICAL IMAGESPablo Irarrázaval

128 SIMULATIONS THAT BENEFIT CHILE’S DEVELOPMENT IN VARIOUS AREASCarlos Jerez

148 THE CHALLENGE OF BEING WELL PLACEDVladimir Marianov

164 FACILITATING THE INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE RESOURCESMatías Negrete

170 SMALL BUT POWERFULChristian Oberli

172 INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY INTO POWER SYSTEMSDaniel Olivares

190 NEW ELECTRIC POWER CONVERTERSJavier Pereda

202 EFFICIENCY AND ACCURACY OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGINGClaudia Prieto

214 DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY WARNING SYSTEMSMiguel Ríos

216 A SECURE INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN THE SIC AND SINGSebastián Ríos

224 FROM DESIGN TO IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN ENERGYHugh Rudnick

248 INTEGRATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO STUDY BRAIN ACTIVITY Cristián Tejos

254 ROBOTICS IN MINING AND AGRICULTUREMiguel Torres

258 DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY FOR LARGE TELESCOPESLeonardo Vanzi

276 INTEGRAL MODELING OF RENEWABLE ENERGIES AND POLICIES FOR THEIR INTEGRATIONDavid Wa�s

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

22 WEB SERVICE COMPOSITION FOR E-COMMERCERosa Alarcón

28 STUDY OF THE SEMANTIC WEBMarcelo Arenas

32 DEVELOPMENT OF MACHINES CAPABLE OF REASONING EFFECTIVELYJorge Baier

40 TECHNOLOGY TO ASSIST EDUCATIONIgnacio Casas

84 DETERMINISTIC AND CONCURRENT: CUTTING-EDGE PROGRAMMINGYadran Eterovic

116 COMPUTER SYSTEMS THAT ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF HUMAN LIFEValeria Herskovic

150 THE IDENTITY BEHIND THE FACEDomingo Mery

162 A PUBLIC CHANNEL OF INFORMATION FOR SITUATIONS INVOLVING NATURAL DISASTERSJaime Navón

166 BEST PRACTICES FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT Andrés Neyem

168 EDUCATION ENGINEER Miguel Nussbaum

180 CUSTOMIZATION IN SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMSDenis Parra

194 LEARNING ENGINEERING IN AN EVER CHANGING WORLDMar Pérez

198 NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE FUTURE CHALLENGES OF ASTRONOMY IN CHILEKarim Pichara

208 VISUALLY SIMPLIFYING THE NEVER-ENDINGJuan Reu�er

220 DATA ISSUESCristián Riveros

238 AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR THE WORK OF ORGANIZATIONSMarcos Sepúlveda

244 INTELLIGENT ROBOTSÁlvaro Soto

DEPARTMENT OF MINING ENGINEERING

36 QUANTIFYING THE SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT OF LARGE-SCALE MININGJosé Botín

78 ADVANCED SUB-SOIL VISUALIZATION METHODS: LANDMINE DETECTIONMario Durán

126 MINE EXPLORATION, CREATING VALUE FOR THE INDUSTRY José Joaquín Jara

132 THE ROLE OF MINING IN CHILE’S DEVELOPMENTGustavo Lagos

184 OPTIMIZING MANAGEMENT OF PHYSICAL ASSETS IN THE MINING INDUSTRYRodrigo Pascual

252 ORE ECONOMY: THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPETITIVENESS IN A COPPER-PRODUCING COUNTRYJohn Tilton

270 STRENGTHENING SMALL AND MEDIUM-SCALE MININGÁlvaro Videla

MATHEMATICAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM

206 RANDOMIZATION AND OPEN DYNAMIC SYSTEMS TO UNDERSTAND NATURERolando Rebolledo

14 Chip design for astronomical instrumentation ÁNGEL ABUSLEME

16 Small is scalableEDUARDO AGOSÍN

18 Food architectJOSÉ MIGUEL AGUILERA

20 New technologies and methodologies for improving project and company competitiveness LUIS FERNANDO ALARCÓN

22 Web service composition for e-commerceROSA ALARCÓN

24 Buffering vibrationsJOSÉ LUIS ALMAZÁN

26 Observing the impressions of rocks and mineralsGLORIA ARANCIBIA

28 Study of the Semantic WebMARCELO ARENAS

30 The importance of multicriteria decisions in the design of civil worksPAZ ARROYO

32 Development of machines capable of reasoning effectivelyJORGE BAIER

34 Quantifying mass and energy flows in the environmentCARLOS BONILLA

36 Quantifying the socioeconomic impact of large-scale miningJOSÉ BOTÍN

38 From the microscope to food designPEDRO BOUCHON

40 Technology to assist educationIGNACIO CASAS

42 Stretching cells ALFREDO CELEDÓN

44 Development of foundry and castingDIEGO CELENTANO

46 Knowledge of geothermal energy in ChileJOSÉ MIGUEL CEMBRANO

TABLE OF ACADEMICS 48 A sustainable look at

infrastructure managementALONDRA CHAMORRO

50 Machines at workLUCIANO CHIANG

52 Tidal power generation in the Chacao ChannelRODRIGO CIENFUEGOS

54 How to manage health and safety risksLUIS CIFUENTES

56 Increasingly interesting complex systemsALDO CIPRIANO

58 Zooming in on transportJUAN ENRIQUE COEYMANS

60 Impulse, crossroads and riskCATALINA CORTÁZAR

62 An objective look at the financial marketGONZALO CORTÁZAR

64 Technology-based innovation and entrepreneurship in higher educationALFONSO CRUZ

66 Development of analysis models for urban and inter-city transport systemsJOAQUÍN DE CEA

68 Disruptive innovation in earthquake engineeringJUAN CARLOS DE LA LLERA

70 Infrastructure management serving the countryHERNÁN DE SOLMINIHAC

72 The unknown qualities of CO2JOSÉ MANUEL DEL VALLE

74 Optimization of air transportFELIPE DELGADO

76 Efficiency of electric-powered vehiclesJUAN DIXON

78 Advanced sub-soil visualization methods: landmine detectionMARIO DURÁN

80 Turbulence in nature: from river dynamics to renewable energiesCRISTIÁN ESCAURIAZA

82 The challenge of developing renewable energyRODRIGO ESCOBAR

84 Deterministic and concurrent: cu�ing-edge programmingYADRAN ETEROVIC

86 Urban Drainage Manual: physical model for a hydroelectric plant and flow prediction methodsBONIFACIO FERNÁNDEZ

88 A certain uncertaintyJUAN CARLOS FERRER

90 In search of microorganisms and be�er breadWENDY FRANCO

92 Enhancing human capital in public transportationPATRICIA GALILEA

94 A system to study the influence of diet on the intestinal microbiomeDANIEL GARRIDO

96 Optimizing business decisionsPEDRO GAZMURI

98 The emergence of new toolsCLAUDIO GELMI

100 Optimizing transport system operations to serve peopleRICARDO GIESEN

102 Human interaction with hydrological processes and the environmentJORGE GIRONÁS

104 Creation of a cryogenic chip for high resolution images of the UniverseMARCELO GUARINI

106 Technology transfer for astronomical developmentANDRÉS GUESALAGA

108 Improving structural performanceSERGIO GUTIÉRREZ

110 Nanostructures to manipulate ma�er in life sciences and energy conversionAMADOR GUZMÁN

112 Astronomical Instrumentation made in ChileDANI GUZMÁN

114 Incorporating technology into transportation systemsJUAN CARLOS HERRERA

116 Computer systems that enhance the quality of human lifeVALERIA HERSKOVIC

118 Seismic design to prevent bridge damageMATÍAS HUBE

120 Mathematical and computer modeling of the heartDANIEL HURTADO

122 Improving the quality of biomedical imagesPABLO IRARRÁZAVAL

124 Behavioral study of smoke and the prevention of associated risksWOLFRAM JAHN

126 Mine exploration, creating value for the industry JOSÉ JOAQUÍN JARA

128 Simulations that benefit Chile’s development in various areasCARLOS JEREZ

130 Poor air quality inside homes?HÉCTOR JORQUERA

132 The role of mining in Chile’s developmentGUSTAVO LAGOS

134 Design of express services in urban public transportHOMERO LARRAÍN

136 Uncertainty reveals its faceCHRISTIAN LEDEZMA

138 Measurement rules and modelsIGNACIO LIRA

140 Beyond structural damageDIEGO LÓPEZ-GARCÍA

142 Rising from the ashesMAURICIO LÓPEZ

144 When temperature risesALEJANDRO MAC CAWLEY

146 Expertise in “unsolved problems”NICOLÁS MAJLUF

148 The challenge of being well placedVLADIMIR MARIANOV

150 Optimizing processes in the timber industrySERGIO MATURANA

152 The identity behind the faceDOMINGO MERY

154 Innovation with significanceCONSTANZA MIRANDA

156 Virtual constructions that prevent errors in the fieldCLAUDIO MOURGUES

158 Hydrogeological models and their application to environmental problemsJOSÉ FRANCISCO MUÑOZ

160 In the streetJUAN CARLOS MUÑOZ

162 A public channel of information for situations involving natural disastersJAIME NAVÓN

164 Facilitating the integration of renewable resourcesMATÍAS NEGRETE

166 Best practices for so§ware development ANDRÉS NEYEM

168 Education engineer MIGUEL NUSSBAUM

170 Small but powerfulCHRISTIAN OBERLI

172 Integration of renewable energy into power systemsDANIEL OLIVARES

174 Global insertionJUAN DE DIOS ORTÚZAR

176 Macro and micro mechanics of granular materialsCARLOS OVALLE

178 Measuring and analyzing how institutions and regulations affect learningRICARDO PAREDES

180 Customization in socio-technical systemsDENIS PARRA

182 Green ChemistryLORETO PARRA

184 Optimizing management of physical assets in the mining industryRODRIGO PASCUAL

186 River doctorPABLO PASTÉN

188 The threat of acrylamideFRANCO PEDRESCHI

190 New electric power convertersJAVIER PEREDA

192 A lab with a viewJOSÉ RICARDO PÉREZ

194 Learning engineering in an ever changing worldMAR PÉREZ

196 How to build the relationship between the university and the industryJULIO PERTUZÉ

198 New technologies for the future challenges of astronomy in ChileKARIM PICHARA

200 Quality of potable water for human consumptionGONZALO PIZARRO

202 Efficiency and accuracy of magnetic resonance imagingCLAUDIA PRIETO

204 Laser to the boneJORGE RAMOS

206 Randomization and open dynamic systems to understand natureROLANDO REBOLLEDO

208 Visually simplifying the never-endingJUAN REUTTER

210 Keeping an eye on financeTOMÁS REYES

212 Spectra of seismic design and seismic risk-threatRAFAEL RIDDELL

214 Development of Early Warning SystemsMIGUEL RÍOS

216 A secure interconnection between the SIC and SINGSEBASTIÁN RÍOS

218 Harvesting the futureJUAN DE DIOS RIVERA

220 Data issuesCRISTIÁN RIVEROS

222 Contributing to public decision makingLUIS RIZZI

224 From design to implementation of public policies in energyHUGH RUDNICK

226 Microalgae for biofuel productionCÉSAR SÁEZ

228 Seismic Zoning in Northern ChileESTEBAN SÁEZ

230 Incessant agitatorRICARDO SAN MARTÍN

232 Assessing the seismic behavior of masonry constructionsCRISTIÁN SANDOVAL

234 Multiplying resistanceHERNÁN SANTA MARÍA

236 Proactiveness in the electric power systemENZO SAUMA

238 An essential tool for the work of organizationsMARCOS SEPÚLVEDA

240 A knowledge-based approach to support risk management in construction projectsALFREDO SERPELL

242 Towards a more sustainable cityRICARDO SERPELL

244 Intelligent robotsÁLVARO SOTO

246 Renewable energies and innovative temperature measurement systems that benefit water resourcesFRANCISCO SUÁREZ

248 Integration of advanced technology to study brain activity CRISTIÁN TEJOS

250 Perfecting the design and construction of road infrastructureGUILLERMO THENOUX

252 Ore Economy: The importance of competitiveness in a copper-producing countryJOHN TILTON

254 Robotics in mining and agricultureMIGUEL TORRES

256 Film is a collaborative effortLORETO VALENZUELA

258 Developing technology for large telescopesLEONARDO VANZI

260 Waste: the energy of the futureIGNACIO VARGAS

262 With mathematical graceJORGE VERA

264 Engineer at the service of the design of sustainable buildingsSERGIO VERA

266 Anticipating energyJULIO VERGARA

268 Mathematical models and algorithms applied to the technology sectorJOSÉ VERSCHAE

270 Strengthening small and medium-scale miningÁLVARO VIDELA

272 Technological innovation in concreteCARLOS VIDELA

274 A personal journeyMAGDALENA WALCZAK

276 Integral modeling of renewable energies and policies for their integrationDAVID WATTS

278 Observation to the center of the earthGONZALO YÁÑEZ

280 Establishing new spaces for innovationSTEPHEN ZHANG


CHIP DESIGN FOR ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTATION

In recent years chip design has ceased to be a distant prospect for Chile. The Department of Electrical Engineering set up a research team in 2010 to focus on the design of this technology and Professor Ángel Abusleme forms an integral part of this team. “This type of technology does not exist in Chile because training specialists is cost prohibitive and the so�ware is inaccessible and requires a great deal of maintenance.”

Professor Abusleme has participated in several projects related to this area. He took part in the design of a detection system for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), an experiment led by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which provided the world with the latest breakthroughs on the origin of elementary particle mass. Its aim is to understand how the universe was formed.

Since 2013, Ángel Abusleme has collaborated on the ATLAS project, which proved the existence of the Higgs boson, colloquially known as the “God particle.” Its results have provided a greater understanding of ma¤er, particle physics and what we are actually made of. “I help to develop the tools required by physicists to be¤er comprehend how the universe was formed.”

The challenge is to design a microchip that is capable of making more precise particle measurements. “There are plans for an update that will increase the collider’s collision capacity. Our challenge is to design a microchip

for electronics at ATLAS that meets the specifications of the new LHC parameters a�er the update,” explains professor Abusleme.

He is also involved in developing a circuit for one of the ILC detectors, another particle collider under development and which may be constructed in the next few years. “I am currently designing a chip for one of the detectors, a calorimeter that will be built into the base of the collider. The chip will filter the signal produced by the electric charge from the detector and will digitize it at high speed. This will infer particle energy as a result of collisions with a greater degree of precision,” says Abusleme, who, as a result of this, is currently researching the idea of designing nonlinear analog-to-digital converters to facilitate signal processing.

As part of his research, Abusleme and his team from the Department of Electrical Engineering developed a methodology for analyzing noise from discrete systems. “We developed a method to filter discrete-time signals, which allows us to calculate optimal filters.” This development has been the starting point for further research conducted by the Department.

As a teacher, professor Abusleme is a leader in the electronics field in Chile, and despite a sluggish start, he says that students are becoming increasingly more interested in joining his courses and projects.

ÁNGEL ABUSLEME

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Electrical

Engineering






SMALL IS SCALABLE

Eduardo Agosín, Ph.D., has opened up academic pathways in Chile, bridging the gap between chemistry and biology.

One word frequently appears in his conversation: “beautiful,” a sign of his enthusiasm and passion. He knowingly moves in leaps and bounds over the explosive developments of bioengineering, and states that teaching keeps him up-to-date with new developments.

Professor Agosin’s speciality is in metabolic and cellular engineering. He works with his team to modify microorganisms, making them more efficient compound producers, with a focus on aromas and flavors.

With a cellular focus, he applies process engineering tools to optimize the events of this miniscule biological “industrial plant.” He and his team could have chosen to target cells to produce biofuels, but the focus has been maintained on aromas and flavors: violets, strawberries, natural sweeteners... all the more important to Chile given its wine industry. They work to scale laboratory results to industrial production plants.

Modeling is on the rise in his area of work. Although a computer model can never exactly match a natural process, modeling does narrow the field of solutions, clarify limitations and develop new optimization targets. Modeling is gaining popularity as an objective in and of itself, building solutions and creating shortcuts.

“All processes complement one another,” he says. Laboratory research generates products that need control mechanisms. This is where the sophisticated DICTUC Aroma Center enters the scene, confirming or rejecting the results of a process that likely had its origins on a computer screen.

Dr Agosín’s experience spans the globe. He completed both his undergraduate and postgraduate studies abroad. Many of his classmates in Leuven were African, and the stark reality of the continent le� its mark on him. Alongside the malnourishment so rampant in Northern Africa were also sources of organic ma¤er that he saw could be so useful for small farmers. He immediately thought of finding a way to reuse organic waste: “These things are so commonplace today, but back then nobody was thinking about them.”

The primary processes in his area were chemical; however, he chose a biological path. He degraded lignin with fungi and managed to triple the digestibility of wheat straw and corn cobs.

When he returned to Chile, he took on the subject of the “ro¤en stick”, described over a hundred years ago: in years of shortage, the cows in Chiloé ate ro¤ing logs.

Through a National Science Foundation project, he and a colleague from the University of Minnesota studied the specific fungus that degraded logs, and he renamed it Ganoderma australis. The fungus digested the lignin and the cows ate the remaining cellulose.

This was the start of a passion for the interconnectedness of engineering and biological processes, and Dr. Agosín was at the forefront.

Today, his research impacts the processes used in the food and beverage industry, and most notably in the ever more sophisticated Chilean wine industry, where his research is fundamental. One of these processes has even led him to search for wine aromas that are more palatable to the Chinese market.

In his words: “it’s beautiful.”

EDUARDO AGOSÍN

PROFESSORDepartment of Chemical


Agronomist, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium

Docteur Ingénieur, Institut National Agronomique,

Paris, France

Doctor of Philosophy, Institut National Agronomique,

Paris, France


FOOD ARCHITECT

Professor Aguilera holds the National Award of Applied and Technological Sciences (2008) and from 2010 to 2013 chaired the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research.

The la¤er responsibility opened many doors for him, notably to unique locations and natural laboratories in Chile for world-class science, such as astronomy. Chile, he says, provides “the best geographical conditions for installing observatories”. He is currently chairman of the Astronomic Park Foundation (Fundación Parque Astronómico), which manages 36,500 hectares in the Chajnantor Valley near San Pedro de Atacama (Northern Chile).

As a chemical engineer, he developed his expertise from observing food under his microscope. “Many of its properties, as with many products in our daily lives, are found in its microstructures. What our senses perceive originates in the microstructures. I have dedicated my entire life to this research.”

He developed a strategy with the help of a key tool: his excellent students. “I prepared all of my early papers with my engineering students... and they were undergraduates!” The doctorate program was only developed in 1993.

His inspiration: food design. “Unlike most products of modern day life, food was never designed.” From the late 19th century onwards, our society has accumulated

knowledge that allows us to design food for the needs of future societies, similar to the way an architect designs a house. The focus is on wellbeing: people want to be healthier, to look, feel and eat be¤er.

He is currently researching how to add fiber to food while keeping it appealing and palatable. Structure is fundamental. To illustrate this, he crushes a bag of cheese puffs and asks us to taste them: nobody would sell a bag of the resulting powder. However, in its previous state as cheese puffs that crunch, crackle and dissolve slowly in the mouth, it is sought a�er by young and old alike.

“And that is my contribution – in order to design food, you must know how it is made, starting from the molecular base and working up the ladder to the final product.”

Professor Aguilera became the first Chilean member of the US-based National Academy of Engineering. He is the recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt award (Germany); the Marcel Loncin award from the Institute of Food Technology (United States), and the Guggenheim fellowship, among others.

His book “Gastronomic Engineering” (published by Ediciones UC and translated into English), was chosen by “Choice” magazine as one of the top 200 academic publications from 2013. “I believe that food is a very interesting raw material for sharing basic principles of science and engineering,” says the now Professor Emeritus.

JOSÉ MIGUEL AGUILERA

PROFESSOR EMERITUSDepartment of Chemical



Master of Science, Massachuse�s Institute of Technology, United States

Master of Business Administration, Texas A & M University, United States



NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND METHODOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING PROJECT AND COMPANY COMPETITIVENESS

An international leader in project management, Professor Alarcón is dedicated to creating methods, strategies and technologies that improve company performance and competitiveness, based on the lean production management philosophy, which he promotes fervently in Chile.

Professor Alarcón is director of the Center for Excellence in Production Management from the Catholic University of Chile (GEPUC, Centro de Excelencia en Gestión de Producción de la Universidad Católica de Chile), a multidisciplinary center where he works in collaboration with other academics and PhD students. He proudly states that they have much higher data and business access than many other countries, only comparable to the Project Production Systems Lab (P2SL), UC Berkeley in the U.S., which also drives companies to invest in new developments rather than just measuring what they do.

Several research projects have led to software development. GEPUC developed so�ware to support implementation of planning and production control systems in companies, where the data is able to predict the success or failure of projects being implemented. Alarcón and his team also developed innovative so�ware to collect data from video recordings of construction

sites to sample productivity, safety and quality. This is a globally unique development that has had a very significant impact in reducing accidents and downtimes.

Professor Alarcón is also interested in Virtual Design and Construction for construction projects. For example, rather than using actual resources, under this method computer-generated construction modeling would be used to establish which equipment to use and their optimal combination. He also researches the best strategy for implementing Virtual Design and Construction in businesses. Companies o�en lack knowledge and tend to focus on so�ware, thinking it will make a difference, but what they don’t realize is that the difference is in the management principles, i.e., how tools are combined to achieve the best result. This is an area of great inspiration for the professor.

His most recent work involves implementation of Lean Management principles in mine development and operations; computer modeling for decision making and risk analysis; and development and application of advanced collaborative design tools, automating design to set costs at a certain level, rather than estimating costs a�er project design.

LUIS FERNANDO ALARCÓN

PROFESSORDepartment of Construction



Master of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, United States




WEB SERVICE COMPOSITION FOR E-COMMERCE

“The beauty of the web is that on the one hand it provides information and on the other it allows the development of processes, applications and services,” states Professor Rosa Alarcón, whose main area of interest is software engineering research. “Both the information and the processes are modelled on hypermedia, which leads to a dynamic web environment,” she says.

In 2010, she began her work on the composition of RESTful web services. This involves making light web services, such as Web APIs, available as a part of business processes and thereby enabling an automated and dynamic creation of new web services. Her goal is to facilitate virtual e-commerce.

Alarcón has been working in conjunction with Professor Erik Wilde from the University of California, Berkeley, to define a metalanguage and description of the API. They have also made prototypes, which empirically and mathematically prove that web services, as they are proposing, consume less server resources, which means they would take up less space than traditional services, and are more flexible, simpler and easier to maintain.

Among the potential applications of this research, professor Alarcón says that just as there are currently

content search engines, there could also be service search engines. For example, if someone wants to travel to the Atacama Desert and take a tour, find accommodation or go to a restaurant, the search engine would find these services and contact banks and travel agencies. “The goal is not to build automated so�ware, but rather to automatically link already existing pieces of so�ware, thereby providing a service previously unheard of,” she explains.

She is confident that the development of these services will “make life easier for people and will provide greater web visibility to SMEs and businesses.”

Professor Alarcón is currently developing another project that uses data processing, specifically Learning-based Analysis through indirect channels, for example, activity logs, Web search logs, etc. She works with the EducarChile database, an educational website for teachers, administrators, students and families. She says the process has not been easy, because the data is not well structured and unfortunately search engines can bias the search. “There is a small segment of the database that is visited,” she confirms.

“I am very interested in education. I believe that access to mass data allows people to discover useful generalizations.”

ROSA ALARCÓN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Systems Engineer, Universidad Católica Santa María, Peru




BUFFERING VIBRATIONS

Professor Almazán specializes in structural dynamics, vibration reduction systems and experimental structure analysis.

Almazán’s most recent work involves a three-dimensional isolation system for structures and equipment, a project that started with government funding and is currently applying for patents at domestic and international level.

In certain structures such as liquid storage tanks, traditional seismic isolation devices are not an economically feasible solution. In response to this, the professor proposed a new three-dimensional vertical-rotational isolation system. This system is composed of laterally rigid and vertically flexible devices that generate a three-dimensional isolation system, i.e., a structure is provided with both horizontal and vertical protection. Traditional seismic isolation systems such as elastomeric isolators and friction pendulums provide horizontal but not vertical isolation.

The device consists of a shell formed by six rigid hinged plates, which form a mechanism of three degrees of freedom. It has a set of inner springs, allowing it to work as a vibration isolator and energy dissipater. The devices are connected to the structural columns or supports to generate an interface that blocks horizontal movement, thus enabling rocking and vertical movement.

Although the original intent of the system is to protect industrial structures or equipment in general with vertical loads of less than ten tons, it can also be adapted for heavier structures such as buildings or large industrial constructions.

Jose Luis Almazán has already successfully completed the first reduced-scale (1/4) prototype lab tests. In 2014 he and his team will perform vibration table tests on a full-scale model of a 3m3 wine storage tank. These tests are being developed in conjunction with TPI America, one of the leading stainless steel tank suppliers in Chile.

JOSÉ LUIS ALMAZÁN

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Structural and



Doctor of Science in Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile


OBSERVING THE IMPRESSIONS OF ROCKS AND MINERALS

Gloria Arancibia is dedicated to the microstructural study of Earth Science. She identifies specific ore species and determines their different textures on a microscopic scale. Specifically, she examines size ratios, shape, contact with other minerals, internal variations (compositional or structural), and preferential crystal orientation, among others, that provide information about a specific feature.

Her office is home to a wide variety of rock and ore samples that she has scrutinized with her microscopic eye. Her goal: to identify the geological conditions, such as pressure, temperature, liquid composition and nature of magmas under which the rocks and ore formed and evolved. These are the foundations on which she can build the geological history of the study object.

This knowledge base is very useful in solving many problems arising from the interaction of humans with these natural materials. It is fundamental when assessing energy resources or identifying natural rock deformations, and when determining the mechanical behavior of certain ore and the physical and chemical properties associated with their internal structure.

The incorporation of Earth Sciences into Universidad Católica’s School of Engineering is recent (from

2010 onwards), and since then Gloria Arancibia has participated as both teacher and researcher. She works on a scale ranging from a few millimeters with an optical microscope to microns with an electron microscope. She says that up until now, studies have been two-dimensional on a thin layer of rock.

The new Computerized Micro Tomography X-ray (micro CT) equipment acquired by Universidad Católica moves beyond 2D studies and into a 3D view of heterogeneous earth materials. Gloria Arancibia considers this to be vital for a be¤er understanding, for example, of the mechanical behavior of a rock and how it fractures in a specific direction under certain pressure and temperature conditions. This equipment is one-of-a-kind in Chile and one of only a few in Latin America. “It increases our knowledge base, which is essential in geology where we are always looking to reduce uncertainty. In this field there are many processes that cannot be tested by direct experimentation. The greater the existing knowledge base, the greater certainty we have about what we are researching.”

GLORIA ARANCIBIA






STUDY OF THE SEMANTIC WEB

Aiming to determine how computers can better understand Web content, Professor Marcelo Arenas runs a project that develops infrastructure to perform complex Web searches and build response mechanisms. The Semantic Web, a concept coined in 2000, addresses this subject.

The academic reveals the origins of this research. He posed the following question on Google: who is the researcher among Chilean engineering schools with the most references to his or her publications? The search yielded over two million results, although the first document on the list did not provide a relevant answer to the question.

The explanation, says Arenas, is that computers are syntactic, which means, unlike the human brain, they can recognize text but not the meaning of its content, so a general question has to be divided into several specific queries in order to perform a relatively complex search. The major challenge is to obtain an automatic response to the first query without the need to subdivide it or seek expert intervention.

The Semantic Web involves the development of languages to specify the relationship between Web resources, query languages and rule languages that

provide inferences. HTML language indicates plain, bold or italics, for example, but another kind of language is needed to ask questions and specify the meaning of content. The standard RDF (Resource Description Framework) format was the first of this kind of language. “Through languages like RDF, you can tell the computer the meaning of a link,” indicates professor Arenas.

He is investigating this subject with a team of researchers from Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile. They will apply tools such as Mathematical Logic and Computational Complexity Theory. The professor notes that the la¤er will determine, from a mathematical point of view, whether or not a response is possible for a given question. “We need to know the limits and understand that we cannot respond to every type of query.”

In the three years they have to develop this project, Marcelo Arenas’ goal is to place a functioning pilot system on a server, which can be used to obtain information from complex queries. He would like everyone to have access to a “Semantic Google” that is able to utilize data semantics. “It would be amazing to have something like that”, he concludes.

MARCELO ARENAS

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Computer

Science





THE IMPORTANCE OF MULTICRITERIA DECISIONS IN THE DESIGN OF CIVIL WORKS

In the world of construction, decisions are normally taken on the basis of costs. How to broaden the analysis spectrum of suitable alternatives in the design process of a sustainable structure has been the area of research developed by academic Paz Arroyo since taking her doctorate in civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

The impact of civil works in the environment and the quality of life of people are closely related to the decisions taken by the multidisciplinary teams that work at the design stage of projects. “The problem is that there is no training provided for architects and engineers together in order to take early decisions; there is no common language in order to consider other factors that influence the design of a sustainable product,” explains the professor.

A collaborative, multidisciplinary design is considered by Arroyo to be fundamental in order to boost the construction industry. For this purpose, she has studied methods for taking early decisions that incorporate the design of a structure; materials selected; its construction and operation, and even its deconstruction.

Construction sustainability consists of three areas: environmental, social and economic. Bearing this in mind, the decision-making method “Choosing By Advantages” is more appropriate than other commonly-used methods such as the “Analytical Hierarchy Process,” as it provides a detailed and transparent analysis of alternatives, and identifies the best solution even if it is not perfect, taking into account multiple factors and multidisciplinary teams. This approach has been validated for the design and construction of commercial

buildings with high-performance standards in terms of the environment and people, such as the Net Zero Energy buildings in California.

“This innovative approach in terms of industry has led to studies along with an interdisciplinary team regarding factors such as the environmental impact of a material; the element of social justice linked to each process, such as whether the materials come from renewable sources or whether the staff members are qualified,” states the professor, who has continued her studies in this area with academics from the University of California, Berkeley, and has also expanded the scope of the research method and the proposed tools at the Center for Production Management Excellence (GEPUC), working alongside professor Luis Fernando Alarcón, and in the UC Center for Innovation and Development of Wood (CORMA).

“What’s important is to have a good method for decision-making purposes and to compare alternatives. Many people do not realize that the method used to take decisions ultimately affects both the decisions and their impacts. In Chile, we need to pressure industry so that it provides the necessary information in order to take timely and be¤er decisions, through declarations regarding the environmental and health impacts of the products used in a construction,” says professor Arroyo, adding that, “the immediate effect of the proposed method is an improvement so that the final design is be¤er and has a lower cost in the long term, taking into account all viable alternatives and working with architects, engineers, constructors and clients in order to stimulate innovation.”

PAZ ARROYOASSISTANT PROFESSOR






DEVELOPMENT OF MACHINES CAPABLE OF REASONING EFFECTIVELY

“How can you get machines to make appropriate and rational decisions, and to do it quickly?” poses Professor Jorge Baier, who uses techniques developed in Artificial Intelligence to a¤empt to answer such questions.

In 2009 he began to explore ways to use automatic planning techniques to diagnose dynamic systems, his goal to identify quality explanations. He gives the following example to illustrate his point: Imagine that you are driving and feel a small explosion and then find it hard to steer. You step out of your vehicle and see that you have a flat tire. What happened? For humans, the answer is obvious (you probably ran over something sharp, resulting in a puncture), but not necessarily so for a machine. “A sniper shot the tire,” is also an explanation, but not a rational one.

“How can a so�ware system help humans make good decisions when problems arise?” In this case, says Baier, the important thing is for the system to suggest a good course of action, which a user can understand and find reasonable.” In most cases, the goal is not to determine the exact fault or cause, but rather to resolve the problem, hopefully with a minimum of resources,” says Baier.

Baier showed that existing automatic planning systems, which are capable of transforming one situation into another, can also be used to find faults in dynamic systems. “The advantage of these planners is that they are able to resolve major issues that may be difficult for humans.” The professor explains that the computer uses these techniques to analyze a large number of possible explanations in a minimal amount of time.

However, not all explanations are equal. To determine the quality of an explanation, the system uses an expertise-fed quality function. “We tested this system on diagnosis problems and compared it to state-of-the-art diagnosis systems. We showed that in many cases the planning techniques are more efficient at diagnosing problems. This shows that automatic planning techniques have a high potential in resolving diagnostic problems,” says Baier.

Professor Baier anticipates that over time we will be increasingly surrounded by more machines that help us to perform tasks. “We will need these machines to make good decisions and to help us in everyday situations, especially when a quick response time is crucial.”

JORGE BAIERASSISTANT PROFESSOR






QUANTIFYING MASS AND ENERGY FLOWS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Most processes that occur in the environment are associated with mass and energy transfers. Some are readily perceptible, such as water seeping into soil, a leaf blowing in the wind, or a surface heating from solar radiation. Others, however, are more difficult to observe, to measure and even to study. Some examples of these are transport processes in the soil-vegetation-atmospheric continuum, the movement and final destination of a contaminant in soil and water, and gas exchange in the microenvironment surrounding an organism. These are just a few of the challenges that Carlos Bonilla takes on in his daily research as soil physicist and environmental biophysicist.

With special emphasis on measurement and modeling, Bonilla leads a series of projects that study the physical, chemical and biological processes involved in water movement and contaminant flows into the environment. “Understanding and modeling these processes are key to developing sustainable environmental management.”

In his research, Bonilla combines knowledge from several fields related to the soil-vegetation-atmospheric system. “The approach I use to integrate information from different fields involves mathematical modeling of the system components,” he says. “This modeling effort relies heavily on computer resources, but also on direct measurements to obtain model parameters and verify predictions.”

CARLOS BONILLA

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Hydraulic and




Chile


This integrated effort combines several skills and tools, such as field measurement and experimentation, physical-chemical laboratory analysis, remote sensory technologies and satellite imagery, and geographic information systems. Several of the applications he currently works with are used in the development of mathematical models applicable to environmental impact assessment and sustainable development.

His work includes the study of water and energy transfer in earth surfaces with plant growth, o�en in extreme regions, and the development of predictive models to control surface runoff and water erosion. He has also participated in the development of tools for identifying diffuse source contamination processes, and in the design of plant filters to collect contaminants carried by water and sediment. His most recent work is focused on quantifying carbon flow and accumulation in natural environments as a mitigation measure against the effects of climate change.

“There are numerous scientific and technological challenges related to knowledge in this field. However, understanding, modeling and predicting a system’s behavior when faced with environmental changes is enough motivation for me to continue working on it,” says Bonilla.


QUANTIFYING THE SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT OF LARGE-SCALE MINING

to extrapolate the future impact of mining operations and apply these to any new project elsewhere in the country, allowing companies to identify, mitigate and communicate project impact to stakeholders, especially the local community.

In addition to his research on sustainable development in mining, the professor directs the CODELCO Research Group, which has spent the past three years investigating economic risk modeling associated with investment decisions in mining, and is currently assessing the Chuquicamata Underground Project.

This research is closely aligned with the goals of sustainable development, as it focuses on analyzing mining investment processes from the perspective of reducing risk and unknown factors, aspects that directly impact the concept of such development.

According to Botín, the overall impact of both lines of research is to increase sustainability and the social image of the mining industry. “Mining has historically had quite a bad environmental and social reputation. This research is designed to improve that in the long run.”

“It is essential to enhance the reputation of the mining industry in Chile, where mining is the backbone of the economy. Anything that improves the long-term social reputation of mining is a very positive step for the future of the country,” he concludes.

JOSÉ BOTÍNADJUNCT PROFESSOR


Diploma in Business Management (PADE), Instituto de Estudios

Superiores de la Empresas-IESE (Institute of Higher Business

Studies), Spain

Master of Science, Mining, Colorado School of Mines, United

States

Doctor of Philosophy, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain

In Chile, few people are unaware of the economic and social importance of mining as an economic activity. For decades, copper extraction has dominated the national economy and the lives of people employed in this sector. However, until recently, the impact of a mining operation on nearby cities and communities and on society as a whole had not been studied from a quantitative perspective.

José Botín began a pioneering study just over a year ago focused on the field of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility in mining.

This Spanish-born professor first came to Chile in 2010 as a visiting professor at the University’s School of Engineering. What began as a semester teaching sabbatical has become a golden finale to his career of over 40 years in executive and academic positions related to mining.

The professor is author and editor of the book “Sustainable Management of Mining Operations”, published by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) in the United States, and soon to be published in Spanish.

In the same line of research, Professor Botín leads a project entitled “Socioeconomic impact assessment of the El Teniente Mine,” which quantifies the impact of the mining operation in the surrounding community, specifically in Rancagua. It aims to establish parameters


FROM THE MICROSCOPE TO FOOD DESIGN

Professor Pedro Bouchon was thrilled when he received the invitation to be Chairman of a session devoted to dehydrated and fried foods in the 2013 Conference of Food Engineering, the most important event in this field in the United States: such recognition of a Latin American scientist isn’t a frequent occurence.

Professor Bouchon’s impact in the development of healthy snacks and processed products has had a global reach; the same is the case with a technology he developed to produce food with very low fat content and a very high level of nutrient preservation.

As if this weren’t enough, he has also been the school’s Director of Research, Innovation and Graduate Studies since 2008.

He created and now directs a Masters in Innovation, in conjunction with the School of Management, where he contributes from applied research, nurturing the curriculum with his Seminar of Distinguished Innovators and from his discipline of innovation in food design. For Professor Bouchon, making a contribution to society is critical.

He seeks to sensitize the food industry “and transform it,” by expanding the selection of healthier foods.

He directs the Anillo project, “Design of healthy food matrices,” which includes researchers from the Universidad de Chile, and the Austral and Federico Santa Maria universities. The aim of this group is to obtain compounds with nutritional value from agro-

industrial waste. Once stabilized, they are added to food matrices. “We have a robust relationship with the Schools of Medicine and Biological Sciences for in vitro studies that prove the effectiveness of these developments on health,” he says.

While researching for his thesis, “I discovered the fascinating world of microscopy; I began to understand food ingredients as modular building blocks in food design.”

He strives to combine ingredients and generate palatable structures with healthy nutrients and compounds.

An untimely degradation of food compounds is unacceptable in food preparation and digestion. Professor Bouchon increasingly interacts with biological sciences, nutrition and health departments to ensure that the compounds are eventually “bio-available in the human body and effectively incorporated into the bloodstream.”

The issue of scale is very relevant to him. The “building blocks,” he says, are at micron scale. What happens at that relevant scale will eventually be reflected in the macro-structural properties of the product. This is the case with scaling: what is created in the laboratory must be transferred to the field.

Professor Bouchon can o�en be seen walking around the school offering taste tests. The food is both visually appealing and, according to the professor, a delight under the microscope.

PEDRO BOUCHON

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Chemical



Doctor of Philosophy, School of Food Biosciences, University of

Reading, United Kingdom


TECHNOLOGY TO ASSIST EDUCATION

Motivated by the development of new technologies, Professor Ignacio Casas wanted to make a contribution to public education in Chile. The professor uses a so�ware based on cognitive tutoring and interactive learning (“learning by doing”) to support students in mathematics. Step-by step problem solving, customized online feedback, graphic representation and problem-solving reinforcement strategies all form part of this technology called Math Cognitive Tutor (MCT). Professor Casas developed MCT in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University, with which he has a longstanding relationship of over fi�een years. “This technology is unheard of in Chile,” he says.

He forms part of a multidisciplinary team (which includes professors from the Universidad Católica’s Faculty of Education) that began to apply this interactive so�ware in workshops with elementary school students from public municipal and subsidized private schools in Santiago, Villarrica, Arica and Punta Arenas. The professor explains how the so�ware works: students are given a problem and through a sequence of questions, they are guided (given clues and shown their errors) in reading comprehension, identification of solution pa¤erns, critical thinking, strategic skills, productive disposition and fluency in procedures. They use artificial

intelligence computer techniques with random problem generators to avoid repetition. This implies that no student will have the same problem as his or her neighbor and every time a student has to repeat a procedure, he or she encounters a new situation.

The team hopes to extend this initiative in the future to public high schools and first year university students.

The project is currently in the experimentation, measurement and evaluation stage. The results to date (presented at several international conferences) are very encouraging. The professor explains that although the so�ware focuses on students, their work is primarily aimed at math teachers (the so�ware includes support systems for teachers and administrators). More than 200 math teachers have been trained to use this tool, which has led to significant progress in mathematics learning. The basis of the project is to show that the technology works. “We want to expand it to all public schools in Chile,” said the professor.

«It›s a tremendous challenge. We hope to prove its usefulness and make a significant contribution to educational development in Chile,” said Professor Ignacio Casas.

IGNACIO CASASASSOCIATE PROFESSOR



Master of Science, University of Toronto, Canada



STRETCHING CELLS

The body is a machine, as is each cell. Professor Celedón applies nanotechnology to biology. Each cell, he says, is made up of millions of objects that interact with each other; it is more complex than anything created by humans.

These biomachines generate force and motion; hence, the professor’s jump from mechanics to chemistry. “We look for a biophysical basis to understand, for example, the resistance of biological material in the exertion of strength”.

In his nanobiotechnology course at Universidad Católica, the professor opens minds to the future, and to potential biomedical applications, such as the destruction of tumors.

During his doctorate studies, he discovered the usefulness of nanotechnology in medicine. He asks, for example, “If I introduce a cylinder into a cell, can I deform its cytoskeleton? Can I affect the cell’s behavior? Can I do irreparable damage?”

He uses magnetic tweezers to stretch or torque the cell in the laboratory to examine mechanical properties of the nucleus and other organelles, such as mitochondria. By introducing magnetic particles into the cell, he is able to measure its properties. He anticipates ways to use nanotechnology to unleash cell apoptosis or programmed cell death, in order to develop an application to remove tumors.

His route is experimental and does not involve modeling. Modeling implies many suppositions given the complexity of cells; it involves laboratory observation and explanations employing a simple model.

He supervised the work of Matías Castillo, who designed a method at Universidad Católica to rotate a nanocylinder within living cells. Castillo cultured cells, built nanocylinders and introduced them, then creating a system to rotate magnets and observe the rotation under an optical microscope. “We found mechanical properties of the cytoplasm that had never been observed, and in a minimally invasive way: there’s no piercing or puncturing of the cell membrane. It’s a great achievement!”

He is fascinated by the enzymes that act on the DNA molecule when the genetic material replicates, which leads him to the question: what are the physical foundations of this process?

Professor Celedón wants to create biomedical services. He founded Twistnostics, a U.S.-based company that develops equipment for obtaining genetic information, prioritizing low cost and quick turnaround time. The company focuses on early cancer detection, customized medicine, and early detection of infectious diseases.

As with the cells, he stretches the limits of science.

ALFREDO CELEDÓN

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Mechanical and



Master of Chemical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Science, Biomedical Engineering, University of California,

Los Angeles, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University,

United States


DEVELOPMENT OF FOUNDRY AND CASTING

Professor Diego Celentano wants to improve the foundry and casting processes in the metal industry.

Clearly, a be¤er heater-plate design would reduce costs, increase functionality and dominate aesthetics. And there’s more.

Proper foundry creates adequate, better or new materials. Casting then designs and produces an object or part to meet specifications.

Professor Celentano’s Fondecyt-sponsored research project, “Modeling of foundry and casting processes,” involves four stages.

The first, experimental stage takes place in the laboratory, and on some occasions in the plant. As technology is in constant evolution, the School has renovated laboratories, importing new laser equipment, among other devices. Laser equipment is now key to casting and shaping parts.

During the second stage, the researcher determines the equations that define the problem: this is modeling. Variables always complicate the scenario and as models become more complex, they reach a rigidity that limits

the range of solutions. This is where the lead researcher intervenes with his practical-theoretical experience.

The purpose of the third stage, simulation, is to solve the previously defined equations. In this stage, the researchers o�en resort to iteration, moving back and forth between simulations and modeling before finally moving into the fourth stage which can be expensive: validation.

The main objective of this research is to propose a mode of operation that adapts to this process, proposing foundry and casting models on different scales.

The research approach, which is both phenomenological and multi-scale, is key. It involves testing and retesting until perfect. A critical aspect is an in-depth understanding of the materials subjected to different states, strengths and tools; in order to reach the core of the material at stake.

This last ensures a profound and long-term effect on the research.

Professor Celentano greatly appreciates the interest of young researchers who join him in this undertaking.

DIEGO CELENTANO

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Mechanical and


Civil Engineer, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Doctor of Philosophy, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Spain


KNOWLEDGE OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN CHILE

mineral deposits, is to reduce the unknowns.” Professor Cembrano’s knowledge of the field he is researching is enriched by his doctorate studies at Dalhousie University, Canada.

Despite the potential of geothermal energy in Chile, there are several obstacles along the way. The first is the high cost of geothermal reservoir exploration. A standard exploration borehole in a deposit costs around two million dollars. The same geothermal borehole costs about $15 million. “In developed countries, venture capital for such activities has always come first from central government funds,” says Cembrano.

The second barrier is related to the technology and human capital needed for geothermal exploration in Chile. “There are no Chilean engineers specialized in drilling geothermal reservoirs. This school faces the challenge of training engineers to specialize in this technical field.”

Finally, when asked how many years will pass before we can expect to see the development of geothermal energy, Cembrano responds that it depends much more on government priorities and public policies regarding the energy sector than on the discipline of geology itself. “In the best case scenario, maybe five or ten years, if the regulations or legal provisions are in place to make geothermal business more a¤ractive and sustainable,” he concludes.

JOSÉ MIGUEL CEMBRANO




Master of Science, Geology, Western Washington University,

United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University,

Canada

José Miguel Cembrano currently leads research to identify the tectonic nature of geothermal reservoirs in the Andes in order to create a map for potential geothermal power generation in Chile.

Cembrano says that energy from the heat field that is spatially associated with volcanoes in Chile is not accurately characterized, which means that the proportions and dimensions of the reservoirs, the main source of geothermal energy, are unknown. “Reservoirs are rock bodies that amass cubic kilometers of volume, filled with pores and crevices. Pores and fractures hold and carry hot liquids,” he says. “If you know the location and characteristics of these reservoirs, you can generate a strategy to extract geothermal energy from them.”

The research, which forms part of the Fondap project Center for Geothermal Excellence in the Andes (Centro de Excelencia de Geotermia de los Andes, CEGA , U. de Chile-UC), has already been underway for three years in the area surrounding the Copahue, Lonquimay and Callaqui volcanoes and aims to create a knowledge base to establish the potential of geothermal energy in Chile. “There are many speculative figures regarding geothermal energy discussed in the market. Some believe it could provide 10% to 15% of the country’s energy matrix, but there is still no solid scientific support for such claims,” says Cembrano. “The ultimate goal is for the government or industrial sector to apply the results of our research so as to have a clearer understanding of the actual potential of geothermal energy resources in Chile. Our work as researchers, as in the exploration of


A SUSTAINABLE LOOK AT INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT

Infrastructure management is Professor Alondra Chamorro’s field of research, with a focus on that of road infrastructure. The academic has developed tools that facilitate decision making regarding which roads to maintain and how, considering from a sustainable perspective their working life cycles, thus optimizing resources and minimizing the impact on users.

Although it sounds like a purely technical issue, public policy is a key component. Beyond the maintenance of individual projects, the issue must be addressed in its entirety and include an assessment of the road system as a whole, ensuring mobility and accessibility of the population in any circumstance. “I am particularly concerned about the most vulnerable rural areas. This field provides a way to develop good public policies that benefit society.”

Professor Chamorro’s doctoral thesis at University of Waterloo, Canada, was to develop a sustainable management system for rural roads in developing countries. She developed a computer tool that facilitated government decision making on the maintenance of unpaved roads, prioritizing the road system in technical, economic and social terms. This system considers the population profile and road network, such as civic vulnerability, type of productive activity, access to basic services, as well as an assessment of road conditions, the impact on users and strategic importance of the roads in the system, and finally suggests optimal maintenance

strategies based on a cost-effective and sustainable approach.

She continued work in this field in Chile, as alternate director of a multidisciplinary project that involved the participation of three professors from the School of Engineering and a professor from the School of Law. The purpose of the project is to create an urban pavement management system, aimed at improved decision making on the maintenance of city pavements. The professor is responsible for determining damage evolution and assessment over time, and recommends optimal maintenance standards and prioritization of road network maintenance on an on-going basis. It is an innovative, world-class project that contemplates a joint effort with all stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.

Professor Chamorro also runs a project for developing low-volume road behavior models to determine performance over time, while her understanding of road infrastructure has also brought her into the field of natural disasters. In CIGIDEN, a center dedicated to the management of natural disasters, she serves as associate researcher, assessing vulnerabilities in the road network infrastructure and working life cycles and proposing mitigation measures to ensure the provision of services and connectivity in Chile in the event of a natural disaster.

ALONDRA CHAMORRO

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Construction




Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo,

Canada


MACHINES AT WORK

Professor Luciano Chiang’s field of research includes machines, robots and automated mechanical systems in general. His work has been applied in various industries and has also had an impact on the field of technical education. His developments range from automated simulator systems to renewable energy turbines.

During his career he has focused on developing hardware and so�ware for simulating automatic systems, which he uses for both systems design and technical professional education so students can better understand the physical principles of operation.

His laboratory has been responsible for the development of a wide range of special vehicles. These include remotely operated electric traction trolleys with up to a 100-ton capacity. The technologies developed have been implemented in the mining, defense, forestry and aquaculture industries.

The common thread across all his projects is the engineering of complex systems for machines. The knowledge base employed is Mechatronics. “You need to understand various fields to take our designs out of theory and make them work in practice. Many vehicles and machines that we have developed are currently hard

at work in the mining industry, others in the armed forces. I take great pride in the fact that our machines have come off the drawing board and have been brought to life.”

“There is a significant difference between drawing a rocket that goes to the moon and actually sending that rocket to the moon. I feel very proud to have achieved so much.” For Professor Chiang, knowledge, technical ability and perseverance are key. Plans don’t always work the first time, which is why simulation and prediction through mathematical models are essential.

Mechatronics combines mechanical engineering, electronics and computing to create the machines he manufactures. In addition to the actual machines, Professor Chiang has also innovated in his work with new simulation schemes and modeling methods.

Energy-generating machines are the focus of his latest developments, especially marine energy machines. “There are few marine energy turbines in the world, and there are very few of us who are building real turbines. The same is true for heavy-load electric vehicles,” says the professor.

LUCIANO CHIANG

PROFESSORDepartment of Mechanical and



Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University,

United States

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University,

United States

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, Stanford



TIDAL POWER GENERATION IN THE CHACAO CHANNEL

Chile is considered one of the countries with the greatest potential in the world for harnessing marine energy. The potential use of this energy source has led Professor Rodrigo Cienfuegos to study and characterize the physical conditions of the Chacao Channel, located in southern Chile. “This would diversify the energy matrix through renewable energy sources available in our country,” underlines the academic.

He began his research in 2010. “Working in the Chacao Channel has been very interesting. It is a magical location,” says the professor of the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering. He explains that its characterization would produce potential energy maps for tidal currents in the channel.

The project considers the use of technology to determine the essential meteorological, hydrodynamic and environmental variables for assessing the energy resource and interference that might occur between a regenerative energy device farm and the marine environment.

Led by Professor Cienfuegos, the research has also involved the design and implementation of hydrodynamic modeling tools. “These tools can be used to assess and predict the site’s energy production and volume,” he explains.

A�er conducting field measurements on the sea floor of the channel, the project team decided to undertake more detailed studies in a specific section, which was identified as a potential site for tidal energy extraction.

“We have seen the influence of the sea floor on the type of circulation that occurs with the flow in the Chacao Channel.”

The professor also referred to the work conducted in conjunction with the School of Biological Sciences, such as the contribution made by Professor Juan Carlos Castilla, who contributed to the research by surveying the marine life in the channel. “We have identified the marine biodiversity of the site and have learned to identify different species.”

Following the results of this research, Professor Cienfuegos anticipates that the next step will be to select a specific location for a more detailed study and to install devices for pilot studies.

“We hope this research will contribute to the identification of resources and conditions in Chile for the development of this type of energy.”

RODRIGO CIENFUEGOSASSOCIATE PROFESSOR



Master Recherche, Institut National Polytechnique, France

Doctor of Philosophy, Institut National Polytechnique at Grenoble

(INPG-ENSHMG), France


HOW TO MANAGE HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS

Professor Luis Cifuentes’ research cannot be limited to paper or contained behind four walls. His work in environmental risks, health and safety assessment and management is required to support public decision making. He holds a doctorate degree in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University, and has expertise in assessing the impact and regulation of air pollution, in assessing risk perception among the population and in managing natural disasters.

The results of his research in air pollution management, including its impacts on health, a social assessment of measures for reducing it and its relationship with the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, have been the raw material for decontamination plans in Chilean cities and for the issuing of a primary environmental quality standard for fine particles, among other regulations.

“The goal of my work is to generate information that is as objective as possible to assist in the public decision-making process with respect to environmental quality and risk management, in order to maximize social welfare,” says the professor. “Although there are international precedents, we o�en need to obtain local models or values that are relevant for Chile. It’s not enough to extrapolate the international experience.”

In terms of risk management, the professor is researching community perceptions and acceptability of risk situations by the population. “There is no activity or technology that doesn’t put society at risk in some way. Apart from the objective risk assessment, people’s perception is essential and sometimes overrides acceptability of the technology. In the case of electric power generation, this aspect has been fundamental. If you don’t consider it, you cannot make good decisions.”

In his work as director of CIGIDEN, the National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales), he was able to integrate many aspects of his previous work. “Disasters caused by natural events present major challenges. Their origin is not controllable, but their consequences are. Risk preparedness and mitigation is a task that combines physical (engineering) and social aspects, such as the behavior of individuals and communities. It is a great opportunity to integrate knowledge from different fields to effectively reduce the impact of natural phenomenon in Chile. We hope to make a positive contribution to the country.”

LUIS CIFUENTES

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering


Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon


Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering and

Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, United States


INCREASINGLY INTERESTING COMPLEX SYSTEMS

Not all engineers have their sights set on highly complex processes. Those who do have the task of examining the set of components of a system and generating models, determining their parameters and acting on them in real time. Professor Aldo Cipriano thrives on this increasing complexity that he feels grows more interesting by the day.

He remembers the expansion of the mining industry in 1972, when he witnessed the first steps in automating ore concentration: “purely analog systems”. Today, the digital world changes everything.

“It’s a world where you must react quickly”, he says. Getting to know the processes, delving deep into mathematics, computing and electronics, together with other academics or his team of engineers and doctoral candidate students, he has designed solutions for many systems (cardiovascular circulation; the salmon industry; transport; energy; steel and, above all, the mining industry). He has been supported by Fondecyt, Fondef, CORFO-Innova, mining companies and the European Union.

“First we model, we write equations of physical processes,” he says. But models can be pointless if they require too much information. You need to simplify and simulate until you establish a cause-effect relationship, the basis for the control design. Optimization is at stake, but in real time. “We integrate computing with mathematics, with instrumentation and processes,” he says.

His work has included the development of sensors, but it’s his big picture perspective that gives strength to his work: “We must incorporate the upper management big business vision.” His control tests include objective-functions and constraints, not just with technical components, but with economic and environmental ones as well.

In the control room of a plant, many processors and automated components communicate with each other, and with the operators who handle them. “People need to be properly integrated with the technology, to understand how the actions of one person impact the others.”

His systems are already being applied, but they are also used to train the staff who will manage the processes, acting as distributed intelligence hubs that work in resonance.

Professor Cipriano also presides over DICTUC, an entity that connects knowledge and technology transfer and extension activities between professors and productive sectors. “This virtuous dialogue between academia and society materializes,” he writes, “through specialized multidisciplinary engineering services that arise from our professors’ innovation projects.”

Aldo Cipriano knows the professors. He has served as dean and assistant dean at Universidad Catolica’s School of Engineering, an atmosphere much to his liking: complex.

ALDO CIPRIANOPROFESSOR



Master of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Chile

Doktor-Ingenieur, Technische Universität München, Germany


ZOOMING IN ON TRANSPORT

The morning rush to get to work or school shortens the intervals between vehicles. The traffic jams in the evenings are worse, as there are longer intervals.

He scans models created in developed countries. “Their reality is different.” If you apply micro-simulation models from those countries to our reality, he says, mistakes can be in the 50 to 60% range. If you calibrate them, you can come up with something more reasonable, from 5 to 10%. And he has calibrated almost all of them.

Micro-simulation, he explains, leads to a deeper understanding. They are designing a new model. His approach is to take on one vehicle at a time.

Everything supports urban policy. To understand what happens, we need to streamline traffic management decisions, or obtain a more precise estimate of the social benefits of transportation projects. Investment into reversing the direction of traffic on a given street may be minimal, but investment in a new subway line is not. An error can be very expensive.

This is a more recent discipline, that’s only been in existence for the last 70 or 65 years. “I’ve known all the greats. It’s like having known Newton! I have dined with them, I’ve asked them questions, exchanged emails!” he says with pride.

There’s a downside, of course. He quotes a British transport minister who said the problem in Britain was that it had 47 million transport and traffic experts.

He laughs, as if he were still president of the Student Union, a post he held in 1968.

JUAN ENRIQUE COEYMANS

PROFESSOR EMERITUSDepartment of Transport



Master of Science, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Professor Coeymans can be likened to those photographers who frame the general picture with a wide-angle lens or a more intimate image with a telephoto.

When operating on a large scale, his philosophical and theological training come to the foreground, as well as his experience as Dean and Senior Advisor, “always looking at macro issues.” And he does feel a certain contradiction.

“In research, I’ve always wanted to go beyond my limits, get to the bo¤om, probe deeper. It is very limiting on the one hand, but it’s the only way to be scientifically serious. And you don’t miss the big picture. It’s like zooming and screening.”

Aware of the complexity of traffic, he and his students and researchers have been developing decision-making intelligence.

They created VELUC, a so�ware that determines free-flow velocity in the city from vehicle tracking, and SIGCOM, to optimize isolated traffic lights based on different objectives, such as minimizing delays or stops, or fuel consumption.

They also studied the “saturation flux,” how much traffic a street tolerates, and other traffic parameters. His “macro” view has led him and his team to identify psychological causes that determine flows. “We can statistically conclude that the saturation flux of a street is not fixed; it depends on the time of day. In the morning, the streets have greater capacity than in the a�ernoon.”


IMPULSE, CROSSROADS AND RISK

or create awareness, or denounce, or whatever the students want to do, depending on their motivations,” she says. “Or if they want, make a device that will change the world, but include creativity, the artistic side, in the design.”

A�er their first semester in the subject, eight students have decided to develop their ideas and make a prototype to present to an investor; a more elaborate project that can receive a push toward the market.

She wants to emphasize integration in the study of objects, for example, a beam to the real world; to relate; to understand the usefulness of what we study.

She recalls the diversity of the student body: “obviously among those 700 who enter, there are different abilities.” She doesn’t want those who, like her, are moved by artistic expressions previously unheard of in engineering to feel suffocated.

Professor Cortázar moves within risk. “The most important thing for any life-changing decision, any discovery, is not being afraid to fail. If people are trapped by the fear of what people might say if they fail, if you waste two years doing something... You have to realize what you can contribute!”

She encourages risk, motivates branching out, balancing different facets of yourself, bringing them together, asking her students, as was her case, for example, what they might have learned in photography that could also be applied to engineering.

CATALINA CORTÁZAR

ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR PROFESSOR


Civil Structural Engineer, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile

Master in Media Studies, The New School for Public Engagement,

United States

Master of Fine Arts Design and Technology, Parsons

The New School for Design, United States

After completing her studies as a structural civil engineer, Professor Cortázar jumped at the chance to pursue a Master’s degree in Media Studies in New York.

During her undergraduate studies, she never abandoned her more artistic side, taking all the photography courses offered by the University. She remembers that her teachers frequently did not understand how she could choose to spend Tuesday a�ernoons taking photographs, instead of studying for a test.

Before moving to New York, she worked at a structural engineering office, practicing what she had learned: calculations and seismic analysis.

Once she finished her degree in Media Studies, she was accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in the world: Parsons New School of Design, also in New York, where Catalina contributed her engineering degree and earned her second master’s degree in design and technology.

Her current challenge, in collaboration with Professor Constanza Miranda, is to open up the world of engineering to freshmen through the course “Engineering challenges”. She says she has now found the school where she would have liked to have studied herself.

Together with her students, she also researches innovation processes arising out of posing real challenges to creativity. “The school has a major creative potential,” she says.

Cortázar lives and works at a crossroads of the two worlds: “apply the best scientific and engineering knowledge to creative things that can change the world,


AN OBJECTIVE LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL MARKET

Professor Gonzalo Cortázar’s expertise lies in financial instruments and their valuation in the market. He has developed numerous research projects in this field in recent years, mainly focused on the impact of the lack of liquidity in financial markets.

“The problems of a developing country, of an emerging financial market, come from the fact that financial instruments, such as bonds for example, are traded very infrequently. Therefore, there is considerable uncertainty about the correct price of the financial instruments at any given moment.” Aware of this problem for over 10 years, the professor set about to research market valuation and later generated a service unit that provides objective information on the value of financial assets, which has had a great impact in Chile.

This unit, called RiskAmerica, is an extension project of the university that provides services to the entire financial industry, delivering estimated valuations through economic and mathematical models about the expected worth of different financial investments at any given time. “It is important to have objective valuations to estimate the values of interest rates, bond prices, spreads, and at any given time with the available information. The entire financial sector, the Central Bank of Chile and regulators use that information to make decisions regarding the value of assets and even of projected inflation.”

The professor and his team have made a significant contribution to the development of the financial market. They paved the way for a new line of certifications that value asset prices with the support of a higher education institution and no conflict of interest. “The mere fact that there is objective information in the market eliminates the asymmetry of information between the various agents. It’s very different for a company or a bank that is negotiating with another to know the opinion of an independent entity rather than just that of its counterpart. And this facilitates the growth of the financial market.”

The models used by the professor are rooted in the literature of developed markets, but with a special emphasis on the problems of liquidity. Gonzalo Cortázar says that “there are financial models that assume a stochastic process for interest rates or for different types of underlying assets that generate risk, and no-arbitrage models are applied to prices, in an a¤empt to infer what instrument prices would prevent arbitration.”

Gonzalo Cortázar also focuses on the application of theories of real options to investment processes to support investment decisions and the stochastic behavior of commodity options, such as oil and copper.

GONZALO CORTÁZAR

PROFESSORDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering


Master of Business Administration, University of

California, Los Angeles, United States

Master of Arts, University of California, Los Angeles,

United States


United States


TECHNOLOGY-BASED INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Professor Alfonso Cruz has addressed science, technology and innovation management policies throughout his career, not only as a teacher and professional, but also as a researcher.

One of his current projects is a characterization of the status and evolution of research, development, innovation and entrepreneurship systems (R & D + i + e) of 17 leading universities in Latin America. Their relevance lies in the fact that the growth of technological knowledge knows no bounds and shows increasing returns in productivity, unlike traditional productive factors such as capital and labor, which exhibit diminishing returns.

The study yields important insights. “Activating a university to generate knowledge flows from their inception to their social application involves structuring complex processes, ad-hoc and long-term policies and expertise,” says the professor, who led Universidad Católica’s Innovation department from 2010 to 2012.

While the 17 universities studied show a high level of heterogeneity, the study observed sustained significant progress across the board in different dimensions. For

example, Professor Cruz’s research observed 60% increases in invention disclosures, 74% in university patents, 114% in licensing contracts and 25% in the number of spin-offs created during the study period (2007-2010). All universities analyzed have an OTL (Office of Technology Licensing) and business incubators, and most have a Center for Entrepreneurship.

“Regardless of these high growth rates, the universities still have a long way to go. Their baseline in these areas is low on an international scale,” states the professor, who enumerates some of the challenges: cross over from basic to applied research; increase knowledge transfer from R & D; emphasize an international approach to intellectual property; and increase R & D resources from private sources in addition to public funding.

The professor provides insight on the current university scenario: “These institutions have a valuable opportunity to increase their social relevance and influence through a systematic and significant transfer of knowledge, creating new value and contributing to the economic and social development of their respective countries.”

ALFONSO CRUZ ADJUNCT ASSOCIATE

PROFESSORDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering


Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, University of

Wisconsin-Madison, United States

Doctor of Technological Innovation, University of Sussex,

United Kingdom


DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYSIS MODELS FOR URBAN AND INTER-CITY TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

Over the past 30 years, Professor Joaquín de Cea has worked on the design, development and implementation of analysis models for urban and intercity transport systems. He specifically focuses on the study of user behavior in public transportation when given the choice of routes when people begin their journeys. He recalls that when he began his research, this was already a major problem in Chile; however, on a global level, research in this area was precarious at best. “Most research was conducted in developed countries, where public transportation took a back seat to the car in terms of importance,” he says.

He worked together with Professor Enrique Fernández to design and develop an equilibrium allocation model for the public transportation system, which takes into account vehicle capacity constraints. According to Professor De Cea, almost all previously existing models failed to take this dimension into account: “Analysis of capacity was not considered an issue. According to these models, all potential passengers will fit.” One exception he mentions was a similar model to Chile, developed at the University of Montreal, where he completed his doctorate.

He later collaborated once again with Professor Enrique Fernández, this time to study the problem of simultaneous equilibrium (a short-term supply-demand balance issue) in congested transportation systems. This type of model ensures consistency between flows, travel and resulting service levels at different travel stages or decision-making junctures considered in the classical transportation model (Undertake a journey? Where to? What mode of transport? Which route?). This is the contrary of the alternative global intensive use approach (classic sequential model), which o�en provides inconsistent results, especially when congestion levels are high.

Reflecting upon the research carried out in his department, the professor says, “Universidad Católica’s Department of Transport Engineering and Logistics as a whole has had a significant influence on the methodologies currently used in Chile and throughout Latin America to analyze transportation systems. Our analysis approach is followed by other institutions.”

JOAQUÍN DE CEA

PROFESSORDepartment of Transport




Doctor of Philosophy, Université de Montréal, Canada


DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION IN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

One of Juan Carlos de la Llera’s main areas of research is the development of technology that can be used to solve problems with a significant social impact. The professor was selected as the Endeavor Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011 for his contribution to the development of anti-seismic technology through Sirve S.A., a Universidad Católica spin-off he formed, together with a group of professors and students from the School of Engineering. He spent over ten years trying to convince architects and developers that seismic protection of structures is a basic need and not a luxury. The earthquake that struck Chile in 2010 proved him right, demonstrating the effectiveness of the devices in all of the structures with anti-seismic technology developed by Sirve S.A.

De la Llera carefully balances his work as researcher with his entrepreneurial activities. “For me it is a continuum. I have never made a distinction between research and implementing real-life solutions,” he says. Teamwork is an essential part of this, and he has developed 13 technologies in collaboration with his students. These include seismic isolation devices such as elastomeric, frictional and kinematic isolation; viscoelastic, frictional and viscous energy dissipation mechanisms; and intelligent systems that change their properties, recognizing the type of movement experienced by the structure in partnership with shock-absorbers that are adjusted in accordance with the mass. Short-term transfer from theory to practice is possible, as seen in the recent installation of viscous devices in an important building in Peru as part of a project that he developed with one of his graduate students two years earlier.

The professor works with a clear objective: “We want this technology to penetrate every fiber of infrastructure in Chile -the mining industry, hospitals and school systems- to ensure that no structure goes unprotected and that coverage reaches everyone.” The challenges involve finding mechanisms for lowering the costs of these technologies and positioning them internationally.

His interest in the worlds of interface, the limits between engineering, sociology, medicine, biology, geophysics and mathematics, has led him to explore other fields such as linear and nonlinear dynamic issues and to expand the analysis of structural behavior under constant movement. He also works on the integration of structural seismic engineering with geophysics. “We have to look at everything, from the characterization of movement to the materials an engineer needs to design a safe structure,” he says. Through his participation in the National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales- CIGIDEN), he also studies the interaction between humans and structures in problems of evacuation or life-threatening circumstances. How does a person interact in the physical environment under extreme conditions? This is another interface that Professor Juan Carlos de la Llera explores: “There is a new world for seismic engineering here.”

JUAN CARLOS DE LA LLERA

DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

PROFESSORDepartment of Structural and






INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT SERVING THE COUNTRY

Professor Hernán de Solminihac studies the behavior and current state of infrastructure, using mathematical models to identify actions that can be undertaken to ensure certain levels of service over a period of time. “It is possible to estimate the investment required and when it should be made in order to maintain a certain standard,” he explains.

His experience in the study of construction processes and techniques and infrastructure management has been recognized nationally and internationally, leading to his appointment to head the Ministry of Public Works in 2010 and the Ministry of Mining in 2011. It was during his first ministerial post that he had to deal with events that escaped all mathematical models: the consequences of the 27 February 2010 earthquake. According to the academic, the most important factor in such circumstances is to be “able to react in time,” in order to think about people’s needs and identify the most effective reconstruction techniques. “Dealing with an earthquake connected me with people and public services quite dramatically and quickly. It was a valid experience that helped us make headway in terms of reconstruction, laying the foundations for the continued infrastructure growth of our country.”

Furthermore, Professor de Solminihac took part in the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Public Works, which monitored the technical and financial aspects of a planned bridge to cross the Chacao Channel. “I am proud of the work we have undertaken to improve people’s quality of life. It has been fantastic to continue to contribute in this way,” he states.

In regard to the country’s productivity, which is another concern of his, the former minister says, “I am very interested in mining. In recent years we have seen a significant drop in output: the question is how to improve this situation so that this industry, which is so important to the country, can provide more resources to the national budget and thus to social development

projects? This is why I encourage our students to be important players in the growth of Chile,” he says.

The professor’s interest in civil engineering can be traced back to his youth in the city of Puerto Mon¤, where he developed a desire to understand how to construct the buildings, bridges and roads that connect Chileans from north to south. This led him to focus his research on infrastructure management. These studies eventually led to the publication of two books: Construction Processes and Techniques co-authored with the academic Guillermo Thenoux of the UC School of Engineering and Highway Infrastructure Management. The first summarizes the academic work of both professors and is meant to assist in the formation of students and professionals who are initiating construction activities, with the emphasis placed on the studies of project budgets.

The second text addresses concepts used in engineering in systems applied to the State or private management of road infrastructure, such as the technical evaluation of paving, estimates of future technical requirements, and the economic evaluation and optimization of solutions. “I have focused on this in order to make operations more efficient in the timeframe of a given works project. Once a project is built, we need to know how to technically and economically operate it. That is to say, we need to identify what needs to be done to benefit users with the available resources,” he states.

Both books have been well received in Chile and abroad. “They have contributed to the training of people who apply this knowledge in their work on a daily basis. That motivates us to keep working,” says the professor.

Professor de Solminihac has also participated in university management, serving as Dean of the UC Faculty of Engineering and Director of DICTUC, the applied research and outreach unit of the university’s School of Engineering.

HERNÁN DE SOLMINIHAC




Master of Science, The University of Texas at Austin, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin,

United States


THE UNKNOWN QUALITIES OF CO2

“Chile benefits from natural resources that are very high-quality or only found in this country,” says Professor del Valle. Its biodiversity is the source of countless natural compounds used in drugs, cosmetics and food.

In recent years, the market for functional and nutraceutical foods has boomed, opening opportunities for Chile to become a protagonist. But this is not a simple challenge: quality and quantity demands are on the rise. The industry increasingly restricts the variety and volume of solvent in the separation processes, further exacerbating the level of difficulty.

What to do? The answer is simple: use CO2 taken from the air. This common gas was the protagonist in Professor Del Valle’s thesis project. In the 1980s, he recalls, he didn’t have the equipment he has access to today: a world-class laboratory obtained a�er years of presenting projects and raising funds.

What makes CO2 so special? It is a solvent used for obtaining high quality extracts. It is innocuous and its elimination leaves no traces in the final products, however the process is not trivial. The CO2 must be converted into a solvent because under normal conditions it is an inert gas. This optimum or “supercritical” state is reached at high pressures and above its critical temperature. This CO2, not gas or liquid, is very versatile and can be adjusted to our extraction needs.

“A small change in conditions changes everything, particularly solubility,” says the professor. To remove the essential oils of rosemary, for example, you need to work at 12 megapascals, i.e., 120 times the ambient pressure. To obtain natural pigments such as lycopene from tomato, it takes at least 55 megapascals, 550 times the ambient pressure. There is no roadmap for each compound. Research is required to understand, model and optimize the extraction process.

The professor emphasizes that the treatment of the material prior to extraction is a dominant factor. As with food, where the microstructure determines its texture, in this case the microstructure directly affects the extraction behavior.

This information is vital to the mathematical models proposed by the professor. “We have progressed in design processes, scaling and cost estimation,” he says.

The possibilities are endless. Businesses looking for extracts generally send their raw materials to industries abroad. Now they are offered an analysis of costs and purification methods for producing natural extracts locally. In the future there is a possibility that local firms may provide a platform for the extraction of natural compounds for Latin America, so boosting the entire region.

JOSÉ MANUEL DEL VALLE





Doctor of Philosophy, University of Guelph, Canada


OPTIMIZATION OF AIR TRANSPORT

In Chile, as is the case in the rest of the world, air travel is essential for fast, efficient and reliable connections, both for domestic and international journeys. Professor Felipe Delgado is interested in developing projects in this area and states there is a need for research based on the characteristics of Chile, which are very different from those found in other countries.

With a focus on passenger and cargo air transport, the professor of the Department of Transport Engineering and Logistics says that “these are two very different worlds.” He is currently working with the Latam Airlines Group. “They’re interested in optimizing their processes” he says.

Professor Delgado began developing exploration projects for cargo, which has not been as far developed as the passenger area. He explains that some cargo arrives at the last minute and other cargo is booked months in advance so it can reach its destination. “If I have an aircra� and I anticipate that it’s going to be full, how much space should I reserve for orders arriving early and how much for those arriving at the last minute?” proposes the academic.

The professor explains that a last-minute cargo service has a higher cost. If all space is filled with cargo that was paid for a month in advance, the company loses

the chance to sell space at a higher price, resulting in financial loss.

“The idea is to determine the total space of the aircra�, how much to assign for cargo with advanced booking, and how much for last-minute cargo, in order to maximize flight revenues.”

Professor Delgado works with the airline’s database. He conducts a statistical analysis to estimate the cargo requirements per flight and then uses mathematical programming elements to solve the problem.

“We are analyzing the cargo demand, whether it’s too variable, whether it depends on the type of cargo, the route and competitors.” The professor is currently studying the Europe-Latin America route in order to determine the optimal anticipated and last-minute reserved space, thereby maximizing company revenues and delivering a quality service to users.

He says there are also other air transport issues that he wants to study in the future. He is concerned with connectivity and the growth of the Santiago international airport. “In terms of runways, the airport is perfect, but its operational mode reduces its capacity.” These are some of the challenges that Professor Delgado foresees in the development of the airline market in Chile.

FELIPE DELGADO

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Transport





EFFICIENCY OF ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES

In a society where motor vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine is the norm, Juan Dixon has for years focused his research on improving the efficiency of electric-powered vehicles. The goal of most of his investigations is to make the power transmission from the ba¤ery to the electric motor more efficient for optimal operation.

“The electric-powered vehicle is highly efficient in comparison to an internal combustion vehicle, but it can still be improved if we find new ways of controlling the energy flow between the ba¤ery and the engine,” explains Professor Dixon. “If there is not a good power supply to the engine it will be less efficient, reducing the vehicle’s autonomy.”

The use of power electronics, which Professor Dixon researches, has led to new conversion systems for the transfer of energy from the ba¤eries to the engine. New processing methods with computer controls have been used to further optimize this energy transfer.

Inevitably, all of Professor Dixon’s research ends up in the Laboratory of Electric-powered Vehicles at the San Joaquín Campus, which currently has four electric vehicles at different stages of development and experiments, centered on electronics and improving power transmission efficiency. The models in the lab include a 1997 Chevrolet LUV truck, a 1997 Chevrolet S10 truck, a 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer and a 2009 Suzuki Maruti.

Professor Dixon has been working in the world of electric-powered transportation for over forty years. The subject of his thesis was new electronic converters for electric vehicles and he worked at the State Railway Company (Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado-EFE) with electric locomotives and Santiago trolleybuses in the former State Public Transport Company (Empresa de Transportes Colectivos del Estado). The international awards he has received should come as no surprise. These include the Prince Albert II of Monaco Medal for the paper “23-Level Inverter for Electric Vehicles Using Only One Power Supply and Series Active Filters.” His research describes the benefits of using 23-level inverters in electric vehicles instead of the simple two-level converters used at present. This development continues today with new control technologies and new electronic converters at over 23 levels, which have also been designed for renewable energy applications.

This year, Professor Dixon celebrates 35 years as a member of the School of Engineering, working on the improvement of power transmission systems based on power electronics. He has conducted research into active filters and reagents compensation to obtain clean electrical energy without distortion.

JUAN DIXON PROFESSOR EMERITUS



Master of Engineering, McGill University, Canada

Doctor of Philosophy, McGill University, Canada


ADVANCED SUB-SOIL VISUALIZATION METHODS: LANDMINE DETECTION

Chile has made significant strides towards tackling the scourge of landmines, which claim thousands of victims around the world each year. Since 2003, Professor Mario Durán has been developing innovative technology to support the humanitarian demining efforts in the country. He has been working with researchers from the Military Polytechnic Academy (Academia Politécnica Militar) of the Chilean Army to design and conceptually test an “Airborne System for Detection and Identification of Phenomena and Objects in the Subsoil”, based on mathematical modeling, signal processing, reconstruction of images and the principles of GPR-SAR radar.

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile currently holds a global patent on this technology. “We are searching for funding to build a working prototype,” said the professor, who has been the scientific director of the Academia Politécnica Militar since 2000.

Remote airborne technologies, according to Durán, are the only devices able to detect, locate and identify the presence of certain phenomena and objects on the ground, underground or under foliage in extensive and

vast areas of territory in an effective, versatile, reliable, robust and secure fashion.

“In Chile, the needs of these airborne technologies are manifold: in geophysics, geology, and hydrology and related fields for mine operations; in search and rescue operations; in the search for archaeological sites; and most notably, in the field of humanitarian demining,” said Durán. “Chile’s progress depends on the ability of its institutions and industry for mass acquisition and fast processing of information. In this field, different remote sensing technologies take on a leading role.”

The “Airborne System for Detection and Identification of Phenomena and Objects in the Subsoil” has been presented to specialized agencies such as the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), the United Nations, and at the Conference of American Armies in the United States. “This is one of the few patents, if not the only one, that Chile holds in the defense industry. For our country, moving forward in this field would mean entering the world arena of high-tech innovative technology in the area of business technology,” says Professor Durán.

MARIO DURÁN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR


Civil Mathematical Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Diplôme d’Études Approfondies (DEA) Paris VI, France

Docteur en Mathématiques Appliquée, École Polytechnique,

France


TURBULENCE IN NATURE: FROM RIVER DYNAMICS TO RENEWABLE ENERGIES

The study of turbulent flow dynamics applied to environmental engineering and science issues is the main area of research of Cristián Escauriaza, Assistant Professor of the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering.

Using advanced computer simulations, Professor Escauriaza uses field measurements and laboratory experiments to study the physical processes that occur in nature and so be¤er understand the mechanisms that control fluvial morphodynamics, sediment transport in rivers, and dispersion and cross-contamination of pollutants in aquatic environments. In recent years, his research has focused on central and northern Chile, particularly the upper river basin of the Lluta River located in the high plateau (altiplano) region of Arica and Parinacota. The unique conditions of this region, located 4000 m.a.s.l., require an integration of the multiple fields of engineering and earth sciences to understand the mechanisms that control the destination of pollutants, sediment erosion and deposits, along with human impacts and future scenarios in the use of water resources.

“We have studied hydrodynamic issues such as river confluences and the interaction of these flows with other environmental processes. We work with other professors and researchers to address these complex problems from a multidisciplinary perspective and according to a wide range of scales. Small-scale flow turbulence processes o�en have important effects throughout the river system,” explains Escauriaza.

In addition to new discoveries concerning the interaction of turbulence with sediment and contaminant transportation, Professor Escauriaza has developed models to study flow developed by hydrokinetic turbines, creating new tools to study the impact of power generation devices with tidal currents. His recent research focuses on the study of flash floods, which commonly occur in mountainous regions of Chile.

“A curiosity to learn more about the fundamental processes of nature and the overall relationship between water, energy and the environment, have motivated me to tackle complex applied problems to improve engineering design.”

CRISTIÁN ESCAURIAZA

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Hydraulic and




United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Minnesota, United States


THE CHALLENGE OF DEVELOPING RENEWABLE ENERGY

The global demand for more efficient energy production goes hand in hand with the need to protect and care for the environment. Chile is an energy importer and its energy matrix is dominated by dirty, non-renewable fossil fuels. Professor Rodrigo Escobar has set his sights on northern Chile, an area with some of the best solar radiation levels in the world.

In 2013, Escobar along with Universidad Católica engineer José Miguel Cardemil, proposed a research project into the use of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants through polygeneration schemes, electricity generation, waste heat, solar cooling and water. These four plant outputs are possible with CSP technology, representing the energy needs of industrial, residential and commercial activities in northern Chile.

This implies that if there are four market prices for each of the outputs, the plant can establish an optimization criterion for maximum revenue, or an optimization criterion for maximum plant efficiency, which means that the solar energy would be converted most efficiently. Accordingly, one of the research objectives is to formulate thermo-economic models that simulate plant

operation and optimize each output based on a given optimization criteria.

One of the main findings, Professor Escobar explains, is that solar radiation varies at different temporal scales. Traditionally, plants are simulated with a formulation called Typical Meteorological Year (TMY). If a plant with a 20-year useful life is simulated, all years are equal to the average, but this does not consider variability. Escobar has found that if a plant with a long-standing existence of various years is simulated, the sum of the plant output is very different from the typical 20-year scenario. “We want to identify the relationship between resource variability, uncertainty in production predictions and formulation in a typical year”, he says.

“We could use this project to build a scientific knowledge base for the development of technologies of Concentrated Solar Power in Chile,” says Escobar. “The optimum and rational use of poly-generation schemes will improve the energy conversion efficiency of the energy system, helping to reduce dependence on external energy sources, in addition to increasing Chile’s energy security.”

RODRIGO ESCOBAR



Civil Engineer in Mechanics, Universidad de Santiago de Chile

Master of Science, Carnegie Mellon University, United States



DETERMINISTIC AND CONCURRENT: CUTTING-EDGE PROGRAMMING

Professor Yadran Eterovic specializes in so�ware engineering and concurrent computing, specifically in concurrent data structures, which allow multiple processes to work without encumbering each other in devices with more than one CPU. He began to explore this field years ago when most electronic devices had only one CPU, but has resumed his research to meet current needs to simplify programming.

Computer programming should be able to make use of these additional resources on a single device to make then work be¤er and faster. “For applications to run faster you have to alter their programming. Traditional programming for a single CPU is no longer effective.”

Data structure is crucial. “Until about five years ago, skip lists represented the more complex parallelized structure. These provided a way to analyze data in groups

of two, four or eight at a time instead of one by one. If the data being searched was farther away, the range of skips was greater to reduce the search time.” The problem with these structures is that their behavior is probabilistic, which means the structures may weaken when information is inserted or removed.

Search trees, on the other hand, have a strong deterministic behavior, which leads to the question: How can these properties be maintained so that the tree remains useful but allows multiple concurrent access? Eterovic worked with his graduate students to test a type of binary search tree called red-black trees, and added a concurrent component.

“If we can prove a solid concurrent structure performance that is in fact superior to the probabilistic alternatives, I think that its reception will be very positive.”

YADRAN ETEROVIC

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Computer Science


Master of Science, University of California, Los Angeles, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles, United States


URBAN DRAINAGE MANUAL: PHYSICAL MODEL FOR A HYDROELECTRIC PLANT AND FLOW PREDICTION METHODS

“The Urban Drainage Manual” provided for the Department of Hydraulic Works of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) is a recent contribution from the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering for the management and problem-solving of rainfall in urban areas. The purpose of this manual, developed by DIHA professor Bonifacio Fernández, Jorge Gironás and his team, is to guide storm water solutions for all Chilean urban areas, in conjunction with MOP, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MINVU), municipalities, developers, builders and designers.

The Department began to conduct research on issues of urban drainage with the development of the “Design Guide of Alternative Urban Storm Water Solution Techniques” developed for MINVU in 1996, which was later supplemented with research conducted in conjunction with the Chilean Chamber of Construction.

Along these same lines, Fernández led a Fund for the Promotion of Scientific and Technological Development (FONDEF) project in conjunction with several public and private institutions to develop standardized storm water drainage systems in urban developments and housing projects. Proposals included elements related to seepage, quality filters and permeable paving, among others.

The professor is currently participating as co-researcher on urban sustainability projects. Through one project he

researches the design of household drainage networks in order to obtain information and models applicable to Chile’s semi-arid regions.

Fernández has also participated in the design and optimization of complex hydraulic works by building and studying them in hydraulic laboratory models. These include hydroelectric plants such as those located at Machicura and Canutillar in Chile, and Cheves in Peru; reservoir diversion (Melado, San Pedro, Baker 1 and Pascua); base drainage systems (Colbún and Baker 1); reservoir flood runoff (Los Leones, Pilmaiquén, Osorno and Los Lagos). He has also recently completed a study of dissipation chambers for the Azapa canal and is currently working on a load rejection system for a hydroelectric plant on the Manso River.

Fernández spent various years studying the behavior of droughts. In the 1980s, he employed stochastic hydrology as a method for characterization of meteorological, hydrological and agricultural drought in central Chile. He later proposed methods for estimating the probability of the occurrence of specific droughts in semi-arid areas. This line of work involves the development of methods and models for medium-term prediction of flows for hydroelectric plants, with applications in river basins in Chile, Peru and Colombia.

BONIFACIO FERNÁNDEZ PROFESSOR EMERITUS



Master of Science, Colorado State University, United States



A CERTAIN UNCERTAINTY

Professor Ferrer is a multi-tasker. He values his family life, so when he needs to visit a retail store at the weekend, he brings his family with him to shop as he researches.

Trained as an engineer, he initially saw himself in the public sector or private enterprise, but not as an academic. But he began to research. Today he says that research “is the ingredient that makes the academic career so fascinating.”

Uncertainty is what excites him the most. Research enriches an academic career with its uncertainty, with its relationship with students, with people.

He empathizes with the basic researcher, but he focuses on applied research. “It is not enough to say that I focus on real problems. I put a lot of effort into applying what I research.” He focuses on Revenue Management and Workforce Management. He develops applications, improving people’s lives through the benefit packages of many public and private organizations.

He wrote his doctorate thesis on the pricing of packaged products, such as a laptop, which is a complex package. What quality should each component have to achieve a price that both brings in revenue and satisfies the customer?

From this starting point, he moved on to Revenue Management and Workforce Management.

In Latin America he works with Professor Juan Carlos Muñoz to define and adjust the shi�s in many retail companies. The purpose of the model was to ensure that vendors were available at peak times. It worked. They then adjusted it to the constraints of different types of workers, their preferences, weekdays, seasons, labor laws and union agreements.

The discovery led to a firm that currently manages the shi�s of 50 thousand people. “People are happier.” And this has been “through research and teamwork.”

In terms of pricing, he has developed an inventory management model for one of the major pharmacy chains in Chile, to keep inventories as low as possible, but still meeting customer demand for medicines 98% of the time.

He is currently working with professors Rodrigo Pascual, Jorge Vera and Sergio Maturana on a spinoff of this project in a major public hospital in Santiago. The idea is to design a model that helps the hospital meet medicine inventory needs and replicate this throughout the hospital network.

A certain uncertainty spices the effort prior to success.

JUAN CARLOS FERRER

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering



Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Massachuse�s Institute of Technology, United States


IN SEARCH OF MICROORGANISMS AND BETTER BREAD

Professor Franco specializes in quinoa, a product she has always been familiar with as a staple in the diet of her native Bolivia, and she views it as a source of protein for the world.

Quinoa is a pseudo cereal that in Chile is grown in the north, some parts of the central zone and in Patagonia in the south. Professor Franco emphasizes its protein content: it contains 20 essential amino acids. “It is a super food,” she states.

She works with three colors of quinoa: white, red and black, which produce three different types of flour, and studies their fermentation, which is essential when making good bread.

This is part of her mission to create healthy, safe and consumer-friendly foods. The professor delves into the microbiology of processes, manipulating lactic acid bacteria and yeasts to achieve her goal.

And her goal is bread.

People that suffer from celiac disease cannot eat gluten, which is normally found in bread or pasta. If they want to eat bread or pasta, these must be made with gluten-free flours, which usually result in tasteless, dense and una¤ractive breads or pastas. They also lack essential nutrients; those suffering from this illness feel destined to be deprived of what everyone else seems to love.

During the first year, Franco studied sourdough, normally used to make sourdough bread or improve whole-wheat

bread. While working with quinoa flour, she wondered which bacteria would grow in quinoa flour if she let it ferment.

Working alongside North Carolina State University, she turned herself into a detective of bacteria. Having isolated yeasts and bacteria, she identified strains that produce “Exopolysaccharides”, elements that enhance the sensory characteristic of bread.

The discovery of these would allow a natural substitution for the additives used today in gluten-free flours to make the bread fluffier and so�er.

Her work has already yielded results. “I have characterized the natural microflora that is growing in this fermentation.” Wendy has recognized several bacteria species capable of producing the desired “exopolysaccharides.”

The next step is to put these bacteria to work to produce the desired ingredients in sufficient quantities. Once this challenge is met, it will be time to pull out the baker’s hat and calculate quantities in order to get the perfect mix.

The last step is to bake the bread and provide samples. “Whether people suffer from celiac disease or not, this is a protein-rich food which would be great to circulate. For example, the State institution responsible for school lunch distribution (JUNAEB), could incorporate it in order to increase the protein provided in children’s diets “, she says.

WENDY FRANCO

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Chemical

Engineering and Bioprocesses School of Medicine UC

Food Engineer, Universidad de Nuestra Señora de La Paz, Bolivia

Industrial Engineering, Universidad de Nuestra Señora de

La Paz, Bolivia

Master of Science, Food Science, University of Florida, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Food Science, North Carolina State



ENHANCING HUMAN CAPITAL IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

In 2007, the urban public transport system in Santiago underwent a profound transformation with the creation of ‘Transantiago’, thus changing the way people move about the city. “Through public transport, we have many ways to improve people’s lives,” says Professor Patricia Galilea. She works to understand the behavior of public transport operators and drivers.

The professor explains that Transantiago brought about a change in the employment status of drivers. Previously, most drivers owned their buses and had no contracts. Moreover, Transantiago introduced the concept of operators, private companies that shared the different bus routes in Santiago. “This involved a formal bidding process to assign different operators to the routes,” she says.

Drivers now have contracts, which lead to a new problem. Because drivers are no longer paid per passenger, they sometimes skip uncrowded bus stops. The professor explains, “The contracts now dictate the incentives.”

Is the incentive given to the operators enough or too much? Is a subsidy needed? If so, what amount? These are some of the questions addressed by Professor Galilea’s research, which then led to another project focused on understanding drivers’ behavior. “We started

this research because operators didn’t know how to encourage drivers to meet the goals of Transantiago.”

She explains that operators are subsidized based on their reported losses, but “what if operators are inefficient because they know they will be subsidized?” asks Galilea. “There are different ways to analyze how agents behave, depending on the contract scheme they work under.”

Galilea’s data analysis indicates that “the subsidy is necessary.” But it also shows that operators are being inefficient and the subsidy should be reduced. Furthermore, she has detected that some operating companies are more efficient than others, depending on the routes they use. “Some face higher congestion levels on their routes compared to others,” she explains.

As for the drivers, she says they have the quality of service in their hands. Her research shows the importance of reclaiming the role of drivers. “We need them, but as users of public transport, we do not treat them very well. We treat them quite unfairly,” says Galilea.

“Our work deals with extremely interesting and challenging research and has an impact on the development of public policies that benefit society as a whole, because we all travel on a daily basis,” concludes Galilea.

PATRICIA GALILEA

ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR PROFESSOR





A SYSTEM TO STUDY THE INFLUENCE OF DIET ON THE INTESTINAL MICROBIOME

In order to understand the importance of the intestinal microbiome in human health, Professor Daniel Garrido, a specialist in food biotechnology and genomic and microbial ecology, studies how this bacterial community, which lives in human beings, responds to a diet rich in fiber and fat.

The professor notes that there are several animal models that can be used to study how these bacteria interact in humans, but they are una¤ainable and do not give clear answers. His goal is to design a fermenter system that analyzes how changes in diet affect these intestinal bacteria.

The intestinal microbioma is a complex and environmentally dynamic community that influences the development, maturation, regulation, stimulation and suppression of the immune system. It is linked to various diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and neurological diseases.

“A fermenter mimics the prevailing intestinal conditions by using representative bacteria,” explains Garrido. He

says that there are four to five bacteria that represent the entire community.

His research began in late 2013. He explains that he will need to validate a system and then test with several changes in diet to the fermenter, which will have a stable community of organisms. “I want to study how the bacterial community changes, how it responds to the type of diet it is given,” says the professor.

He will use microbiology to study how bacteria respond to these stimuli with dietary changes. He wants to know the effect on the metabolites produced by these bacteria in intestinal models.

For this study he will take representative samples of the entire population. “We are going to create two systems: one will simulate with newborn babies, and the other adults,” he explains.

“We want to understand the importance of this bacterial community and its impact on human health, and also discover other implications that may be helpful for the entire population,” says Professor Garrido.

DANIEL GARRIDO

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Chemical


Engineer in Molecular Biotechnology, Universidad de

Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Davis, United States


OPTIMIZING BUSINESS DECISIONS

Pedro Gazmuri is currently designing a decision-making model to optimize company costs and processes.

Gazmuri, team leader at SIMULA UC, an area of DICTUC of the Universidad Católica, specializing in process simulation and optimization, has worked in several economic sectors, including mining, health, logistics and port operations, among others. His team has 30 years of experience in consulting and applied research and uses mathematical modeling and so�ware to simulate production scenarios that explicitly incorporate aspects of variability and uncertainty.

Gazmuri and his team are currently developing a project with the newly merged airline LATAM to assess trade routes. The project simulates airline flight routes, considering factors such as weather, and aircra� and crew shortcomings, among others.

“The so�ware is used to represent the entire airline flight operation to estimate the precision of the itinerary. It is an extremely complex process where we have tried to develop a simulation in its own language,” says Gazmuri. “This company will be three times greater than LAN, and this new so�ware will provide an assessment of a trade route before implementation in order to understand the effects of this series of disruptions on operations.”

“For example, in a Santiago to Lima flight we would provide the airline’s commercial area with specific information on the actual precision of the flight routes based on the failure factors,” he says.

He expects the project to be operational in six months and considers it to be a contribution to the aviation industry and an innovation to the service of the industry. The professor says that some foreign airlines have shown interest in the project.

Despite the scale of this project, Professor Gazmuri also finds time to conduct research in the field of transportation, specifically on road safety in order to prevent deaths due to traffic accidents. He is also developing ways to systematize social problems such as crime through mathematical modeling.

Finally, in conjunction with the National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales- CIGIDEN), Gazmuri is creating an agent-based simulation model to reproduce the evacuation required in Iquique in the event of a tsunami. “The idea is to replicate a catastrophic scenario and propose preventive measures to the appropriate authorities,” concludes Gazmuri.

PEDRO GAZMURI

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR Department of Industrial and

Systems Engineering

Civil Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Master in Industrial Civil Engineering, Universidad de Chile



THE EMERGENCE OF NEW TOOLS

For professor Gelmi, discovery is his passion. He conducts research, enjoys teamwork, but what excites him most is “when you delve deep into a subject - that’s the most enjoyable thing!”

He was in up to his elbows when he developed a computer tool to resolve a complex mathematical problem with full differential equations. Although the tool’s users know nothing of these equations, they are able to use the tool to find a solution to their problems.

The tool can be applied in many fields: cell cultures, neuronal transmission, displacement waves, particle dynamics, viscoelastic flows, the spread of pests, for example.

He is proud of the result: a publication in the number one journal in the field of mathematical physics: Computer Physics Communications: “ID-SOLVER: A general purpose solver for nth-order integro-differencial equations,” in conjunction with Professor Héctor Jorquera.

The tool was developed for the tool library of the great math solutions engine: MATLAB. This platform is like Excel, but more specialized. Only in the United States it is used in over 3000 universities. And of course, it is also used in the School of Engineering at Universidad Católica.

“I loved the work because I love programming, I love numerical methods. I’m not a super mathematician, I

understand certain problems and those are the ones that I like, where I tend to dig deeper,” says the professor.

And he does what he does to make life easier. When you don’t know how to move forward on a problem because it requires using equations from the integro-differential family, and you know nothing of these equations, this is when the MATLAB ID - SOLVER steps in.

Before designing it, they reviewed the literature. There were other options. But the advantage of ID- SOLVER “is that you don’t need to know anything. You write the line, as you would on a spreadsheet, you apply the given function, you input the parameters and the solution appears automatically.”

The idea arose from a conversation, “an accident, like many other things that work.” A�er discussing a problem with Héctor Jorquera, Professor Gelmi began to think about unexplored routes. They analyzed the methodology, reviewed the literature and started programming.

The work caught the a¤ention of the editor of Computer Physics Communications because “it was very simple, but it solved very complex mathematical problems.”

Professor Gelmi’s tool cabinet has no lock. He uses what is already there, but when he needs to, he adds new ones. “That is the beauty of this field,” he says.

CLAUDIO GELMI ASSISTANT PROFESSOR




Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Delaware, United States


OPTIMIZING TRANSPORT SYSTEM OPERATIONS TO SERVE PEOPLE

many cases we have proven that this is not necessarily the case. Furthermore, you can apply restrictions on the students’ maximum travel time in the models.”

One of the main projects being developed by TransitUC is a bus clustering control system. “Bus clustering is commonplace in the dynamics of bus operation. When there are changes in travel times or demand for services, it is common for buses to arrive all at once. This greatly impairs the level of service, because users must wait much longer and when the buses arrive, they are already full,” says Giesen. To avoid this problem, Professor Giesen has worked on optimization models to determine how and where to retain buses to prevent clustering and improve the service to users, reducing waiting times or overcrowding on buses.

Professor Giesen is also currently working on improving home delivery systems. “How can we optimize system design while simultaneously providing be¤er information to users?” asks Professor Giesen. He assures us that they use data surveying to develop business intelligence. But the idea is to take it a step further.

“We want to optimize the systems by using information about travel times and service times at each house.” He adds that delivery to a high-density area, where parking is a challenge, is not the same as delivery in a low density area where the vehicle can park in front of the customer’s house.

“I hope that my research in the operation of transport and logistics systems will serve to continually help and improve processes,” concludes Professor Giesen.

RICARDO GIESEN

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Department of Transport




Doctor of Philosophy, University of Maryland, United States

“My motivation is to improve the quality of life,” says Professor Ricardo Giesen, specialist in transport and logistics systems, who focuses on optimizing the operation and design of cargo and passenger distribution systems. Through his research, he hopes to solve contingent problems and have a real impact on people.

Through applied research he currently co-directs two enterprises, RoutingUC and TransitUC, aimed at applying his research to the real world. RoutingUC optimizes the design of transport fleet routes and operation, developing decision-making support systems based on optimization models, which work together with information and communication technologies to provide geographical information system solutions. TransitUC develops systems to improve the operation of public transport systems.

The first RoutingUC project was for the Alfa e Beto de Brasil Foundation, whose mission is to support education in the poorest municipalities. The foundation requested support to improve the efficiency of the school transport system in rural areas. “In Brazil, municipalities are responsible for providing education and transportation to local schools,” said Giesen. Applying optimization methodologies, Professor Giesen and the RoutingUC team made proposals to reduce school transport costs by 15% to 30%. He explains that optimization techniques reduce operational costs and improve the level of service. He explains, “People tend to think that cost reduction results in poorer services; however in


HUMAN INTERACTION WITH HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

How do humans and their activities affect hydrological processes? How does hydrology behave in environments where human activities take place? These are the issues that drive Jorge Gironás. His area of expertise is Hydrology and Water Resources, with applications mainly in urban and semi-urban areas.

Jorge Gironás is a specialist in EPA SWMM, the most popular storm water management model in the world, and he is the main author of its application manual. “We use this so�ware to model and analyze urban basins, design and assess drainage facilities, and assess human impact on receptor water bodies and watercourses.”

He also developed the Urban Drainage Manual for the Ministry of Public Works in conjunction with Professor Bonifacio Fernández from the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering. This manual is a document of national importance and uses transport, storage and seepage techniques in the planning, design, implementation and operation of urban drainage solutions on different spatial scales.

Understanding the water balance on a residential level is another task that Professor Gironás spends time on. “Rain, evapotranspiration, seepage, and runoff and base

flow generation are processes that have been studied and quantified mainly in agricultural and natural basins. There is still much to learn from these processes in urban basins, where human intervention is high and the local scale is key. A be¤er understanding of these processes would result in more relevant management activities for the city such as irrigation and maintenance of green areas, domestic consumption and storm water flood control.”

He primarily works through Universidad Católica’s FONDAP centers, CEDEUS and CIGIDEN, where he applies the results of his research to two significant multidisciplinary problems for the country: sustainable urban development and management of natural disasters. He synthesizes his work in these centers: “We want to understand water and land as key resources, and human beings need to know how to interact with these. This means using structural and non-structural engineering measures to efficiently use these resources, preserve them and not turn them into a threat to society.” Professor Gironás is also a member of the Center for Global Change at our university.

JORGE GIRONÁS







CREATION OF A CRYOGENIC CHIP FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES OF THE UNIVERSE

“I always felt drawn to digital systems and the microelectronics they involved,” says Professor Marcelo Guarini in reference to one of his main passions. He says he had a rough start in this area because it was practically impossible to develop microelectronics in Chile. The inaccessibility and prohibitive cost of the necessary so�ware has been a major obstacle in the development of this industry.

However, the situation has slowly begun to change. In 2010 Professor Guarini worked with professors Ángel Abusleme, Dani Guzmán and Christian Oberli from the Department of Electrical Engineering, to obtain the support of some microelectronic development so�ware manufacturers, and began designing chips that can be applied to different industrial and scientific projects.

Professor Guarini currently works to create a cryogenic chip to provide large telescopes with high resolution images. His aim is to reduce the “noise” in the images and the size of the electronics of an astronomical CCD

reading through an integrated circuit that should work at -110oC. “One of our hypotheses is that we can reduce noise by cooling the electronic components,” he explains. The research team has been using a technique used in linear particle accelerator sensors to develop a multi-sampling scheme for each image pixel through a weighted average to further reduce noise. “We have been able to prove noise reduction through computer simulations,” he says.

“We believe this may represent a significant advance over the techniques used today,” said the professor. “The impact directly affects the astronomical community and our knowledge of the universe, thereby producing new information about our very origins.”

Professor Guarini also works in conjunction with Professor Oberli in creating microchips for wireless transmission and data reception to anticipate natural disasters.

MARCELO GUARINI

PROFESSORDepartment of Electrical

Engineering


Master of Science, University of Arizona, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Arizona, United States


TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR ASTRONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT

By 2020, Chile will host 70% of the world’s terrestrial observatories. In Professor Andrés Guesalaga’s view, this is a great opportunity to contribute to the development of this discipline. His current research focuses on astronomical instrumentation. “We want to contribute and participate in the developments in this field around the world.”

From the vantage point of the Department of Electrical Engineering, this professor and researcher for Universidad Católica’s Astro-engineering Center works from the perspective of adaptive optics to address the challenges of the telescopes of the future, which will have the capacity to observe a wide field in the sky. He corrects atmospheric aberrations in real time, improving the resolution of optical systems. The techniques he uses include Wide-Field Adaptive Optics, which create high-quality images of the sky at greater vision fields per arcminute.

At the Department of Electrical Engineering laboratory, he develops technologies that can later be transferred to real systems. He also develops signal processing techniques. He uses high-powered computers to perform the tomography, a process that requires a great deal of computer resources.

Professor Guesalaga has developed signal processing techniques, which estimate where atmospheric turbulence is located, how high and how intense. In the field of telescope optic device control, the professor says that there is still a long way to go in terms of optimization of control links that regulate the telescopes.

Professor Guesalaga, says that this analysis has resulted in a new problem. By optimizing optical measurement techniques and reducing errors, other previously unidentified error sources have appeared. However, he claims that the quality of telescope images has been substantially improving.

On academic ma¤ers, he says they have developed specialized graduate courses at the University, which address astronomical instrumentation from the visible ultraviolet spectrum to infrared, and they have even created courses for radio astronomy observatories, millimeter and sub-millimeter wave.

“We want to contribute to the knowledge of advanced technologies in Chile and reduce the gap with developed nations. We also want to increase the human capital capable of engaging in this type of technology.” he concludes.

ANDRÉS GUESALAGA


Engineering

Industrial Engineer, major in Electricity, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile



IMPROVING STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE

Professor Gutiérrez researches optimal structural design and specifically focuses on finding the right material distribution to ensure the optimal performance of a structure, which may also include other materials.

Examples of this abound in all areas of engineering, explains Gutiérrez. “Where to place the steel reinforcements in a reinforced concrete beam to resist more weight or reduce deformities; or how to best evacuate heat by conduction to prevent the temperature from rising too much.”

Sergio Gutiérrez applies his mathematical education to civil engineering issues. The modeling tools used to tackle these issues come from Mathematical Engineering and are based on resolving an optimization problem with constraints wri¤en as partial differential equations. These explain the interaction between the small spatial scale, where materials distribution is decided, and the full structure scale, where design efficiency is assessed. For engineering problems, computer methods should be used to solve partial differential equations. Gutiérrez usually uses the Finite Element method.

“Mathematics is a very entertaining intellectual lucubration, but my greater personal interest lies in applying math to real problems,” he reflects.

He has had concrete results. He worked in collaboration with Professor Grégoire Allaire of the Ecole

Polytechnique to develop the optimization method based on small amplitude homogenization, which has allowed the development of efficient computational algorithms to detect defects in structural components, stress concentration control and other applications. The first aspect has been verified experimentally, he notes. He explains it proudly, in part because he was a doctoral student of Luc Tartar, “the person with the greatest influence on the development of the theory of homogenization.”

Also notable is his project with other professors from Universidad Católica’s Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Hernán Santa María and Rafael Riddell. This project addresses the problem of choosing a good strut-tensor model to design reinforced concrete elements for unusual geometries. “Initial numerical results have been validated with laboratory experiments, obtaining excellent performance in terms of efficiency in the use of the reinforcements (greater ratio between resisted load and the steel weight used) and less cracking.”

These kinds of tools have projections, says Professor Gutiérrez. In other countries they are already being used in high-tech industries such as aviation and automotive industries, and they also have applications in biomedical equipment and are starting to be used in civil engineering.

SERGIO GUTIÉRREZ



Mathematical Civil Engineer, Universidad de Chile



NANOSTRUCTURES TO MANIPULATE MATTER IN LIFE SCIENCES AND ENERGY CONVERSION

Professor Amador Guzmán is one of the few exponents of nanotechnology in Chile. He directs one of two laboratories in the country for micro and nano fluidics. Guzmán focuses in part on life sciences, working with regions and ducts that carry biological fluids such as blood, urine, saliva, which can transport bacteria, viruses, cells, and many other particles. The professor looks for ways to detect these bacteria and/or particles or how to quantify a specific protein in a fluid through nanotechnology.

Motivated by the existing arsenic contamination in some regions of Chile due to the large amount of minerals and the increasing extraction of mining resources, the professor has developed a project to detect metal particles, for example arsenic, in biological fluids or a water sample. “Right now there are many (20 or 30) classical chemical detection methods. However, none of them are quick enough. That’s what’s important about micro and nano fluidics, the creation of a small, portable, inexpensive device that tests a sample of saliva, urine, blood or water to quickly and accurately detect arsenic and determine its concentration level.”

The professor also works in energy conversion through solid state technology systems. “We also feel the effects of radiation at night, we are constantly receiving radiation, but the materials and devices available today are unable to capture and store it.” Amador Guzmán explores how to use radiation from the sun and transform it into electrical or thermal energy, through the creation of new structures in semiconductor materials and new devices that use novel phenomena and technologies. One of his objectives is to develop thermoelectric generators, thermoelectric solar generators and hybrid systems that use semiconductor capacity to generate a flow of electrons (electricity), resulting from the temperature variation between different surfaces when they receive thermal radiation from sunlight or any other source.

Some potential applications of the above technology include, for example, a building that generates electricity and meets some of its energy needs from the solar radiation it receives; or the heat emanating from an internal combustion engine when used to generate the electricity needed to warm a seat or move a device.

AMADOR GUZMÁN

ADJUNCT ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR


Mechanical Engineer, Universidad de Santiago de Chile


Chile



ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTATION MADE IN CHILE

Our country is a global powerhouse in astronomy. Natural conditions have set the perfect conditions for the installation of major observatories such as the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Paranal and the soon to be installed European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). To date, the instruments for scientific observation in this type of telescope are mostly imported.

Dani Guzmán has proposed the development of these instruments locally. His work is mostly in the areas of adaptive optics (instruments that correct for atmospheric turbulence and thereby improve the resolution of astronomical images), detectors (sensors that take pictures of the sky) and optical instruments with specific functionalities. In adaptive optics, Professor Guzmán focuses his work on the development of technologies to implement broad field high resolution instruments that will be used in the next generation of telescopes, such as the E-ELT. This research is conducted in collaboration with scientific and academic teams from foreign universities. In the area of detectors, Professor Guzmán worked in collaboration with Universidad Católica professors Marcelo Guarini, Ángel Abusleme

and Christian Oberli to implement the Fondecyt project Application of multiple Sampling and Cryogenic Operation for noise reduction in charged-coupled devices, the objective of which is the development of a microchip for controlling scientific detectors.

In the area of optical instruments, his project, “Multi-band, wide-field, near-UV/Optical Imager”, involves the design and construction of an instrument for the SOAR telescope in Northern Chile, financed by the 2013 QUIMAL Astronomy Fund for the Development of Technology for National Astronomy (Fondo de Astronomía QUIMAL para el Desarrollo de Tecnologías para la Astronomía Nacional 2013) run by Conicyt. This instrument will take three simultaneous images of a wide field of the sky in different colors.

Professor Guzmán’s research can be found primarily in journals such as “Monthly Notices of The Royal Astronomical Society”, “Optics Express” and in the “Proceedings of the SPIE International Conferences for Astronomical Instrumentation.”

DANI GUZMÁNASSISTANT PROFESSOR



Doctor of Philosophy, Durham University, United Kingdom


INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY INTO TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Motivated by the explosive growth of technology and its incorporation into transport systems, Professor Juan Carlos Herrera says that the challenge lies in finding a way to use the vast amount of data available to improve transportation. Fi�een years ago, the process of obtaining information was very different from today. “For example, a GPS device provides the speed and location necessary to infer how the system is operating.”

The professor of the Department of Transportation and Logistics Engineering analyzes how to improve the operation of transport systems. He says that technology has no ceiling. A cellphone can be used to do practically everything: communicate data, receive information, dispatch information about traffic conditions, road conditions, etc.

This information provides a user with an idea of transit conditions, allowing him or her to make a smarter, more informed decision before departing or to choose alternative travel routes. “It results in more informed decision making for my travel needs,” explains Professor Herrera.

He is currently developing a project that uses information provided by telephones to estimate traffic conditions,

estimating conditions based on data provided by users along different parts of the road network.

He uses traffic theory models to determine how to incorporate the information received into these models, based on theoretical arguments that provide accurate estimates.

His doctoral thesis specifically addresses this topic. He conducted an experiment in the United States, where he collected information from cellphones with GPS tracking, installed in 100 vehicles that then travelled along a highway. His hypothesis was to prove that this technology was a reliable source of information and can be used to monitor traffic. And he succeeded.

“The benefit of incorporating technologies into transportation systems is significant because it provides information to both the user and the entity responsible for road network operation or management,” says the professor. “Users can make be¤er travel decisions and transportation entities can operate more efficiently, controlling their systems, which in turn benefits the population.”

JUAN CARLOS HERRERA







COMPUTER SYSTEMS THAT ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF HUMAN LIFE

With a desire to understand how people interact with technology, Professor Valeria Herskovic works with a doctoral student to build computer systems for cancer patient caregivers. She collaborates with a team from the Universidad Católica School of Medicine. Based on concern about the emotional wellbeing of these people, the School of Medicine identified the need to find a way to detect how they feel.

For Professor Valeria Herskovic, there are different ways to address this problem. She says that there is already a cellphone application that asks people how they feel. However, she wants to do something less invasive. “We are designing a product that consists of a tangible interface that doesn’t require the person to stop their work and fill out a form, rather something that is natural and easy to do,” she explains.

“We are trying to understand the life and technological needs of these caregivers in order to design an interface and mobile application.” The idea is that the application could record the emotions of caregivers and simultaneously transmit this automatically to doctors.

The project began with an automated monitoring system for cancer patients. “They were called and asked how they felt, using a standard scale used in medicine.” This was then expanded to their caregivers, who have higher rates of depression than the general public.

The first phase involves understanding the lifestyle of those caring for cancer patients, and then design and test an interface that really works for them,” says the professor of the Department of Computer Science. Her idea is to use technology to monitor the emotions of caregivers, who are usually family members who provide vital physical, practical and emotional support to people with cancer.

The primary objective of this research is to ease the burden of cancer patient caregivers. “We hope that the development of technologies enables us to be¤er support caregivers and doctors, thereby enabling them to give be¤er treatment to those suffering from cancer.”

VALERIA HERSKOVIC

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Computer

Science

Computer Engineer, Universidad de Chile



SEISMIC DESIGN TO PREVENT BRIDGE DAMAGE

Professor Matías Hube spent two years designing tunnels for the Santiago subway. A�er obtaining his doctorate degree, he specialized in the experimental analysis and design of reinforced concrete elements, nonlinear modeling using finite elements, and, most recently, seismic analysis and design of bridges.

The professor is conscious of the significant potential of this area of engineering, given the seismic nature of Chile. Frequent earthquakes provide ongoing testing for new structures and technologies, which eventually lead to improved designs.

As a researcher, Professor Hube is working on how to keep bridge design costs as low as possible while minimizing seismic vulnerabilities. The professor is developing a computer model to simulate a bridge’s behavior in the event of an earthquake. His research involves laboratory tests to characterize different bridge components, for example, elastomeric bearings, seismic bars and side stops.

Chile’s comparative advantage is that the computer model can be calibrated with real data from bridges damaged during the 2010 earthquake. Once the

computer model is calibrated, the next step is to conduct a parametric study to analyze bridges with different characteristics.

This study will result in recommendations for a more efficient seismic bridge design in Chile. It will also identify strategies to repair structures and predict potential bridge damage in a future earthquake.

Matías Hube is also working on simulating the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete buildings during the 2010 earthquake. To simulate the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete walls, he ran laboratory tests on 10 walls at a scale of 1:2. He was able to replicate the damage observed in the earthquake and explain what caused and propagated the damage in the buildings’ reinforced concrete walls. His goal is to use the results of these tests to calibrate numerical models and predict the seismic behavior of an entire building.

The professor is also participating in research to create a new solution for walls in the construction of homes.

MATÍAS HUBEASSISTANT PROFESSOR






MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTER MODELING OF THE HEART

Daniel Hurtado’s formal training is in mathematical modeling and numerical methods, as applied to solid and structural mechanics, yet his primary motivation is a desire to understand the behavior of complex materials on different scales of size and time. This interest brought him to the field of biomedical engineering and specifically computer biophysics and biomechanics. He began to apply mathematical modeling and computer simulation to be¤er understand the functioning of the heart and cardiovascular diseases, which are a major cause of death in Chile.

With the emergence of supercomputers, it is now possible to study complex systems, modeling their mechanisms on a molecular and cellular level to predict the behavior of organs and systems. Professor Daniel Hurtado wants to contribute to the development of multi-scale heart behavior models that are predictive and robust, for their use in the study and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases.

One of the first steps is to understand phenomena such as the electrical behavior of the healthy heart. Daniel Hurtado and his team made an important contribution in electrophysiological heart modeling. Repolarization, which is the process in which the heart

muscle returns to a restful state a�er a contraction, is a very heterogeneous property in heart tissue. Although this is a phenomenon studied at length by the medical community, as recently as 2012, no computational model had incorporated the dispersion of repolarization that was consistent with observations in healthy volunteers.

Until that time, most of the simulations showed a uniform potential for action, and therefore a uniform repolarization in all heart cells. The professor’s team showed that an appropriate incorporation of repolarization dispersion provided much more predictive results than traditional simulations. “Indeed, T waves with positive polarity are recovered by incorporating dispersion in repolarization on a cellular level, obtaining heart simulations that are consistent with those seen in a healthy electrocardiogram.”

While the medical field has begun to rely more and more on computers, there is still a lack of trust in computer modeling for predictions. This is precisely what Daniel Hurtado is trying to change. Computer models that predict heart function and diagnose disease or enable virtual surgeries that improve clinical outcome in patients are no longer in the distant future.

DANIEL HURTADO

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Structural and


Civil Structural Engineer, Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile

Master of Science, California Institute of Technology, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, California Institute of Technology, United States


IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF BIOMEDICAL IMAGES

According to the World Health Organization, Chile ranks ninth in the world in the indices of obesity and persons overweight. This disease is a serious problem for human health. Concerned about this situation, Professor Pablo Irarrázaval leads research on biomedical imaging, and is the founder of the Center for Biomedical Imaging at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Together with researchers from the university’s Faculty of Medicine and Biology, and the Faculty of Mathematics, Universidad de Santiago de Chile - USACH), he works to improve the available technological tools to obtain be¤er images, specifically MRIs, for the study of obesity. Working with professionals from other areas “has been a challenging, rewarding and productive process,” states Pablo.

Professor Irarrázaval explains that magnetic fields are used to obtain be¤er images. These are enhanced with various techniques to achieve different image properties. “One goal is to make an image faster, for example, to obtain an image of a beating heart,” he says.

One study associated with this research involved measuring liver fat more accurately. Irarrázaval explained that this procedure currently involves a biopsy, which has two problems: it is invasive and only measures one part of the liver. “We developed techniques using MRIs

to measure fat percentage and distribution throughout the liver.”

This technique was subsequently tested on 40 patients who were also biopsied. “We found that the results of the MRIs are equal or be¤er than the results of other techniques. It is tremendously useful,” he says. The professor and his team use MRIs to evaluate fa¤y liver diseases known as Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).

They have also refined another technique that measures blood flows. A heart deformation produces vortices, which end up breaking the arteries. The research team managed to improve measurement techniques and have published 28 ISI articles on the subject.

The research was conducted in conjunction with the Center for Biomedical Imaging, set up by the Department of Electrical Engineering and Radiology at Universidad Católica, which develops new technologies to improve image acquisition, reconstruction and analysis to help develop health sciences. Today the center is able to employ state-of-the-art equipment.

“We don’t expect to solve the problem of obesity in Chile and the world, but we do hope to make a contribution by improving the technological tools that help health specialists make be¤er decisions.”

PABLO IRARRÁZAVAL


Engineering





BEHAVIORAL STUDY OF SMOKE AND THE PREVENTION OF ASSOCIATED RISKS

Professor Wolfram Janh’s graduate work in Edinburgh focused on the characteristics of fire in buildings, offices and compartments using temperature readings, smoke characteristics and parameters that influence the spread of fire. In Chile, he adapted this study and the mathematical modeling of fluids and heat transfer to the reality of the country, including the extension and modification of the model to forest fires.

“My research is focused on how to model a physical system on a computer. For example, I have used thermo-couplings, which are cables with heat-resistant tips that generate a voltage when exposed to high temperature; when placed on roofs, they allow smoke to be characterized so that experts can infer what fuel source is driving the fire,” explains the academic with respect to the “Fire Grid” project.

The reading of data such as temperature, density, and pressure provides an inverse structure, given that the objects consumed by the flames in a given space can be identified based on smoke characteristics. The ultimate aim of such a prediction of a fire’s characteristics is to help firefighters or personnel entering an affected structure take the necessary decisions. “We want firefighters to consult this integrated system, this so�ware, before they act,” he states.

Jahn notes that an important part of his research was influenced by the study he participated in while in the UK

regarding the a¤ack on the Twin Towers in New York on 11 September 2001. “It used a model that demonstrated that a collapse mechanism could effectively bring down a tower based on the thermal load produced by an exploding plane,” confirms the professor, adding that: “The towers were designed to resist the impact of a plane, but the fire caused by such an impact was not taken into account, and it was this that caused the towers to collapse. If firefighters had known that information they would not have entered the towers, and many lives would have been saved.”

The professor seeks to change the way buildings are constructed, promoting intelligent buildings that contribute to sustainability. “Interventions using thermo-couplings can also be made to older buildings, not just new ones. Installation is minimal and so is the cost,” he explains. “The idea is that fires are interconnected on a computer network, and thus data can be shared and resources distributed, otherwise each building would need an independent calculation server,” states the academic.

With regard to its application in forest fires, Professor Jahn explains, “It would be ideal to handle these more efficiently. You can apply the same methodology - you just need to use other models and data. It is an interesting subject for Chile, and has a high impact.”

WOLFRAM JAHNASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Mechanical Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile


Doctor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom


MINE EXPLORATION, CREATING VALUE FOR THE INDUSTRY

“Exploration lays the foundations of the entire mining industry. Without exploration there is no mining,” said Professor José Joaquín Jara in reference to one of his main areas of interest, and also the focus of his masters’ thesis. “My thesis researched the state of mine exploration in Chile over the past 15 years and identified its challenges,” he explains.

“Mine exploration creates value and is fundamentally knowledge-based,” he says.

Before joining the School of Engineering at Universidad Católica, the scholar worked for BHP Billiton in the Studies Department of Minera Escondida Ltda; the Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco) where he served in the area of public policy and mining markets; and at Antofagasta Minerals in planning and development, eventually as Superintendent of Planning and Development for Minera El Tesoro.

He says that he has always loved teaching and research. “In mining, which is mostly applied engineering, it is good to have industry experience, because it connects you to real problems in the field,” says the professor.

Professor Jara says that his current focus is on completing his Ph.D. in Economic Geology and Mine Exploration. His thesis idea is based on the metallogenesis of IOCG (Iron Oxide Copper-Gold) deposits in Northern Chile. “These sites are not frequently studied on a global level, so there is a lot to research. They also have a high potential for Chile.” He adds that Chile has one of the areas with greatest potential for such deposits.

“The beauty of exploration and economic geology is that it has a very significant scientific component,” says Jara.

His goal is to work with the Geosciences group of the Department of Structural Engineering and Geotechnics. He has also developed a second line of research around Ore Economics, where he works with professors Gustavo Lagos and John Tilton from the Department of Mining Engineering, School of Engineering.

His aim is to develop the department’s exploration and evaluation of mining resources area.

JOSÉ JOAQUÍN JARA

ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR





SIMULATIONS THAT BENEFIT CHILE’S DEVELOPMENT IN VARIOUS AREAS

Thanks to public funds, and in partnership with Universidad Católica’s Department of Anesthesiology, and engineering undergraduate and master’s students, Professor Jerez seeks to improve the instruments in use today through modeling and simulation. “This means bringing together two aspects of engineering, modeling and optimization, to perform low-cost virtual prototyping with a minimum development time, which is increasingly important in many industries,” says Jerez. The underlying electrophysiological, physical and biological building blocks are used to establish models that can describe the phenomena being studied with a high level of realism. He anticipates that they will begin pre-clinical trials on animals in order to prove the related concepts, and then move on to more sophisticated prototypes for eventual release onto the market.

In astronomy, Professor Jerez works with a team from CAIUC to improve the resolution of telescopes that analyze the effects of Big Bang microwaves, through the design and reduction of noise from ambient temperature. The project is funded by NASA, Japan and Chile and hopes to improve imaging from these instruments. “The funny thing is that we are using some of the same methods applied in the health field,” he states.

“We have the ability to make increasingly more realistic designs and models,” says professor Jerez. “Chile is known for its high level of mathematics, but we should be able to develop applications that contribute to the development of our country.”

CARLOS JEREZ ASSISTANT PROFESSOR




Master of Science, Ecole Polytechnique, France

Doctor of Philosophy, Ecole Polytechnique, France

Specialists in anesthesiology need to reduce the time and error rate in nerve identification. With a desire to contribute to the field, Professor Carlos Jerez currently works to be¤er understand and optimize the instruments used by doctors. He also collaborates on a research project related to the origin of the universe, in conjunction with the Center for Astro-Engineering UC (CAIUC).

The applications of his research cross many fields, including telecommunications and aircra� radar, but they all share a common denominator: mathematical modeling and computer simulation. Jerez carries out rigorous mathematical analysis of the proposed models and then develops the appropriate algorithms. He performs numerical implementations in supercomputers or in large computing clusters.

The academic of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Mathematics Engineering Program currently uses these tools to address the issue of neural location identified by anesthesiologists. He gives the following scenario: “Imagine that you just had knee replacement surgery. You will experience intense pain for several days, which is controlled by identifying and anesthetizing the neural structure involved. To locate it, a needle injects an electrical current. At a given amount of current, the neural excitation generated is inversely proportional to the distance between the nerve and the needle, which allows the physician to infer proximity. However, this technique can be very time consuming and on average one in five patients must undergo another analgesic procedure.


POOR AIR QUALITY INSIDE HOMES?

Next winter, Professor Jorquera and his team will travel south to measure fine particle ma¤er (PM2.5) in the air inside people’s dwellings. Measurements in low-income sectors in Santiago showed that poorer people tend to wrap up rather than heat their homes. This is more possible in the Central Region, where the cold is less intense than in the South.

How bad is air pollution inside homes? What is the relationship between outdoor and indoor pollution? What measures would be most effective to reduce human exposure to contamination? This is professor Jorquera’s field of research.

People spend between 70 and 90% of their time in indoor environments. According to the measurements taken during spring and summer in Santiago, about 50% of indoor pollution comes from domestic sources.

Specifically, cooking generates pollution. And this intensifies in low-income homes, which are smaller, with a single space for living, sleeping and cooking, and poor ventilation. Particulate ma¤er from cooking continues to circulate and mostly affects those who stay longer in the dwelling: housewives, maids, infants and the elderly.

Professor Jorquera and his team hope that the data they gather will justify a policy change in the quality of housing. Subsidies for home improvements should

also consider the ventilation factor in the kitchen and for appliances like water heaters.

He observes the culture of frying food. It is doubly dangerous, increasing the amount of pollutants, which are suspected to be more carcinogenic than outdoor emissions such as motor vehicle exhaust fumes.

Something needs to be done to raise awareness of the consequences of frying in a poorly ventilated home.

Professor Jorquera envisages a joint opportunity for the design and engineering of extractor fans, cooker hoods and filters, which o�en do not function or are neglected. Such measures are quick to implement.

Professor Jorquera represents the School of Engineering in the Fondap project, which is run by the Center for Sustainable Development, and in which he envisages opportunities to generate be¤er public policies on housing.

During winter 2014, professor Jorquera’s team will gather data on pollution from heating systems. But he is also drawn to another issue: the relationship between external and internal contamination, such as in hospitals. If they are in high traffic zones, how protected are patients in delicate conditions? Perhaps, he says, the biggest pollutants should be restricted, such as diesel vehicles, to prevent adverse effects on the most vulnerable patients.

HÉCTOR JORQUERA




Master in Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota,

United States


THE ROLE OF MINING IN CHILE’S DEVELOPMENT

“Mining has been the most important vehicle for development in Chile,” says Professor Gustavo Lagos, a specialist in ore economics and the environment. He studies the ore commodities markets, its supply and demand, pricing and all economic aspects related to the strategic direction of the mining business.

Throughout his career, he has conducted research in materials science, particularly in lithium ionic conductor materials. In recent years he has also studied copper pipe corrosion and human exposure to copper in drinking water. Through his research he has been able to modify international standards.

He has also held several positions related to the mining industry. He was executive director of the Center for Mining and Copper Studies (Centro de Estudios del Cobre y la Minería) and the Research Center for Mining and Metallurgy (Centro de Investigación Minero Metalúrgico-CIMM). “I’ve always had a political calling. I am interested in the development of my country,” he says.

From 2001 until 2009 he served as director of the Center of Mining at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, also known as the Department of Mining Engineering. He says that this institution “has become a public reference in all aspects relating to the copper industry.” This leadership is reflected in their continued presence in national and international media.

Professor Lagos has worked with a team of engineers, economists and sociologists to develop a database on

the history of mining since the year 1800. “This is a very important methodological tool because almost everything that happens today has already happened in the past.” He also uses econometric models and theoretical tools from economics and social sciences to further this field.

For eight years he and his team have been conducting an annual survey called “The Mine Barometer.” It is representative of the national population and reveals the perception that Chileans have on all aspects of mining, identifying the most and least valued areas of this industry. “This tool provides us with a Chilean diagnosis on mining”, he says, which is the most respected industry in Chile.

Professor Lagos has published over 150 scientific and technical articles, 15 books and over thirty book chapters. Over the past two decades he has been a consultant to the industry and to the Chilean and foreign governments on economic, strategic and environmental issues related to mining.

“The impact of the mining industry has been enormous. It is what has driven Chile towards becoming a developed nation over the past 10 years.”

GUSTAVO LAGOSPROFESSOR


Mining Engineer, Universidad de Chile




DESIGN OF EXPRESS SERVICES IN URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The quality of public transport is vital to the development of a city and a country; however there are several challenges associated with improving operations. Professor Homero Larraín addresses these in his doctoral thesis, which proposes a way to design express bus services for an urban public transport network, with the objective of reducing people’s travel time.

“Express services can be defined as services that cater to a subset of the stops along a specific travel route. The development of these is an operational strategy that can be beneficial to both operators and users,” says Professor Larraín.

His research began by posing the following issue: How do you design express services for a city? This question involved mapping out bus routes and determining which stops the buses should service. Currently a professor in the Department of Transport Engineering and Logistics, he originally focused on the case of an isolated route and subsequently built a heuristic model that designs express services for a network, breaking it down into individual routes.

The professor worked with a mathematical programming model to apply different algorithms to build routes for services. This resulted in a design methodology

that generates a set of services and provides their operating frequencies, taking into account maximum capacity restrictions on buses, as well as the existence of common lines and the possibility of transfers, which help passengers reduce their expected travel times.

He points out that one of the main benefits of express services is a reduction of travel times. “This is paramount in determining whether or not they work.” While determining the ideal frequencies to minimize system costs, he also discovered that operator expenses are equal to the ideal waiting costs of passengers. “This came as a surprise to me that this mathematical property would appear,” confesses Larraín.

The results of this research show that a reduction in the number of stops benefits passengers by reducing their travel times, but also benefits operators who are able to increase their fleet efficiency by reducing their cycle times.

“We want to build a computer tool that uses input data to build a public transport network with express services,” says Professor Larraín. He hopes to apply this methodology in Chile and other global public transport systems.

HOMERO LARRAÍN







UNCERTAINTY REVEALS ITS FACE

Most people do not feel comfortable acknowledging risk. Professor Ledezma believes that the perception of society on engineering should include this awareness.

This is exacerbated in soil mechanics, where the risk is not as easily quantifiable as in other areas, such as structural engineering.

Facility and structure foundations are in soil, which holds probabilities, for example, of liquefaction as the result of an earthquake. The soil is a given foundation and is not always fully comprehended or controllable.

Ledezma researches the relationship between soil undermining and deformations in the structures of bridges or docks. During an earthquake, “large amounts of structure and backfill that are supported on liquefied soils may begin to shi�, applying very high loads and eventually affecting a bridge.” The piling and the structure will try to resist, “but it is a phenomenon that we still know li¤le about, it is difficult to quantify.”

Ultimately, he wants to identify quantif iable recommendations and provide better design tools.

He also forms part of a team that develops seismic hazard maps to anticipate areas where the soil might magnify the movement. This research, led by Professor Gonzalo Yáñez, is currently concentrated on the section between Arica and Taltal.

Professor Ledezma works with a group of Hydraulic Engineering teachers from the National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales) to study rainfall-induced landslides, especially in the Quebrada San Ramón, a mountain gully on the eastern side of Santiago. These are much more recurrent phenomena and tend to appear every two years.

“My interest is to help minimize the impacts; it is not just an issue of human lives, which are certainly very important, nor just an economic cost, but also the country’s operating costs, insofar as hospitals, bridges and communication lines are concerned,” he explains.

He combines design with uncertainty. The design of bridges, for instance, should consider performance requirements. A bridge that needs to be operational the day a�er an earthquake requires higher standards than one that can wait for a month.

“Given the characterization of an earthquake, with all of its uncertainty, and given the model, which also has uncertainties, as well as a particular level of prediction of damages and costs, the ideal scenario would integrate all relevant aspects in a given location and provide a certain degree of foresight.”

There is no such thing as a risk-free construction.

CHRISTIAN LEDEZMA





Chile




MEASUREMENT RULES AND MODELS

At the beginning of his book, “Evaluating the Measurement of Uncertainty,” Professor Ignacio Lira a¤ributes the failure of the 1999 NASA Mars Climate Orbiter mission to confusion over measurement units.

Measurement is the building block of knowledge. From the start of his career, Professor Lira has been concerned about measurement accuracy, errors and their tolerance levels.

“The result of any measurement is generally an estimated point of the measured quantity,” he writes.

“When I taught classes, I had this concern, but I didn’t know anything. Then I came across the Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement, published in 1993 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which motivated me to get involved in this field,” he says.

His work, compiled in his book, has a global impact. The two supplements to the ISO Guide, published in 2008 and 2011, cite text from Professor Lira’s book, published in 2002.

The ISO Guide clarified his doubts. He studied it, detected flaws in the document and spoke to some of the collaborators. He continued to develop his work, building models to determine uncertainty, and was then published in Metrology, the most prestigious journal in the field.

Today, the same level of precision is required as much in the cylinder industry for automobile engines as in

watch manufacturing, states his book. And then there’s nanotechnology, which is increasingly the focus of new developments.

He is aware that most engineers accept measurements from duly calibrated instruments. However, for Lira it is the essence of the academic spirit to question.

“I realized that there are inconsistencies in the Guide, inconsistencies also shared by other researchers involved in the field.”

He provides the example of a circular surface measurement. The formula is the diameter squared, multiplied by pi and divided by 4: a mathematical model.

The uncertainty lies in the measurement of the diameter, which depends on many factors. And that uncertainty, quantified, extends throughout the mathematical model to the uncertainty of the surface. This is where statistics intervene.

The result, a�er a series of individual measurements with uncertainty, comes from how this uncertainty is transferred onto indirect measurements. These are mathematical models that build an end value, with a given uncertainty.

He distinguishes between different metrologies: scientific, industrial, legal. But his is a scientific metrology: the assessment of uncertainty in measuring.

IGNACIO LIRA PROFESSOR



Master of Science, Massachuse�s Institute of Technology, United

States


Doctor of Philosophy, University of Michigan, United States


BEYOND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE

Professor Diego López-García is not Chilean, but 9 years a�er his arrival in Chile, not only has he learned to live in a region of frequent earthquakes, he has also made it his research subject, which focuses on reducing the seismic vulnerability of structures, particularly of multistorey buildings.

“There is almost global consensus that the next step to reduce earthquake-related economic losses is to incorporate nonstructural components into the process of integral seismic building design,” he says. López-García dedicates part of his time to this subject.

Recent seismic movements, including the 2010 earthquake in Chile, reveal that although a structure may not suffer significant structural damage, there is still significant damage to nonstructural components. Nonstructural components are those elements of a building that do not transfer loads but provide functionality to the structure, such as partitions, air conditioning and lighting systems, mechanical and electrical equipment, among others.

The professor is motivated by the study of the seismic performance of nonstructural components, which is based on the differences between the seismic accelerations at the base of a tall building and the seismic accelerations on different floors. “A building as a whole is subject to the seismic acceleration at the base. However, in a 30-storey building, a non-structural component located on the 20th floor is not subject to

the acceleration at the base of the building, but rather to the acceleration on the 20th floor, which of course is usually very different.”

Part of the professor’s research was incorporated into the new Chilean standard for seismic design of nonstructural components, something he’s excited about, as well as his work for his double PhD (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile - University of Notre Dame, USA) on the behavior of buildings equipped with seismic response reduction systems.

The research involves developing a new kind of built-in liquid shock absorber. The innovation is the incorporation of a floating roof, which imposes a kinematic constraint, giving the device only one degree of freedom, which can be modeled relatively accurately. In addition, the floating roof incorporates passive, semi-active or active energy dissipating devices. The new shock absorber is much more efficient than a traditional liquid shock-absorber without the floating roof, which provides only very modest reductions in the seismic response.

The intersection of these two lines of research, he says, is a reduction in the seismic vulnerability of tall buildings. Seismic vulnerability is understood as any economic loss due to the effects of earthquakes. “A building’s loss of function can be equally or more expensive than structural damages.”

DIEGO LÓPEZ-GARCÍA




Master of Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New

York, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University at Buffalo, State University of New

York, United States


RISING FROM THE ASHES

Mauricio López speaks about the surprises that arise from research. “The things that you can only imagine actually start to occur. There is so much joy in watching students get involved, because they are three times as surprised. It’s a joy to witness the astonishment they experience,” he says.

Many think that experimentation consists of deciding, measuring and drawing conclusions, but ultimately three-quarters of experimentation is actually deciding as you go. “In the experimental path, you discover things along the way that make you question your initial hypotheses and adapt your experiments.”

His focus is on concrete. “It’s a fascinating material. It starts out as a liquid that cannot sustain itself and a few hours later it transforms into a solid that can resist up to 20 storeys,” he says.

His research always includes a space to go one step further, to the whys. He is not satisfied with the purely experimental that provides new information for concrete management, without delving into the causes.

Mauricio López speaks of “a fundamental comprehension of what is happening.” He is quick to clarify that he is “a far reach” from the basic scientists, who pursue what is applicable. He always strays off the beaten path, moving away from the industry to seek more global answers.

His focus for the last few years has been on more sustainable materials. On the one hand he has tried to explain phenomena such as concrete deterioration to achieve longer duration and on the other hand, he creates materials.

He has mauve-colored samples on his desk. They are part of his favorite project: “flying ash.” He has been collecting and characterizing ash from different thermal power plants, and has managed to use it to replace up to 80% of the cement used in concrete. It still needs perfecting, because a sustainable product is not enough: it needs to be equal to the material it is replacing.

His research involves analyzing the aggregates required in the mixture. He also uses ash to manufacture stones in the ideal size and shape; some contain layers with different properties. This opens up a whole new world in construction.

Professor Lopez reduces the use of cement, reuses a waste product, prevents the extraction of rocks from rivers or quarries, and avoids the energy expense of grinding them.

He works towards offering these products at a competitive level. Because there is no point of a building being “greener” if the quality of materials used reduces the expected number of floors or life expectancy of the structure.

MAURICIO LÓPEZ

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Construction




Chile


United States


United States


WHEN TEMPERATURE RISES

As an agronomist, Alejandro Mac Cawley is quick to show his fascination with wine, specifically how logistics impact product quality or how to improve the sequencing of bo�ling lines. He focuses his efforts on studying these processes and proposing novel solutions for the wine industry.

He presides over a group of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Wine Supply Chain Council, who used thermographs placed in each bo�le to measure wine temperature along their travel route from Chile, Australia, South Africa and Argentina to the United States.

The research determined that the wines were not transported at appropriate temperatures. The presence of containers exposed to temperatures between 30° and 40° Celsius “was something that everyone assumed, but there was no corroborating empirical information.” This is not such a positive result for the wine industry, but it set the stage for collaboration between the professor, his research team and wine suppliers.

The next step was to develop the “Wine Simulator”, a device capable of replicating wine temperatures during distribution and transportation. “How do these logistics impact the product characteristics? Is the person responsible for buying the wine - the importer, the distributor, the sommelier – able to detect the differences in quality that occur with wine handling?”

To respond to these questions, Mac Cawley uses what he calls “real time simulation, resulting in decisions on investment and how to structure the wine distribution chains. It is a multidisciplinary field involving designers, physicists, chemists.” Mac Cawley developed the design himself because “we couldn’t find anything like it in the market.”

Another key area for wineries is the sequencing of bottling lines. Alejandro’s research identifies mathematical engineering as the solution to this problem, which is basically how to sequence or place the wine to meet demand and maximize the use of bo�ling lines. This is an interesting issue because bo�ling a Late Harvest a¡er a Chardonnay or Carmenere requires cleanup and setup times on the bo�ling lines, which directly affects efficiency. Is there a be�er way to organize the wines to reduce the switchover times between wine types? What are the cleaning restrictions for bo�ling lines? Mac Cawley customizes his model to the needs and characteristics of each company and has improved schedules that result in economic savings of 10% to 20%.

The professor anticipates the inclusion of temperature gauges, cork displacement sensors, and the implementation of new logistics and research tools in the field of biological systems and food chains.

ALEJANDRO MAC CAWLEYASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering




United States


EXPERTISE IN “UNSOLVED PROBLEMS”

“To solve problems you first have to understand them” is the premise of Professor Nicolás Majluf. “When you finally manage to understand the problem, you are 80% there to finding a solution,” he says. Based on the range of issues that he has had to explore during his career, it is clear that he is someone who sees the forest through the trees.

His work reflects the most formal, operational research and mathematical models, to the more subtle behavioral sciences. A¡er earning his master’s degree in operational research from Stanford, he returned to Chile to pursue management issues from a quantitative perspective, using mathematical models to address problems. His subsequent doctorate degree in management from MIT, where he explored finance and strategy issues, provided him with a perspective in economics, behavioral sciences and even computing. “Management is not an issue, it is a variety of issues,” he maintains.

A champion of so¡ management, he also pursues a “management approach that focuses on the person and his or her relationships.” It is what he calls “subtle management.” He applies this in a private sphere and teaches it in the classroom.

His experience as a director and consultant for major companies nationwide and his academic career, enhance his profile, diverse by definition. Corporate governance, a term used to refer to the management of a company, its board or administration, is another of his areas of exploration. He admits he has had to learn by doing,

outside of a classroom se�ing. “I sometimes feel that this company governance experience is equivalent to laboratory experience in another area of engineering. It is very relevant; although I was lucky enough to study theoretical finance with some Nobel laureate professors, such as Professor Robert Merton and Professor Franco Modigliani, when you step into a company, you have to understand the institutional system where financial theory is applied. You have to know the laws and how banks, financial firms, pension funds and mutual funds operate.”

“I am looking for a comprehensive view of a company and I think that is the biggest contribution I can make.” Finance, strategy and so¡ management have all given him a certain ability to look at issues, understand them and structure them in a particular way. “Rather than limit myself to purely mathematically modeling, I a�empt to structure problems in much broader terms, including technical, economic and environmental dimensions, for example, in addition to human, political, cultural and social considerations.”

This is what he tells the students in his Organization and Behavior course. Engineering is not limited to problem solving. The most relevant issue is problem finding, identifying what we are talking about. “This is where the engineer’s contribution is decisive and true progress is made.”

NICOLÁS MAJLUF

PROFESSOR EMERITUSDepartment Industrial and

Systems Engineering

Industrial Civil Engineer, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile


States



THE CHALLENGE OF BEING WELL PLACED

Where to locate prisons, landfills and power plants in order to reduce the negative external effects on the population? This is one of the issues Vladimir Marianov pursues. He is an expert in optimal location of resources and facilities. His work for several government agencies in Chile and abroad has earned him a national and international reputation.

His goal is to support the authorities in finding efficient and equitable solutions regarding locations for all involved, which not only saves resources, but also provides be�er services to the population as a whole.

One of his first projects in the public sector was planning the construction of new prisons in Chile. He joined a team of professors from different fields of Universidad Católica’s School of Engineering. His first step was to project the prison population, which he said was a significant challenge because of the changes brought about by the Criminal Justice Reform program. The study provided recommendations on the location of new prisons, proposed an agenda for their construction and suggested infrastructure changes to existing prisons to properly absorb the increased demand.

He also developed projects for the Department of Education to assess the location of rural schools. Through optimization models, he gave recommendations on which schools to close, which to relocate and where to open new ones. The professor also played a key role in assessments following the 2010 earthquake in Chile, which involved the development of a mathematical tool to advise the government on where to assign resources for rebuilding schools.

He has specialized in optimal location of infrastructure that may be affected by congestion, for example, the queues in a hospital or healthcare center, and location in competitive environments, where an assessment must be made of the best place to install an infrastructure.

Professor Marianov currently works with a professor from Universidad de Chile, studying a design for the Police Quadrant Plan (Plan Cuadrante de Carabineros de Chile), so that the national police force can provide optimal coverage for all patrol areas.

VLADIMIR MARIANOV


Engineering


Master of Science in Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, United

States

Doctor of Philosophy, Johns Hopkins University, United States


OPTIMIZING PROCESSES IN THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

The application of quantitative methods to problems that require decision making, specifically in the timber industry, is one of the areas of research pursued by Sergio Maturana.

One of the major studies directed by Maturana emerges from the issue of wood product homogenization. “To convert a log of wood into a plank, it has to be cut into rectangles. O¡en the standard sizes do not match the cylinder,” he explains. “How do I balance out the logs that arrive from the forest, which have different diameters and grades? It is not an easy task. Even with a great deal of planning, there is a considerable amount of uncertainty involved as there is no way to predict the quality and size of the material you’ll be receiving.”

“The solution is to try to take this uncertainty into account in the plan and somehow obtain the right type of products, while maintaining backorders to a minimum to keep costs down,” he explains.

The solution developed by Maturana was a computer model to help the people in charge of planning in sawmills to meet their objectives, in consideration of the raw material. “We use a technique called robust optimization, which tries to find the optimal solution while taking the uncertainties into account,” he explains.

He conducted this research in conjunction with CMPC and the next step is to implement it in a plant of the company.

“Our objective is to turn as much of the piece of wood as possible into a useable product for CMPC, which can lead to a reduction in the amount of pieces of wood they use or logs they cut,” he explains.

The solution achieved an additional 5% utilization of timber volume. “The potential for long-term savings is significant,” asserts the scholar.

Maturana has also worked in conjunction with Georgia Tech and other countries for the past seven years in the wine supply chain.

“International collaboration is required for each country to follow up on the supply chain, which is global and involves export to different countries. Specifically, the United States can follow the chain from the moment it arrives in distribution centers until it reaches the various consumers,” explains Maturana.

“We have discovered the travel time, the routes, and the temperatures undergone by the wines, which has led to the question of what is the real effect this has on the quality of the wine,” he concludes.

SERGIO MATURANA

PROFESSOR Department of Industrial and

Systems Engineering


Master of Science, University of California, Los Angeles,

United States


United States


THE IDENTITY BEHIND THE FACE

Image analysis is Professor Mery’s specialty. In his classes he sometimes registers a�endance asking students to be photographed with an iPad and then a system clicks off “present” on a spreadsheet, one face at a time.

His two lines of research are automatic object inspection using X-rays and biometrics, the kind used in his automatic face recognition application, which have enormous implications. His current sabbatical at Notre Dame University allows him to hone his work on this subject.

In the field of automatic X-ray inspection, for example, with luggage in airports, Professor Mery and his team have become an international point of reference. “There are very few people doing this kind of work,” he says.

He has taken a leap forward in the process. He has no desire to replace human inspectors, but he does think that a robot is capable of identifying detrimental objects.

He has already successfully tested this, developing algorithms to recognize salmon bones that may have remained in the fillet a¡er processing. He has also worked on the revision of welds in gas and oil pipelines. His goal is to produce image analysis so¡ware that signals a red flag.

As for luggage inspection, he has observed inspectors and their bored expression. The work is tedious and error-inducing, and they need help. The professor is currently working on a system to identify knives with a

robotic manipulator that takes multiple images, which are then fed into an algorithm to locate the object viewed from different positions.

He also searches for triggers in order to find firearms. “I’ve worked on this for about 15 years and we have made a lot of progress,” he says.

In biometrics, professor Mery is not concerned with recognizing faces in passport type photos, perfect frontal images, which already have solutions that are 100% effective. He wants to identify faces “in the wild”, in spontaneous, poorly defined pictures, with different expressions. This is highly complex, especially if the origin of an image had been taken from blurry video stock.

Clearly both lines of work aim at improving safety levels in public life. But there are many people waiting in line to see the effectiveness of this technology, from people wanting to monitor personnel/student a�endance, control access or search large image databases. “The impact is very high, secure systems that help our society, it’s quite exciting,” he says.

At Notre Dame University, in addition to working with two renowned researchers in the field, he will also have access to a huge database of images, which he hopes will help improve his logarithms to answer the questions, “What is it?” and “who is it?”

DOMINGO MERY

PROFESSORDepartment of Computer

Science

Electronics Engineer, Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Peru

Master of Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany

Doctor of Philosophy, Technischen Universität Berlin, Germany


INNOVATION WITH SIGNIFICANCE

Like all research, that of Constanza Miranda is to conceptualize, make distinctions, to generate a theoretical framework for practical application, all with one crucial variable: people.

In her line of work, the concept “Design Anthropology” has just recently been coined, which is not quite the same as “anthropological design” or as the “anthropology of design”, roughly translated into Spanish as “diseño antropología”, which is being used interchangeably with the original term.

“It is very difficult to speak of a whole, because I am involved in too many areas,” she says. “When you are innovating, you lack the lexicon to refer to things, lack the clarity to articulate, I can articulate it in bits and pieces, but I have a hard time summing up the whole.”

Her doctoral thesis at Stanford, Multidisciplinary Teams of Engineering for Innovation, aimed to design “boundary objects”, bridges, shared meanings that foster teamwork and project innovation on a multidisciplinary stage.

Visual references, such as maps, diagrams, presentations, synthesize information. Her thesis presents eight “boundary objects”, tools that can build coursework or be taught in a company to generate an organic structure where learning thrives and builds on its participants.

Miranda has developed visual methods to collect qualitative data. She has described the components to teams of engineers who are designing. Not satisfied, she has only just begun: “the only place where we could do this was in a university with young people who have

such a developed intellectual capacity. In the end, I work a lot on specific applied research because I undertake my experiments in “living labs” for Design Anthropology.

Design is a way to make and apply things. “We’re not talking here about industrial graphics, but rather of systems, processes, services, logistics... everything, the big picture, but with a human component,” she says.

Design Anthropology (DAnthro) can be applied to a multitude of questions. The process starts with a confrontation and research stage, which contextualizes the response articulation to the scenario at hand.

The rigor in the description of human interaction narrows down the field of phenomena and results in be�er developments for these same. “You have to teach be�er boundary objects, be�er ways to communicate across different disciplines. Students are already interacting with other disciplines; we are the ones who need to catch up.”

She quotes Professor Dori Tunstall, from the University of Swinburne, Australia:

What are your values?

What do you believe? In the land of misfit toys Seeking something to achieve? Yet, it’s not fame or money You won’t be that deceived. You need that deeper meaning From DAnthro to receive.

CONSTANZA MIRANDA



Designer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy in Design-Anthropology, multidisciplinary innovation, North Carolina State



VIRTUAL CONSTRUCTIONS THAT PREVENT ERRORS IN THE FIELD

Professor Claudio Mourgues specializes in information technologies for the construction industry, particularly in virtual design and construction, using virtual models to support the design, construction and operation of infrastructure, mainly Building Information Modeling (BIM), 4D (3D + time), and geographic information systems (GIS). He also works with process models and organizational models related to the construction industry. These models are the basic support for analyses and optimizations at different project stages, such as thermal energy analysis, cost estimates, schedules, constructability, etc.

The application of technologies associated with these virtual models is one of the professor’s main lines of work. An example is the definition of a GIS system to perform spatial analysis to support the prioritization of road maintenance projects as part of an urban pavement management system, a project that involves several professors from the Department of Construction Engineering and Management, Universidad Católica. Another example of research along this line is the field of

parametric modeling. Professor Mourgues studies the use of parametric design to optimize development projects and semi-automate the Target-Value-Design process.

He also conducts research in the implementation of technology, notably the development of a method to plan the implementation of BIM within a company, and the formalization of BIM interaction diagrams between the various project stakeholders (architect, builder, client, inspector, etc.) and the assessment of impact on project outcomes.

Most of the research conducted by the professor is based on its application in companies, mainly the so¡er issues of implementation. Claudio Mourgues highlights this, but warns that it brings advantages and disadvantages. Projects are more dependent on the availability of the company, but also have greater impact because so¡ implementations have the greatest potential to generate change in the short- and medium-term in the industry.

CLAUDIO MOURGUES







HYDROGEOLOGICAL MODELS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

The use of hydrogeological models to simulate groundwater behavior in several Chilean basins has been one of the main research areas pursued by José Francisco Muñoz. He maintains that this type of tool can be used to determine the amount of groundwater available for sustainable use in terms of both quantity and quality, while also assessing the potential impacts of such an extraction.

These models can also help resolve conflicts between multiple users disputing a scarce resource, or evaluate environmental impacts of groundwater extraction projects in environmentally sensitive areas. “These modeling tools have given me the great satisfaction of having achieved conflict resolution of great importance for the country’s development,” says Muñoz.

Professor Muñoz’ area of expertise is water resources, specifically the fields of hydrology, hydrogeology, modeling and flow simulation and solute transport in saturated and unsaturated porous environments. As a professor in the Department of Hyraulic and

Environmental Engineering, he has taught courses on Groundwater, Groundwater Contamination, Applied Hydrogeology, Applied Fluids Mechanics and Hydraulics.

During his nearly 40-year career, which has included several terms as head of the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering and Manager of the Hydraulics and Environmental Division at DICTUC, he has developed hydrological and hydrogeological studies for water supply for sanitation companies, mining companies and public agencies related to the assessment and behavior of groundwater resources. He has been a strategic advisor to several companies on issues related to the assessment and management of water resources.

He has used modeling of flow and solute transport in aquifers to research issues such as copper extraction from tailings dams, aquifer contamination from herbicides and assessment of evaporation from arid basins.

JOSÉ FRANCISCO

MUÑOZPROFESSOR


Civil Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile,

Ingénieur de Spécialisation en Hydraulique, INPG, Grenoble,

France

Diplôme d’Études Approfondies, Université de Grenoble, France

Docteur Ingénieur, Université de Grenoble - INPG, Grenoble, France


IN THE STREET

“At first”, says Professor Muñoz, “I thought freight logistics was my thing.” Today his focus is on public transport.

Two milestones altered his course. First, he was captivated by how public transport affects the quality of life of urban dwellers and how it influences their development. Then he obtained his doctorate on the optimization of drivers’ shi¡s. He looked at the issue of public transportation from all sides: the user, the service provider and the urban impact.

A¡er completing his doctorate, he returned to Chile and joined the team that designed Transantiago, Santiago’s public transportation system. Since then, his focus has been 100% public transport.

“It’s a big problem, with macro- and microscopic aspects. For me, the design of Transantiago was a very entertaining experience... and when the implementation and operation went so badly, I was able to fully comprehend the complexity of the issue,” he says. “It was a tough, sophisticated problem. The original a�empt missed the mark but made it clear that there was a lot to think about.”

And think about it he does, along with his doctorate students. He is proud of several collaborative projects: his work with Felipe Delgado to regulate bus circulation and prevent bus clustering; his work with Homero Larraín on an express services design, which was extended to the Metro (subway) with its red and green

express lines; and his ongoing work with Sebastian Raveau studying how people choose routes, a project that has already had an impact with the redesign of the Metro map.

He directs the Department of Transportation Engineering, which has been very successful at a�racting students, who find tools for their professional career in transportation and logistics, and also in industrial engineering. Professor Muñoz has joined forces with Professor Juan Carlos Ferrer from the Department of Industrial Engineering, and is applying his doctoral experience in shi¡ optimization to create Shi¡, a company that provides shi¡ optimization services for retail and transport.

The professor says that most students end up working in transport and logistics: “Chile has some global leaders in the field.” He mentions Lan, Sudamericana de Vapores, Metro, Transantiago.

“The beauty of public transport is that the lab is there. There is a lot to see, a lot of opportunities to intervene. It is complicated and requires the coordination of many players, but the potential for improvements is too great to sit back and keep quiet.”

He is moved by this, it is a big issue. And those who study it “must be able to move beyond the models and put themselves in the users’ place. This process is about predicting what the user will do, not what you want him or her to do.”

JUAN CARLOS MUÑOZ

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Transport




Chile




A PUBLIC CHANNEL OF INFORMATION FOR SITUATIONS INVOLVING NATURAL DISASTERS

“The first time I saw Twi�er, I never imagined it could become so important,” confesses Professor Jaime Navón, who is now a huge fan of this social network. A specialist in Web Technologies, he currently participates as associate researcher at the National Center of Research for Integrated Management of Natural Disasters (Centro de Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales- CIGIDEN). He is researching the possibility of creating a Twi�er-based information channel on natural disasters.

“Twi�er has an amazing dissemination rate,” Navón explains. Millions of tweets are generated per minute worldwide, which makes this an important communication tool.

How can we capture the enormous flow of information and then filter it? How can we develop an application that is useful to people? These questions are part of the technical challenges he pursues as part of this research. Professor Navón works with a master’s student to develop filtering algorithms. “We have the tweets generated a¡er the February 27, 2010 earthquake; we are using these data to train our algorithms to filter only what we want.”

“Filtering is key,” he says. “All the tweets from the National Emergency Office of the Ministry of Interior and

Public Security (ONEMI, Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública) will also be channeled through this information channel.” In this filtering process one of the most important factors is credibility.

Formed by a multidisciplinary team of engineers, doctors and journalists, the project began in 2013. Navón shares how enriching the experience has been: “I’ve learned to work with other disciplines.” This research is currently in the experimental stage. They are building a collection infrastructure. “We have a machine in the Amazon, we are capturing everything on a server in North America.”

This application would eventually be available for download from the Apple or Android Store, and rather than connecting to twi�er, the idea is that a person would connect to this specific channel for natural disasters, which will filter the relevant information. “There is a need to know what is happening.”

“The development of a support channel would be useful immediately a¡er a seismic event to inform people about what is happening. We don’t intend to replace the radio or television, but to provide an alternative for a segment of the population,” he says.

JAIME NAVÓNASSOCIATE PROFESSOR


Civil Electrical Engineer, Universidad de Chile

Master of Science, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel

Doctor of Philosophy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,

United States


FACILITATING THE INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES

Facilitating the integration of renewable resources in an economically efficient manner, ensuring a safe and reliable energy supply is the research pursuit of Matías Negrete. He is involved in a project about control of a fleet of electric vehicles. The goal is to use the storage capacity of their ba�eries while parked, to contribute to the operation of the electric system.

“Due to their inherent uncertainty and volatility, new sources of renewable energy impose a series of challenges for the operation and control of energy and power systems. The balance between the power generated and consumed is fundamental to the operation,” explains Negrete, who explains that this balance is usually achieved by modifying the operation of the generation. “An alternative is to use the flexibility related to demand,” the academic says.

Negrete’s research engages with various disciplines such as power systems, automatic control, operations research and economics. “Overall, I’m interested in problems that present an appropriate balance between theory and applications,” he says. Analytical and simulation tools are critical for handling problems with a large number of constraints and variables such as those related to energy and power systems. Part of Negrete’s

research focuses precisely on the development of optimization models and stochastic control for large-scale problems.

The electric vehicle project is part of a collaborative effort between the University of California, Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Los Angeles Air Force Base in California. “So far, our most interesting finding has been proving that through the use of rather intuitive control algorithms, it’s possible to use the fleet of electric vehicles to provide balance to the service (frequency regulation, in more technical terms),” the professor states.

Regarding the potential impact of this research on society, Negrete explains that the integration of renewable resources in an economically efficient way empowers the transition to an economy that is less dependent on fossil fuels. “In the particular case of Chile, he hopes to contribute to solving energy challenges by turning to the potential of the country’s renewable energy; leveraging these resources will require the development of technological solutions that could become a very important niche for Chile,” he concludes.

MATÍAS NEGRETE


Engineering


Master in Science with a focus on Physics, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile

Master of Science with a focus on Physics, University of Illinois at

Urbana- Champaign

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering,

University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign


BEST PRACTICES FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Fi�y years ago, few people could have imagined the world we are living in today. Advances in mobile and embedded computing and the explosive growth of cloud computing are driving a revolutionary change in the way people communicate, interact and work with each other, and how companies do business. Some examples of industries that may benefit from these technologies are mining, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, education, health services, to name a few.

The combination of mobile, embedded and cloud computing systematically brings about new research trends and questions. Andrés Neyem pursues research related to these topics. From a so¡ware engineering perspective, he has a special interest in providing best practices guidelines on so¡ware development for this field.

“Developing software solutions for a mobile environment has always been a challenging task for developers, because they are typically unaware of certain requirements and limitations for the frontend and backend of the system. Most of these solutions require new so¡ware architectures and cloud services that are generally developed for either a specific device or class of devices,” explains the professor from San Juan, Argentina.

The professor’s research is focused on understanding the requirements, design, building, and applicability of new so¡ware architectures and cloud services for a mobile environment. “The goal is for the results to serve as guidelines for designing and building so¡ware solutions for this domain-specific application scenario. This will allow developers, students or researchers of this type of solutions to generate be�er systems, involving less effort and risks. These results will not only benefit the academic community, but also indirectly the so¡ware industry and other areas of our society,” he adds.

Neyem leads his undergraduate and graduate students in developing so¡ware solutions for this type of mobile environment. One of the most notable projects is LiveANDES (Advanced Network for the Distribution of Endangered Species). It is a software platform designed to collect, store, and analyze data about Latin America’s wildlife - data that could prove vital to the preservation of the region’s rich but increasingly threatened biodiversity. One of the goals of this cloud-based platform is to hide large scale data complexities and their subsequent processing and transformation from the end users. Shi¡ing large volumes of data to the cloud will provide a flexible and expandable platform for developing a variety of science data and processing tasks.

ANDRÉS NEYEMASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Diploma in Information Systems, School of Exact, Physical and

Natural Sciences, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina




EDUCATION ENGINEER

He is an international leader in education and technology, not in the field of actual “educational technology” but at the crossroads of education and technology.

He is an engineer. “Technology speaks to me,” he says. By 1979 he had already built a computer. In 1995, he tried to get students involved by using Gameboy, an inexpensive platform of videogames language. Education speaks to him in all its complexity.

Since that time, he has continued to explore and teach. He participates in the government’s Agency for Quality Education (Agencia de Calidad de la Educación).

He advocates integrating technology, currently only anecdotal, into teaching. Today it only serves to take away study hours from children, or it is brought into the home in incoherent ways, he complains.

The outcome of these technologies is not automatic: he cites a University of Chicago publication which found that in Romania, children without a computer learned more than their peers with a computer at home. Technology without a plan can be harmful.

He is not a full time “proselytizer.” The transfer has been difficult to achieve, he says. “It is simply not compatible to conduct cu�ing-edge research, have ten PhD students and publish 37 ISI papers in five years, and at the same time pursue technology transfer.”

Changes in education lead to conflicts. When he proposed introducing video games to keep students active in 1995, the response was negative: one does not come to school to play.

Since 2000, wireless communication has enabled the installation of small networks for collaborative work in the classroom under teacher supervision. Always one step ahead, he managed to install his system in several schools in Chile and he exported his idea to Great Britain and U.S.A.

He remarks on the slow but incessant appearance of giant screens today through interactive work in the virtual world and collaborative work for those sharing the same space.

The professor recently directed two projects in Colombia and Uruguay in which students who integrated technology with conventional resources learned a great deal. He received an integral plan for using technology as part of daily work, something that doesn’t happen every day.

“In Colombia we worked at the children’s pace.” In contrast, in Chile, the emphasis is on presenting material and moving kids to the next grade regardless of where learning transpires.

You can achieve personalized instruction for a child through the use of a computer, he says. But typically computers are handed out, which is what wins votes, and real pedagogy is le¡ behind.

He would like to transform classroom practices and create meaning for children, rather than “shove” a curriculum down their throats. “We need to create an Educational Constituent Assembly. The dialog should begin at the schools, so they are the ones telling us what we should teach them.”

MIGUEL NUSSBAUM

PROFESSORDepartment of Computer Science


Master of Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, United

States

Doctor of Philosophy, Eidgenössische Technische

Hochshule Zürich, Switzerland


SMALL BUT POWERFUL

Professor Oberli’s research doesn’t stay on the screen; his prototypes are up and running. He abandoned wireless technologies “for humans” - the cellphone, WiFi, Bluetooth – some time ago, moving on to address the issue of collecting data from sensors in remote regions. The result was Wireless Technologies Laboratory (Latina, www.latina.uc.cl).

One of Latina’s projects is monitoring the Quebrada de Ramon in the municipality of La Reina, Santiago. The goal is to gain access to certain information at all times, such as the altitude of zero isotherms and the soil’s ability to absorb water. These data are vital to efforts to forecast flooding from rainfall in the Andean foothills and warn the public. The information is collected by small radios equipped with sensors for temperature, humidity and other variables, and the readings are fed into an online database that is constantly checked by the early warning system.

This endeavor is divided into two stages: electronic development of sensor-transmi�ing nodes and so¡ware programming to create an interconnected intelligent network between them. Once a node is activated, it identifies each of its neighbors, identifies its place in the network and determines the “drainage” route of the collected information. Drainage occurs via relay from one node to another, until reaching nodes on the

outer urban limits, where there is cell phone coverage. The network must have an intelligent response to node failure. If one node fails, other nodes are re-configured to drain their readings from alternative pathways. It’s like the Internet.

He is interested in applications over broad geographic areas: hydrology, the forestry sector, the mining sector and the livestock sector. “We aim to cover hundreds of acres with networks of thousands of nodes,” he says. The applications may be revolutionary.

There are thousands of these solar sensors, which are small and inexpensive. Some connected to a satellite and others to the cellular network. Together, they could support a process of early earthquake warning. An early warning does not require precision on the magnitude of the earthquake. If a group of neighboring nodes agrees by vote that the ground is shaking, the location and magnitude of the event could be reported within seconds to organizations like Onemi to generate an alert.

The professor is proud of his achievements: “To bring a scientific outcome to the field, prove it in operation, prove the technology and put it in practice is a huge effort; this is what sets us apart. It can be used to generate a real benefit to society.”

CHRISTIAN OBERLI

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Electrical

Engineering



Chile


States


INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY INTO POWER SYSTEMS

The focus of Daniel Olivares’s research is how to incorporate renewable energy sources into electric power systems. His doctorate, undertaken at the University of Waterloo, Canada, was based on his work with operational models for the integration of renewable energy in power systems, initially addressing the operation of isolated electricity micro-grids. Isolated micro-grids have no connection to the main network, and are intended to supply energy to remote locations which are unable to connect to a main grid for economic or technical reasons.

“One of the great challenges in terms of the integration of renewable energies in micro-grids is that variability has a strong impact on the system due to its reduced size and limited number of controllable generators. This can manifest in load slips or other problems associated with the quality of electricity services in micro-grids.

Fortunately, as we’re dealing with small systems, the models used to determine their operation are also small, which allows for a more sophisticated approach to cope with such variability, so maintaining reasonable computation times,” explains Professor Olivares. This advantage of micro-grid models does not occur in large power systems, an area to which the professor has expanded his research.

The latest study, “Operation models for the integration of renewables” has included the participation of department professors Matías Negrete and Hugh Rudnick. “We have developed operating models that allow us to maximize the integration of these renewable

sources, which are characterized by their high level of variability. The models take into account the uncertainty in the generation of this type of energy, and characterize it” indicates Olivares.

However, additional difficulties exist with large power systems: current operating models work according to the assumption of controllable generation. “The question is whether or not you are able to handle the load that you insert with your generators,” explains the professor. By introducing renewable energy to the system, control is not such an issue. The challenge identified by the academic is to increase control variables through consumption management.

“Flexible consumers favor renewable energies, and the system will be able to absorb the variations pertaining to this source of energy,” Olivares states, adding: “A flexible consumer could help the system integrate higher levels of solar energy, for example.” But in order to actually get users to support the integration of renewable energies, incentives and other strategies are required that “will help create awareness in the population of the benefits of renewable energy, and how people can facilitate its integration. That is one of the objectives of this study,” he declares.

Regarding strategies for promoting civil participation, the professor adds, “This research has an important sociological dimension, because encouraging flexible consumers who are able to respond by decreasing or increasing their consumption with respect to certain system incentives goes hand in hand with a cultural shi¡.”

DANIEL OLIVARES


Engineering


Doctor of Philosophy, University of Waterloo, Canada


GLOBAL INSERTION

Challenge-seekers sign up for Ortúzar’s graduate courses. He is strict, and his coursework is a rare blend of abstraction and application. Working in groups, students tackle real problems but, in the end they are evaluated on an individual exam.

His strictness doesn’t contaminate the warmth he generates in his classes. Although he doesn’t appear to be an eminence, he was the third Chilean to receive the prestigious Humboldt Research Award, the first Latino to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association for Travel Behaviour Research and the first recipient of the Universidad Católica Engineering Award. He is co-author of “Modelling Transport” (with Luis Willumsen), a key text in transportation graduate programs around the world, and is a member of the Editorial Commi�ee of the most prestigious journals in his field.

He is fun, eschews formality, seeks opinions, answers emails, uses Facebook, uploads photos, and invites people to his home where he hosts along with his wife, Margarita Greene, Professor of Architecture at Universidad Católica.

He works with both Chilean and foreign graduate students to research choice models when discrete alternatives are available, like many we make every day: What drink should I buy? Should I take the subway or go by car? Should I use the shortest path or the safest? Making predictions in these cases is not easy, but it results in the design of be�er policies, urban

interventions or products. He has explored many areas: social housing, public safety, conservation of heritage neighborhoods, winemaking... and transportation.

“I am interested in understanding human behavior,” he says.

And he unleashes the floodgates on concepts related to research on “how people choose.” He starts with the “random utility theory,” for situations where people consider factors hidden to the observer. This is an entertaining subject that has gradually become more complex with the capacity of computers, ushering in models with a richer potential to replicate the diversity of individual behavior. Interactions with sociologists, psychologists and economists have been part of his discovery, integrating their methods and designing common languages.

Lately, he is researching the field of winemaking. He works in collaboration with Chinese scholars to design wines suitable for the Chinese market. But transportation remains his focus: he currently works with a student on failure to pay transport fees in the Transantiago system , and during Professor Luis Rizzi’s doctorate studies, they worked together to design a method to estimate the value of a life lost in an accident which is already being applied in Australia, Spain and Norway. His international alumni network keeps him up to date and helps him place his students in the globalized world.

JUAN DE DIOS ORTÚZAR

PROFESSORDepartment of Transport






MACRO AND MICRO MECHANICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALS

Motivated by the environmental challenges of large-scale waste rock dams and mine waste deposits, Professor Ovalle has been interested in the mechanical behavior of granular materials: how are they affected by size, humidity, time and the loading history?

This task requires a multi-scale approach, i.e., an analysis of the granular properties and the contact conditions between them, to explain macro behavior with micro parameters.

In geotechnical engineering, generally the size of granular materials that conform to standard laboratory equipment are about 5 to 10 mm and specimens are less than 1 kg. In waste rock, these constraints force an extrapolation of results for materials that are several orders of magnitude coarser. Scaling effects are not considered and the question arises: Is the coarser material more or less resistant, more or less rigid?

Having worked in France with equipment capable of testing 2-tons specimens, Professor Ovalle has experimentally validated multi-scale methods, evaluating the effects of size between samples from the same material on a different geometric scale.

It is clear that the larger the size of the individual grains, the lower its fracture resistance. A coarser granular material is more vulnerable to granular breakage when

required mechanically, which makes it more deformable and less resistant.

This contradicts the intuition of some geotechnical engineers, who believe that the thicker the material, the more it resists.

The clues found by Ovalle in the micro-mechanics of waste rock have led him to examine the effects of humidity. The propagation of micro-fissures is known to produce fractures in fragile materials such as rock particles. On a microscopic level, the resistance to fissure propagation is governed by the attacks of corrosive humid conditions: dilution of minerals and variations of the capillarity. Thus, increased humidity decreases fracture resistance.

These effects take a while due to the slow process of humidity penetration. The gradual opening of a fissure also triggers further degradation. These effects would be the source of se�lement in some dams, which take years to stabilize and are augmented by rainfall and seepage.

The scientific debate remains open. Experimental results feed mathematical models and lead to the study of civil works and to the explanation of anomalies. The challenge is multidisciplinary and requires interaction with materials experts, geologists, physicists, chemists, and others.

CARLOS OVALLEASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Civil Engineer, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile

Diploma in Applied Soil Mechanics, Universidad de Chile

Master of Science, École Centrale Paris, France

Doctor of Philosophy, École Centrale Nantes, France


MEASURING AND ANALYZING HOW INSTITUTIONS AND REGULATIONS AFFECT LEARNING

Professor Paredes worked for the IDB and the World Bank and as a consultant to various governments and major companies. His expertise is in applied microeconomics, specifically labor regulation and economics. He chaired the commi�ee of experts on “student funding for higher education,” appointed by the Ministry of Education of Chile in 2011, which resulted in five important laws. But in recent years, education has been gaining ground within his field of research.

What happens with education between preschool and higher education? How does each of the cycles connect with the others? Paredes analyzes the ways in which institutions and regulations affect learning, how quality is measured, and how this is affected and evolves over time. Some important issues for him include the 1980s educational reform and the influence it continues to have on the different stakeholders in the school system, how parents choose a school for their children and the consequences of these decisions.

Through a study of simple choice, he empirically analyzed the choice of families. He and his team used the location of homes and schools to analyze the movement of students in choice models. He has pursued this with more sophisticated models. The estimates derived from econometric models provide information about the particularly high cost of transportation, price sensitivity, and how families view and infer quality without necessarily being explicitly aware of the results of the schools they choose.

Choice models and geo-referencing households provided an excellent basis for developing simulations to understand the effect costs have on parents in school segmentation. He has been engaged in a line of methodological research that has led to the development of a fairly accurate form of program assessment. This is especially useful when there are no randomized experiments.

He also has used his models to generate findings in the field of higher education. “The choice models in higher education tend to confirm the preference of students for a relatively small group of universities, which is broadly consistent with general metrics of university quality. The analysis of the quality of institutions and the development of metrics that can be made objective and which are not subject to critique by the arbitrary factor weighting criteria, has provided an understanding of the diversity of institutions within groups or clusters. Likewise, the analysis and design of selection mechanisms in higher education through predictive educational success models has complemented the very broad agenda that I pursue in this area.”

His work in this field is not limited to research. Based on his analysis and diagnostics on educational financing, he now spearheads the Growing in Talent and Inclusion (Creciendo en Talento e Inclusión) program at Universidad Católica, whose objective is to increase the inclusion of students from municipal and subsidized schools.

RICARDO PAREDES

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR


Economist, Universidad de Chile


States


CUSTOMIZATION IN SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS

“Human beings are good at finding explanations to events once they occur, but not at predicting them,” says Professor Denis Parra, citing the book “Everything is Obvious, Once You Know the Answer“ by Duncan J. Watts, which can be found on one of his office shelves. He says that “making predictions is the basis for customizing systems effectively.” Professor Parra is interested in developing customization and adaptive systems, i.e., systems that adapt to each user’s personal characteristics rather than presenting static content. His idea is to predict the preferences and tastes of a user on the Web or a mobile device in order to enhance his or her experience. “We live in information overload. Recommendation and customization systems try to help the user filter the most relevant information from a large data set that people don’t have time to visit,” he says.

His research is divided into two main interests: social media analytics and recommendation interfaces.

In conjunction with Dr. Christoph Tra�ner, researcher from Graz University of Technology, Professor Parra studies social networks in order to make recommendations. One of his lines of research resulted in the application of My Second Life, a Web interface of a virtual space where users can socialize, do business and share knowledge and information. “Unlike Facebook or Twi�er, we were able to identify the profile of a common user in the My Second Life network and simultaneously identify the same user with a buyer-seller profile in the virtual world,” explains Professor Parra. “This enables us to determine which factors of interaction in a friend network can influence transactions in an online shopping network.”

The scholar from the Department of Computer Science is also interested in studying the contents of the messages that users post. He wants to analyze, for example, if the

feeling that can be inferred from comments influences transactions or other user actions. He is interested in using information from social networks to extrapolate it to the real world, for example, to predict whether a user will create a new online store or to generate friend or product recommendations.

His idea with recommendation interfaces is to complement the recommendation algorithms with the interaction of cyber-physical systems (to use the definition of German researcher Wolfgang Wahlster). This implies that existing algorithms are used but with the possibility of different interfaces that allow users to experience varying degrees of control or view information with various representations. How much control is given to the user to ensure he has the best experience is a key factor in the acceptance of recommendations: in many cases, if the user receives a recommendation of average relevance but understands why it has been recommended, it is likely that the user will accept it, instead of another recommendation which is more relevant yet the reason for suggesting it is not clear. “If a user receives a recommendation to buy a soccer ball a¡er reviewing books on politics, it is likely that the user will reject it, even if it’s relevant, because of doubts about how that suggestion was generated.”

“In short, I’m interested on the one hand in conducting studies to understand what factors influence the use given by users to technological and social systems (socio-technical systems), yet I’m also interested in creating models and applications that enable people to make a more effective use of such systems. Both aspects promote a constant cycle of learning and innovation.”

DENIS PARRA ASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Civil Engineer in Computer Science, Universidad Austral de

Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Information Science and Technology, University

of Pi�sburgh, United States


GREEN CHEMISTRY

Professor Parra has just completed her first year in academia at the Universidad Católica School of Engineering. If her work was to be observed by a chemist from the last century, it would cause an adrenaline rush.

She speaks of catalysis, a term coined in 1835 to define the acceleration of a chemical reaction —which could take centuries if it occurred spontaneously— by a substance called a “catalyst.” The reaction does not change the catalyst, the viewer already knows this.

She speaks of biocatalysis, or the use of biological and therefore biodegradable catalysts to replace highly contaminant chemical ones. The observer from last century also wouldn’t be surprised, s/he would have learned of the use of proteins, enzymes, and catalysts.

She adds an element. First, she looks in nature for genes that encode enzymes of industrial interest; enzymes that can be instruments of production for the market.

Once these enzymes, which work so well in nature, are found, how do we adapt them to conditions in the industry? To do this, she uses “protein engineering”, specifically “directed evolution”.

At this point, our observer feels uneasy, especially if the professor explains that in the laboratory you accelerate the evolutionary process of a gene to optimize the properties of the enzyme that the gene encodes. Noteworthy among these properties is the level of activity of the enzyme, or its stability, or its acceptance of different substrates.

And finally, the application: the use of the enhanced enzyme on an industrial scale.

The professor, in her post doctorate studies, worked on the directed evolution of a particular enzyme which is very stable at high temperatures but shows no activity with enzyme substances of industrial interest.

Finally, she found a variety capable of converting a substrate into a product: a precursor of the main monomer of nylon, a sought-a¡er polymer. Today, this product is manufactured by the ton, but using a chemical catalyst.

The results were patented this year and she is now working on refining them for the industry.

At this point, the observer from the last century is surely si�ing in astonishment, as would a chemist who discovers a new element in the periodic table, thinking of the endless application possibilities.

This is how Professor Loreto Parra thinks: starting from the protein identified, which converts the substrate to a very good product, she can explore more reactions to convert it into something much be�er. What, for example? An environmentally friendly biodegradable polymer, as it is biologically generated.

The observer from the past now understands: it’s green chemistry.

LORETO PARRAASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Engineer in Molecular Biotechnology, Universidad

de Chile


Post-doctorate Fellow in Protein Engineering, Max-Planck-Institut

fûr Kohlenforschung. Germany


OPTIMIZING MANAGEMENT OF PHYSICAL ASSETS IN THE MINING INDUSTRY

Chile faces huge challenges in Physical Asset Management. Economic growth largely driven by the mining industry has caused a steady increase in demand for production equipment. Motivated to help develop this area, the professor and chair of the Department of Mining Engineering, Rodrigo Pascual, has specialized in the development and implementation of methods to optimize the management of assets, specifically in ma�ers relating to the maintenance of industrial and military equipment.

Professor Pascual directs the Universidad Católica Laboratory for Physical Asset Management. Thanks to his research, he is regarded as one of the drivers of Physical Asset Management at the regional level. “We have managed to raise community awareness about the importance of good management of physical assets throughout their life cycle, with a focus on meeting organizational goals.”

Today he works with mining companies and suppliers to generate solutions for mobile equipment, trucks and road mine infrastructure solutions. This aims to ensure be�er overall performance.

As director of the Department of Mining Engineering, he is interested in encouraging the development of an interdisciplinary approach to in mining. He views mining as a place where all kinds of professions come together, from the hard sciences and the humanities. “The most interesting problems are those that require expertise from different backgrounds,” he says.

“This school, this university is a natural environment for innovation around mining. Yet we lack the development of innovation in this industry, which is a gap that must close.”

In terms of training human capital, Professor Pascual points out that his students leave with a different view about the management of physical assets, which turns them into agents of change for the industry. “The students develop a critical, creative and curious outlook. They obtain a technological and scientific training that allows them to solve a problem in an innovative and economical way,” he says.

Professor Pascual envisions big challenges in the mining industry. He asserts that much of the production in this field will be closed pit. “We need expertise in the development of closed pit infrastructure,” he says.

RODRIGO PASCUAL

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Mining

Engineering


Doctor of Philosophy, Université de Liège, Belgium


RIVER DOCTOR

Improving and protecting water quality in the Lluta River in Region XV of Chile is one of the pursuits of Pablo Pastén. Through the study of basin geochemistry, he endeavors to understand the dynamics of arsenic and other pollutants that are carried by the river and that limit the uses of this resource. The ultimate goal is for water to be used more safely and sustainably in economic activities.

“Our goal is to provide information to the community and officials who make decisions regarding the regional water infrastructure given that water is so scarce and needs to be protected and understood. For example: How can we improve water quality? How do mining activities impact water quality?”, he adds.

Environmental geochemistry is not his only field of research. Pablo Pastén also studies environmental biotechnology. Specifically, he analyzes bacteria and microorganisms that may be used for water treatment, immobilization of contaminants connected with mining waste, and environmental remediation.

The professor’s third line of research is Sustainable Urban Development focused on critical resources such as water, energy and soil. “We develop smart

technologies that reduce the use of resources and control sources of risk. We learn from nature in order to use them and transform them into technology,” he asserts.

CEDEUS, the center of excellence where he is lead researcher, hosts several initiatives related to sustainable urban development. The goal of one of these is to develop technologies to remove contaminants from drinking water such as arsenic, a field in which the professor has a patent pending in conjunction with Professor Gonzalo Pizarro. Other initiatives included in the project funded by CONICYT through Fondap and coordinated by Pastén are related to the use of ground covers, energy savings in wastewater treatment and the study of urban geochemistry and its relation to possible risks to city dwellers.

However, he says his main challenge is not only to generate advanced knowledge about the environment and to develop technologies, “but also to have direct applications aimed at solving real human needs” and “to be able to effectively communicate information to decision makers, officials or the general public,” concludes Pastén.

PABLO PASTÉNASSOCIATE PROFESSOR




Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Northwestern University, United

States


THE THREAT OF ACRYLAMIDE

In 2002, Professor Margareta Törvqvist of the University of Stockholm announced the presence of significant levels of acrylamide in widely consumed fried foods. The substance appears during cooking or heat processing.

Since then, the scientific community has been working on understanding the formation of acrylamide and weighing the dangers.

The announcement from Stockholm University, an “unexpected discovery,” motivated Professor Franco Pedreschi to pursue this subject as a researcher.

His concern is the generation of toxic elements produced during cooking or heating food such as acrylamide and furan, both of which are carcinogenic.

Because we cook our food, we will always ingest acrylamide, but we can reduce our intake and prevent its toxic expressions. Professor Pedreschi researches the subject and wants to favorably impact the health of citizens.

He wants to identify the main formation mechanisms of acrylamide in Chilean food, and use this as a basis to develop mitigating technologies.

Professor Pedreschi is an expert on the subject and a member of the Scientific Advisory Commi�ee of the Chilean Agency for Food Quality, ACHIPIA. The Agency is

proposing standards for laboratories that evaluate food safety. It opens research channels on food, educates, and, of course, certifies and monitors the quality of Chilean food products.

This is what motivates Professor Pedreschi, who was the doctoral student of National Prize of Sciences winner and School of Engineering Professor José Miguel Aguilera. Food should be healthy.

Professor Pedreschi’s latest publication, which has won high praise, is “Chemical Food Safety and Health,” which he edited with Professor Zuzana Ciesarová. The book was published by Nova, New York. He notes that his papers are what further knowledge.

A dozen years a¡er the original Swedish discovery, the subject is a moving target. Professor Pedreschi and his team work in an increasingly broader field of research.

He heads the Department of Chemical Engineering and Bioprocess and also the Food Safety Laboratory, which is currently developing two state-funded projects. He seeks to mitigate acrylamide contaminants in two foods which are widely consumed in Chile: bread and potato chips.

His career is enriched by the doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows that he directs.

FRANCO PEDRESCHI



Seafood Processing Engineer, Universidad Nacional Agraria La

Molina, Peru


Chile


Chile

Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Food Engineering, University of

Lund, Sweden


NEW ELECTRIC POWER CONVERTERS

There is currently a need to maximize the available energy. Motivated by this challenge, Professor Javier Pereda is working to create a power converter that is capable of delivering a voltage of very high quality, reducing costs and system complexity. “This is one of the limitations of the industry because power converters are very expensive and complex.”

His research was conducted as part of his doctoral degree under the leadership of Professor Juan Dixon from the Department of Electrical Engineering. They used power electronics, which uses semiconductors and adequate control mechanisms to convert energy. His idea was to simplify multilevel power converters, and in turn, increase their output. The key challenge was determining how this could be done.

They were successful. They simplified the system’s technology without reducing the output and developed new optimization algorithms that substantially increased the quality of power output. “That was a success,” recalls Professor Pereda. His contribution to knowledge on new multilevel converters for enhancing virtues and eliminating disadvantages was awarded the Prince Albert II of Monaco Medal.

In addition, Professor Pereda has implemented an electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion ba�eries using

technology developed in his doctoral thesis through state of the art industrial controls. This research led to the publication of articles in ISI journals. “Our publications on the subject have had global impact,” he says.

This Department of Electrical Engineering scholar says that electric engines account for the main electricity consumption worldwide. “There is a very important benefit here because more than 50% of electricity use is from the consumption of these engines, therefore a small step leads to great impact.”

He has also made a contribution to non-conventional renewable energy, such as wind, solar, tidal energy. An integration of these technologies to the grid requires a power converter. “You can achieve this with the available technology, but this will eventually lead to an issue as it hits mass use because the current systems deliver very low quality energy to the main supply. The integration of new high efficiency and high quality energy converters for renewable energy is therefore essential.”

“The main impact would be in industries such as mining because these converters could be applied to industrial and mining processes.”

JAVIER PEREDA ASSISTANT PROFESSOR






A LAB WITH A VIEW

Professor Pérez leads a lab with a wide open future: The Laboratory of Extraction of High-Value Compounds (LECAV, Laboratorio de Extracción de Componentes de Alto Valor) uses cu�ing-edge technology to certify and scientifically validate bioactive natural compounds based on their potential value for the food industry.

The lab’s future is bright: it is not limited to the study of plant species and their use in the food industry, which is currently its main focus. On the road ahead, they will also analyze their application in cosmetics, study microorganisms as a natural resource, and address the development of veterinary products for animal health and pesticides for agriculture.

Professor Pérez has built a technological system with advanced analytical equipment that provides sophisticated spectrophotometric, GC-MS and HPLC analyses. The core capabilities of this infrastructure a�ract researchers who know that it is here that they will find the tools that they need to further their tests and experiments.

LECAV is currently carrying out three main activities:

First, it addresses the exploration of natural resources, isolating and describing plant and waste materials rich in polyphenols and essential oils. The main goal is to develop a database of natural resources available in Chile categorized on the basis of their bioactive properties of interest to the food industry: bactericides, fungicides, virucides, antioxidants, antibiotics, to name a few.

Second, Professor Pérez emphasizes isolation and processes with an outcome of bioactive compounds

obtained through the filtration and absorption of selected plant materials and agro-industrial wastes. These processes require the complex technological equipment and know-how that LECAV is proud to house.

Third, having produced the bioactive compounds, Professor Pérez directs their functional and chemical categorization. He is on the lookout for antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity and other potential applications, especially in designed food matrices.

Professor Pérez lives in an environmentally conscious world. “The growing concern for personal wellbeing has steadily increased the use of natural products,” he writes.

Many new functional and fortified foods with bioactive natural compounds are marketed in the food industry each year, including polyphenols and essential oils.

These opportunities for growth in the food industry are manifold, and the explosion of new products will depend on, and will bring about, the socioeconomic progress of the many actors involved.

Professor Pérez’s roots are in Chile, where he recognizes there are plenty of untapped resources with bioactive potential.

His mission is therefore to conduct high quality research in order to create scientific-technological knowledge for the development of functional foods with tangible benefits which meet industry requirements and regulations.

JOSÉ RICARDO PÉREZ




Master of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Chile

Diploma in Chemical Engineering, Imperial College, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, Imperial College, United Kingdom


LEARNING ENGINEERING IN AN EVER CHANGING WORLD

Mar Pérez explores and studies the incorporation of “Massive Open Online Courses” (MOOCs) into the academic content of the UC School of Engineering as part of the Engineering 2030 initiative.

Technology is part of daily life in the 21st century. Internet and mobile devices have transformed our world and how we communicate, interact and learn. In these interconnected contexts, in which learning can occur at any moment or place and is primarily collaborative, new educational digital ecosystems have emerged that require new skills and forms of learning. “We need people to be able to work and learn in these ecosystems,” states the academic.

Mar Pérez has dedicated her career to understanding how the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be used to support collaboration in these ecosystems for more effective learning. This is why she developed “Etiquetar,” a tag-based tool that allows teachers to create QR codes to transform any space into one that is interactive and allows them to engage in mobile activities with students.

In the context of the 2030 project, the professor’s aim is to explore how ICTs can be used to help students learn more and be�er. “I am working to ensure that they

learn other skills that they need in today’s world, such as collaboration, self-learning and learning to learn. All of these skills are all essential in an increasingly connected world. It is also necessary for students to learn to solve problems, which is one of the essential skills of a good engineer,” says Dr. Pérez.

One of the first steps in this direction is to study the incorporation of MOOCs into the School of Engineering. Pérez is looking to “provide students with opportunities to learn independently.” Work is currently being initiated on the first MOOC, which will be developed using the Coursera and Open Edx platforms, two structures that have had a major impact at international level.

The first MOOCs will be launched this year, and the school intends to evaluate: (1) which formats are most appropriate for the school, and (2) what indicators should be used to measure their impact on students’ learning abilities. “Some will support leveling; others belong to Undergraduate studies and extension activities. Each one will present different challenges for students and professors,” Pérez concludes.

MAR PÉREZASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Master in Information and Communications Technologies,

Advanced Engineer in Computer Studies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

Doctorate in Information and Communications Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

Post-doctoral fellow, Universidad Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Stanford

Research Institute, SRI International, CA, United States


HOW TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND THE INDUSTRY

Convinced of the great potential in Chile to strengthen the relationship between universities and industry, Professor Julio Pertuzé focused his graduate studies at MIT on this field . He analyzed how technology projects are managed as a whole and, from the company standpoint, how changes in strategy affect their relationship with academia.

The transfer of new knowledge “is one of the fundamental tasks of the university. This third mission is becoming increasingly sought a¡er by society and I believe that it is very important to be able to contribute and help to build this, especially from the Universidad Católica’s School of Engineering.”

His research included the analysis of various companies in the forestry industry in North America, and northern and southern of Europe. He chose this field due to its potential for expansion into Latin American countries, including Chile. Which factors affect the outcome of university research and what is the subsequent impact on industry?

He determined that there is a wide gap between the results of research projects, which are rated as very good, and the impact achieved in the industry, which ultimately ends up being very low. Why don’t these good results in research translate into competitive

advantages or increased productivity for the company? In many companies, the problem lies in subsequent implementation.

How can we bridge this gap? Pertuzé outlined seven best practices for managing collaboration between universities and companies. Key aspects according to Julio Pertuzé’s research include the following: a good selection of projects by the university; effective leaders in project implementation who can adapt it to different areas of the company; sharing the vision of why this implementation is positive with the rest of the university; investing in long-term relationships with the university teams; undertaking extensive project communication; and supporting the project beyond its implementation.

How can strategy changes within a business impact its relationship with the university? This is another question that the professor elucidated. In some industries, ties with the academic institutions decay in times of crisis, which can weaken overall project results or impact. “Building university systems, expertise and technologies in fields that might be relevant to industry takes time. However, it takes very li�le time to change company strategy, and deconstruction can be a very quick process.”

JULIO PERTUZÉASSISTANT PROFESSOR




States



NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE FUTURE CHALLENGES OF ASTRONOMY IN CHILE

Chile is home to most of the astronomical observation capacity that currently exists on the planet. It is expected that within the next ten years, around 70% of the world’s astronomical observation will be conducted from our country.

New computer tools are urgently needed to help scientists explore the universe through these large stellar databases. This need has led to the creation of new areas of science such as Astro Statistics and Astro Computing. Motivated to make a contribution to these new scientific disciplines, Professor Karim Pichara, specialist in the development of artificial intelligence for data analysis, is working on new technologies for the exploration of astronomical data.

He co-directs the UC laboratory of astronomical data analysis with Professor Pavlos Protopapas of Harvard University. One of his main research areas is the automatic classification of stellar objects from pa�erns of variation in brightness in different frequency bands. There are several problems associated with this challenge: detecting unknown objects; early analysis of spatial data that is not yet finished; development of models that integrate tools already trained for specific tasks in order to perform more global classification

tasks; the construction of algorithms discover pa�erns intrinsic to each object class, without previously training; implementation of algorithms that efficiently indicate sections of the sky that are more informative for building learning bases for the training of future intelligent tools.

Another initiative developed by Professor Pichara is related to the data from the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array) observatory, which produces data with high spectral resolution. In this project, the professor is working to develop an algorithm capable of analyzing the spectral lines delivered by ALMA and automatically detect the presence of molecules in the different objects scanned by the telescope.

In 2012, Professor Pichara obtained the first results of his research. He managed to develop an automatic classifier to detect quasars in the universe. Later, he made a model to incorporate information from incomplete astronomical catalogs in order to improve classification information from unknown data.

Professor Pichara says the problem facing Chile today is urgent: “We must be prepared for the arrival of the data produced by the new generation of telescopes.”

KARIM PICHARAASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Civil Industrial Engineer, major in Computer Science, Pontificia




Post-doctoral Fellow, Harvard University, United States


QUALITY OF POTABLE WATER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

“Research follows different specializations,” says Gonzalo Pizarro, director of the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering at the Universidad Católica School of Engineering. “This is interdisciplinary and is something we have been promoting for years in the field of environmental engineering.” Knowledge of biology, chemistry, geology and mathematical modeling are essential to address complex problems of pollution and environmental remediation. Professor Pizarro has been devoted to the mathematical modeling of biofilms: bacterial films grown on surfaces such as rivers, wastewater treatment plants, teeth and medical implants, among others. In this interface, chemical and biochemical reactions occur, which change the surrounding water quality.

An example of an interface is the study of copper corrosion in water pipes. Since 2003, Professor Pizarro has led a research group in corrosion and bio-corrosion of copper pipes for drinking water. This study began in the environmental field, out of concern about the change in quality of drinking water due to the corrosion of copper plumbing. The increase in the concentration of copper can be so high that it exceeds environmental quality standards and can even be detrimental to human health. This is what was identified in a house on the outskirts of Talca, where the study began.

The need to explain the phenomenon found in Talca forced researchers to look for hypotheses and discuss

the situation from an interdisciplinary perspective and from different viewpoint: environmental microbiology, surface analysis, in-situ analysis, hydrodynamic and mathematical modeling. “Copper is toxic above certain concentrations. If you understand how and why the metal is released into the water pipes, you can prevent toxicity issues or contamination of drinking water.”

Through this interdisciplinary approach they were able to collaborate with professors specializing in hydraulics and environmental engineering as well as those from other departments, and have now expanded their collaboration to other universities such as the University of Notre Dame. Professor Robert Nerenberg from Notre Dame and Professor Pablo Pastén from Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering have joined forces with Professor Pizarro to develop new technologies for drinking water treatment and biological reactors. They also drive the dual Ph.D. program between Universidad Católica and University of Notre Dame.

Gonzalo Pizarro also conducts research related to water quality modeling in aquatic systems and their effect on the environment. Many of these studies have been conducted for the Chilean Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Environment in remote areas such as the Lluta river basin in Northern Chile and the Torres del Paine region in the far south of the country.

GONZALO PIZARRO







EFFICIENCY AND ACCURACY OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Claudia Prieto researches the acquisition and reconstruction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a noninvasive technique for medical imaging used to visualize the inside of the human body.

“Magnetic resonance imaging provides an excellent contrast between different so¡ tissues such as blood and myocardium in the heart,” says the academic, who is interested in applying this technique on patients with cardiovascular disease.

“In recent years MRI has demonstrated a tremendous potential to improve early diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, there are two major challenges that have yet to be resolved: quality degradation of the image due to respiratory motion during acquisition, and the length of acquisition time,” says Prieto.

Prieto’s research focuses on developing new techniques for sub-sampled reconstruction to accelerate the acquisition and new methods of motion correction. “More recently I’ve focused on combining these two types of methods in a generalized reconstruction to solve both problems simultaneously,” she explains.

The scholar, who is currently at King’s College London working as Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Images and Biomedical Engineering, aims to improve the

diagnosis of cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease. Prieto is part of the group that designed and is currently teaching the first degree in Biomedical Engineering at the School of Medicine at King’s College London.

According to Prieto, two of her recent generalized reconstruction projects have been evaluated on healthy volunteers and on a small number of patients with coronary artery disease and congenital heart disease. “The results show that the proposed methods achieve excellent image quality and a diagnosis value similar to standard methods; all with a shorter acquisition time and without requiring collaboration from the volunteer or patient. The methods must now be evaluated on a larger number of patients.”

Regarding the impact of her research, Prieto argues that both projects will decrease the acquisition time of MRI images. “This translates into a more efficient use of the MRI scanner, with a consequent reduction in costs and greater patient comfort. Furthermore, this time savings can be used to improve other image parameters such as increasing the spatial and/or temporal resolution of images, which could result in more accurate diagnoses,” she concludes.

CLAUDIA PRIETO


Engineering, Structural and Geotechnical Engineering

and Industrial and Systems Engineering




LASER TO THE BONE

A�er seeing the windows of the School, filled with bone prototypes, you would think this is an embryonic work in Professor Ramos’s department, but it is not. There have been over 150 clinical cases where the surgeon has been able to visualize the operation he is about to perform using these models. “And that’s all I really need!” observes the professor.

But there’s more.

As current director of the Department of Mechanics and Metallurgy, his spectrum of interests has broadened to infinity. But his career, his background as a researcher and discoverer, is making an impact in the niches in which he delves most deeply.

He starts with mechanical engineering, but his curiosity leads him to lasers as manufacturing tools. They cut, weld, do rapid prototyping. It is his duty, he says, to jump to the materials; not only the practical engineering of materials, but also their physics.

“I have discovered the physics of materials, which is nothing more than quantum mechanics.”

Without knowing the materials, he says, you cannot prototype; laser application makes no sense. You have to know materials on a practical and fundamental level.

He has researched copper alloys with form memory, using sophisticated techniques of laser synthesis. He aims to imprint complex parts with predictable behaviors. Physics is not fully represented here; there is still a lot missing in the area of memory materials.

The laser, which he demonstrates by taking out an industrial one in his laboratory, can weld, and also coat

and deposit layers on a material, which is another of Professor Ramos’ areas of research.

He also works in the modeling of the mechanical behavior of the bone to design prosthesis, first for surgical trials, and eventually for actual bodies.

He has achieved four landmarks:

First, he set up a process laboratory for laser materials, the LATIL, funded via donations, to undertake research projects that form part of the institution’s budget. This is a unique center in Chile, and has been the source of approximately 10 ISI papers and about 20 studies, including reports, theses, and doctorate studies.

Second, the development of bone bio-models and their introduction into the market through DICTUC.

Third, creating a center of considerable interest to students. Around 15 master’s students have specialized here in the last 10 years, while another three are currently working on their PhDs in Switzerland, Holland and the United States.

Fourth, providing value-added to manufacturing in Chile. The professor visits companies and highlights the potential of 3D prototyping, furthering manufacturing with highly sophisticated object control.

Students are the driving force: in this field they find material with which to dream and play. And because they are intelligent, “if you motivate them, innovations emerge,” he says.

JORGE RAMOSASSOCIATE PROFESSOR



Master of Science in Engineering, University of Liverpool, United

Kingdom

Master of Science in Engineering, University of Texas at Austin,

United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin, United States


RANDOMIZATION AND OPEN DYNAMIC SYSTEMS TO UNDERSTAND NATURE

“Randomization has been my line of work since I was first trained as a mathematician,” says Rolando Rebolledo. “Randomization is not arbitrary or esoteric. Randomization tells us that in nature all the parts are connected, and any of these can act on all of the others. There is a deep unity in nature and that unity is demonstrated through two principles, interconnection and interaction.” To explain this, Dr. Rebolledo resorts to open systems. We usually a�empt to study phenomena as closed systems, isolated from their environment. An open system, however, considers all the elements that can influence it, even if they are not observed. “To understand an open system we need the principles of interdependence and interconnection, which are present in nature. These systems need to be described by mathematical theories that model randomization: Probabilities and Stochastic Analysis.”

Rebolledo’s works came to inaugurate a new branch of the Theory of Stochastic Processes. It incorporates the analysis of poor topologies of measurements through structural process properties (Central limit Theorems for martingales and semi-martingales).

He is also known for his work applying Stochastic Analysis to open systems in physics, especially Quantum Optics, furthering the Theory of Quantum Markovian Semigroups, and to biology and more recently, to Ecology.

He collaborated with Professor Rolando Chuaqui in the Foundation of the Universidad Católica School of Mathematics; he has chaired the Mathematical Society of Chile several times and directed the Commi�ee on Development and Exchange of the International Mathematical Union. His research has received two awards: the Presidential Chair in Science, and the Universidad Católica Award.

A champion of interdisciplinary work as inspiration for his mathematical research, he leads the Center for Stochastic Analysis and Applications (ANESTOC), is actively involved in the development of mathematics and engineering at the University, as well as in various projects that include the participation of engineers, biologists and physicists.

He explains part of his project in CIRIC (Center of Excellence formed by INRIA Chile) based on the numerical modeling of wind farms: “It doesn’t make sense to think of the energy obtained from a single isolated wind generator. It is an open (or complex) system, so you have to consider all possible wind variations depending on climate, altitude and topography of the terrain… An open system is composed of a part that we call principal, always interacting with everything around it, in constant motion.”

ROLANDO REBOLLEDOADJUNCT PROFESSOR

Mathematical Engineering Program


Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies, Université de Rouen, France

Doctorat d’Etat ès-Sciences Mathématiques, Université de

Paris VI, France


VISUALLY SIMPLIFYING THE NEVER-ENDING

“The most terrible thing is that you can formally demonstrate that there are some things that the computer cannot do. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s one of the most beautiful things in the theory of computing,” says Professor Reu�er.

He pursues visualization and analysis of information structured in graphs, in a network of connected nodes, such as a social network.

He doesn’t study information, databases, structured as banks do, in spreadsheets where the analysis is almost obvious. Graph databases for one, are huge, endless… and structurally “loose or slack,” which complicates things.

The Professor recently obtained his doctorate degree in Scotland, where he worked in the world of logical abstractions.

Contemporaneity incorporates so much data organized in graphs that it becomes increasingly imperative to analyze them. In medicine, the gene databases will give rise to gene therapy; in astronomy, the immensity of the collected information requires that it is represented graphically to generalize knowledge; in e-commerce, the analysis of market participants requires an increasingly finer analysis to truly optimize it; in botany, ethnography, history, philosophy, sociology...the list goes on.

Professor Reu�er wants to know how to analyze a graph, filtering information to see a smaller segment. He is

supported by Fondecyt, which provided the resources for an initiation project.

“We need to build bases, knowledge that allows us to fully understand what we want, what we have, what we need. The practical approach will come later,” he says. “If we start to tackle the issue on a practical level, without the bases, we will have a solution to a particular case, but we will not comprehend which elements are excluded from the final result or why.”

He seeks for ways to generate “views,” visual representations of graphic information. And he needs these to be universal, “to function regardless of what my database set is,” he says.

A knowledge and mastery of the bases are what define the outer limits. “Sometimes you say, ‘watch out, because if you really want to work with this, you will not be able to do it; take another route, look for another approach, put less or more constraints on the problem.’”

Like the graphs, the field he undertakes is immense. “There are thousands of aspects you have to solve, the data volumes are huge... but this is the future impact, to be able to navigate and extract all that information that is out there, just waiting for us,” he concludes.

JUAN REUTTERASSISTANT PROFESSOR




Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Edinburgh University, United Kingdom


KEEPING AN EYE ON FINANCE

Professor Tomás Reyes specializes in finance; however, his research is in one of the newer areas: its relationship to human behavior.

The different sophistication profiles of investors and how their levels of a�ention influence the financial markets are part of the professor’s study area. These studies have helped reveal if financial markets are affected differently by professional investors versus retail investors, i.e., non-professionals who invest their savings in stocks, for example.

Studies show that the level of a�ention of retail investors on stock may deviate its price from its fundamental value, which challenges traditional finance theory, which considers that price fluctuations are only generated based on existing information about future cash flows of an asset in the market. Under this premise, a news story in the media may have the ability to affect prices not only by virtue of the information it provides, but also by the level of a�ention it gets from some investors. On average, retail investors buy stock that appeals to them, positively influencing its price, regardless of the type of news that generated the increase in a�ention; therefore the asset price can climb even if the publicity is negative.

Supported by empirical studies, one of his papers tries to explain why the impact on price is higher a¡er negative news than positive news. One explanation is that, because of their human condition, people are simply predisposed to pay higher levels of a�ention to a negative stimulus than a positive one. This is the same phenomenon that explains why, when given a choice we always want to know the bad before the good news, and why newspapers and news reports focus more on negative stories.

In this paper, the question is whether or not retail investors hold a negative bias regarding market events that appeal to them, such as extreme stock returns. This is what motivates Professor Tomás Reyes.

One of the main tools he uses to measure the a�ention of retail investors is Google Trends, which identifies the most frequent user searches over a certain period of time and assesses how a�ention levels fluctuate.

Tomas Reyes is one of the few researchers dedicated to behavioral finance in Chile. It is a relatively new area, but already well-established and with important contributions, where there are still many questions that need answering.

TOMÁS REYESASSISTANT PROFESSOR




Chile

Master of Science in Business Administration, University of

California, Berkeley, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Finance, University of California, Berkeley,

United States


SPECTRA OF SEISMIC DESIGN AND SEISMIC RISK-THREAT

The seismic spectrum is a graphical representation of the effect of earthquakes on structures and civil works, representing the different response they suffer depending on their characteristics, specifically their dynamic properties in relation to their natural vibration frequency. Nathan M. Newmark and William J. Hall, from the University of Illinois, were the great leaders of the spectral formulation. Rafael Riddell identified the spectral formulation in the inelastic response range based on sophisticated models of structural behavior. His thesis remains a fundamental resource on the subject, and the conclusions of Newmark, Hall and Riddell now govern most of the existing design spectra in design standards in most countries around the world.

In Chile, the design spectra of the NCh433.Of1996-Mod2009 Standard, Seismic Design of Buildings, are consistent with studies by Riddell for Chilean accelerographic records spectra.

He plans to conduct further studies to include the effect of the February 2010 earthquake. However after 4 years, he is still awaiting the geotechnical classification of many accelerographic record stations for the earthquake, due to the economic constraints of soil surveys. “Such a classification is needed to link the spectral forms to groups of soils with different dynamic amplification characteristics,” says the scholar, who

worked with Newmark, his PhD thesis adviser at the University of Illinois.

Professor Riddell also researches seismic threat, i.e., he determines the ground accelerations that could affect different sites (geographic locations) during an earthquake. “It is basically a probabilistic ma�er, since the occurrence of earthquakes, especially the larger ones, is essentially uncertain. For example, we could define which event may occur with a 10% probability in a 50-year period, which is mathematically equivalent to a return period of 475 years,” he affirms.

Dr. Riddell points out that in addition to the threat, the risk itself can be assessed. “The risk is the economic assessment of the damage that an earthquake of a given magnitude can produce. This depends not only on the earthquake itself but clearly on both the materials and the structural design of a structure,” explains the professor. Dr. Riddell is co-author of a paper published in 2002 in the journal, Engineering Structures, Elsevier Science Ltd.: “An integrated model for earthquake risk assessment of buildings”, co-authors M. Alvarez, JC De la Llera, and T. Fischer. This paper received the honor of being awarded Best Paper of the Year by the magazine.

RAFAEL RIDDELL

PROFESSOR EMERITUSDepartment of Structural and




Doctor of Philosophy, University of Illinois, United States


DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

Forty years ago, telecommunications in general were all analog. Internet did not exist, there were no mobile phones, and long distance telephony was via satellite. “Today the situation is completely different,” says the Professor, Miguel Ríos.

“Progress in telecommunications over the past 20 years has been amazing. There have been technologies that have disappeared and others have conformed to expectations,” he points out.

When he undertook his graduate studies at the University of O�awa in Canada, Ríos worked on LAN protocols (Local Area Networks). He created a protocol that is currently not in use, but did provide a scientific contribution to the area of telecommunications.

During his career he has participated as head researcher or co-researcher on numerous projects, which have generated more than 60 national and international publications.

He is currently working with the National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (CIGIDEN). He works on an early warning system to detect earthquakes and then transmit that information to control centers like the National Emergency Office of the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security (Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública-ONEMI), the final aim of which is to

forewarn the population so that it is prepared before an earthquake takes place.

The professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering said that he initially thought he was going to have to design the system from scratch. However, there are some things that can be bought. His contribution will focus on the architecture of the whole system. This involves defining the sensors and how they connect with each other, which requires a direct communication system to ONEMI, plus so¡ware that receives the signals emi�ed by an earthquake.

“The main difference between the system I am proposing and the Japanese system is that theirs has an elevated cost. They use a different detection structure to the one I propose,” says Professor Ríos.

His idea is to position sensors that transmit coded information to Antofagasta, and from there disseminate the information. He explains that the research will need to define the architecture, and conduct modeling and simulations to ensure that the system works well. He confesses that the most critical issue is time. “If it takes you more than a minute, the earthquake has probably already occurred.”

“This research will not solve the problem, but it will help us make public policy recommendations and that will be extremely useful,” says the professor.

MIGUEL RÍOSASSOCIATE PROFESSOR



Master of Science, University of O�awa, Canada

Doctor of Philosophy, University of O�awa, Canada


A SECURE INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN THE SIC AND SING

In January 2014, the Chilean Senate approved the latest observations made to the project that allows the State to authorize the electrical interconnection between the Interconnected Central Grid (SIC in its Spanish acronym) and the Far-North Interconnected Grid (SING), in order to strengthen the country’s electric power matrix and meet its growing energy needs.

Sebastián Ríos pursues research that includes a technical analysis of the static and dynamic behavior of the Unified Power System upon the occurrence of critical disturbances that may occur anywhere in the electrical system and particularly in the future interconnected grid.

Ríos is specifically focused on the dynamics related to the operation status of the unified system when failures and disturbances occur. “There may be a breakdown anywhere in the electrical system, from Arica to Chiloé. My job is to study, analyze, and verify through mathematical models, controllers designs and computer simulation methods of the operation, so that when a disruption occurs, the unified system can quickly resume stable operation, with a good power oscillation damping level and implementation of the remaining established metrics,” states the academic.

“How do you get the Unified Power System to respond to disturbances with power oscillation damping?” the professor asks in his research. “This is done by incorporating modern technologies with FACTS (Flexible

AC Transmission Systems) equipment or elements such as SVC (Static Var Compensators) and/or TCSC (Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitors), which have Primary and Secondary Controls. These controls are responsible for damping power oscillations, which is the focus of our research, to design and coordinate these primary and secondary controllers,” he says.

Ríos is also clear and emphatic about the kind of interconnection required in the future unified electrical system.

“There must be a double circuit transmission line with an intermediate substation and Alternating Current technology between the SIC and SING electrical systems. It is the most suitable for the country, both technically and economically, as it allows, among other things, the integration of renewable energy at a minimal cost across the full length of a wide strip of the country, about 600 kilometers. It will also provide an inexpensive supply to future large industrial projects developed along this strip. Finally, the Alternating Current technological solution has an approximate total cost of USD690 million, a much lower value than the overall cost of technology solutions through a Direct Current transmission line,” concludes Ríos.

SEBASTIÁN RÍOS PROFESSOR



Master of Science, Heriot-Wa� University, United Kingdom



HARVESTING THE FUTURE

Professor Rivera knows that mist water can be captured and used to solve droughts.

“For engineers, this is almost virgin territory,” he says.

Universidad Católica Professor of Geography, Pilar Cereceda, asked him to join her effort with fog collectors. “Fog collectors” are mesh barriers installed at strategic locations to collect droplets of 10-20 microns and channel them through the force of gravity into a container or receptacle.

He was hesitant to accept the invitation, but he realized that without an understanding of the physical principles of the process, there would be no theory or modeling. He accepted.

Today the professor is an expert on the subject, and through his participation in the MISTI-MIT program, he has generated a virtuous process between Universidad Católica and the University of Cambridge.

The main objective is to reduce the cost per cubic meter of fog water. And MIT is not his only partnership; he met Chris Pedersen almost by chance, who patented a type of mesh two decades ago, created through pure intuition, which is highly efficiency in fog harvesting.

UC, MIT and Pedersen shared the primary goal.

The possible outcomes in a 50-year horizon, are water-supplied towns, forestation or reforestation of current desert lands; business opportunities through the sale of carbon credits; new recreational areas; and new

housing developments, say, alongside picturesque beachfronts that at present are uninhabitable. On an industrial scale, this could supply water for agriculture and mining. On an environmental scale, it could refill aquifers and capture carbon dioxide.

There is a lot to research, starting with the issue of net positioning and angling. Professor Rivera’s work with a master’s student has shown that the nets should not cross the wind at a perpendicular angle, as they work best at an acute angle.

In search of efficiency, they have already addressed the question of how dense the mesh should be, the “shading coefficient.” They have also explored the size of the filaments, as water is best collected by thinner meshes, as well as the hysteresis of the angle in which the drop wets the filament: if it is large, the drop doesn’t slide.

In visits to MIT, Rivera partnered with Professor Gary McKinley and analyzed the issue of the droplet; if it sticks too much to the mesh it covers the openings, blocking the air passage. And if the droplets don’t stick enough, the wind carries them away. Professor Rivera says, “they have already established formulas and graphs to determine how much to reduce the size of the filament so that the mesh doesn’t block up with water.”

Universidad Católica provides the theory for calculating the optimal “shading coefficient”; a complex process that can transform the future, similar to the incorporation of wind into electric power generation.

JUAN DE DIOS RIVERA





Doctor of Philosophy, Pennsylvania State University,

United States


DATA ISSUES

Cristian Riveros begins by clarifying that he is not concerned with semantics, the meaning of the data in each database. He is not concerned with the meat, but rather the skeleton.

“We study the action of extracting information from a data structure,” he says.

Today the complexity of society generates numerous databases. The owners of vehicles with electronic toll passes make up a highway database; newspaper subscribers, the newspaper’s client database; students and alumni of universities...and the list goes on.

Databases keep Professor Riveros busy, as well as millions of people who search current sources of information available today: Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, and others.

The databases that interest Professor Riveros are more complex. They respond to more structured languages than the flexibility of the questions supported by Google, for example.

A user o¡en grows frustrated when looking for very specific information on a database, because the response o¡en takes too long or does not answer the question. This is the process that has to be optimized.

The first question is what language to use. The next, in reference to the answer, is how to process the data to ensure a correct answer in the shortest possible time.

Logic, rhetoric and language structure have been studied since the time of ancient Greece. Professor Riveros joins in the analysis in an a�empt to develop standards that help clarify the queries.

He also studies the internal organization of the database. Where to locate data and how to organize it? How to index it? What algorithms to design that will act like robots to organize and search for data?

He works with highly abstract mathematical tools. He models the computer, the computing process, and where there is a procedure, he asks how to optimize it.

He opts for a model of an abstract machine, one that answers yes/no, like an automaton, or another model that is be�er able to undertake calculations and identify gray areas in the information.

He focuses on the finite automatons model, on ge�ing the most out of its properties, on identifying its weaknesses, its strengths, and eventually connecting language and database.

In the end, he hopes to generate solutions for the user, useful for whoever makes a search and gets a relevant and timely answer, even though the user may never know the backend work that went into this.

CRISTIÁN RIVEROS

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Computer

Science

Bachelor of Mathematics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de

Chile


Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford, United Kingdom


CONTRIBUTING TO PUBLIC DECISION MAKING

“Helping to improve public decision making” is partly what motivates Professor Luis Rizzi, who works on the valuation of the benefits associated with public health projects related to air quality and traffic safety. He is currently involved in a project commissioned by the Ministry of Environment, which aims at valuing reductions in the risk of mortality associated with air quality and/or traffic safety improvements.

The academic notes that one could naively say that the cause of a death is irrelevant. However, he says the opposite is also true. He argues that the way we face different risks of death is not the same. “The less control we have over a particular risk, the greater the sense of insecurity, which causes a change in behavior,” he explains.

Professor Rizzi notes that there is enough scientific evidence that indicates that one of the harmful effects of air pollution is cardiorespiratory mortality. “Life expectancy changes if a person lives in a polluted city, which is why private companies are required to invest

in air quality improvements. The question is up to what point is this cost justified,” he says.

The Institute of Sociology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile is also involved in this project, in addition to the School of Engineering and DICTUC. This institute will conduct the surveys and raise hypothetical alternative scenarios. A random sample will be taken in Santiago. “What we want to know is how much people are willing to pay to be exposed to be�er air quality or greater traffic safety,” says Professor Rizzi.

“Our contribution will be to generate the context in order to obtain the information needed for be�er decision making,” he says. This will also require processing epidemiological information and its impact on health, as well as data related to traffic accidents. He will apply statistical tools and make an econometric analysis.

“In terms of public decisions, our analysis will help determine how much should be invested in improving air quality and/or road safety,” says Rizzi.

LUIS RIZZI ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR


Bachelor of Economics, Universidad de Buenos Aires,

Argentina

Master of Arts, University of Leeds, United Kingdom



FROM DESIGN TO IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN ENERGY

Dr. Hugh Rudnick Van de Wyngard not only contributes through his technical vision as an electrical engineer, of master researcher in energy, but also through his political experience.

He has the necessary political, legal and social vision. Rudnick has been called to join national commissions studying the energy issue. He passionately follows new efforts in energy generation, transmission, distribution and use ... and efficiency issues. And he knows how much clout people’s reaction has on a proposed energy generation or distribution: “not in my back yard.”

He focuses his research on the development of electric power generation systems and electricity markets, considering aspects of planning, operation and regulation.

His main objective is to contribute to the development of sustainable power systems, considering different dimensions: technical, safety, economic, environmental.

Professor Rudnick has developed international research projects in electric energy, contributing technical and economic models, mathematical optimization algorithms, regulatory pricing methods, energy policy proposals and more. He has published over 300 articles in peer-reviewed magazines and participated in international technical conferences.

Perhaps what is most rewarding to professor Rudnick are his students. He has directed more than 80 graduate students in the field of energy, creating a permanent network for the exchange of experience and knowledge. His students have instituted the “Hugh Rudnick Award” granted periodically.

His research has contributed to the development of sustainable electrical systems, especially in the deregulation of the electricity sector, the organization of competitive markets, regulation and pricing of electricity transmission and distribution, and the definition of public policies in energy.

Professor Rudnick’s studies and contributions have brought support to businesses and governments in Latin America, North America and Europe, as well as the UNDP, UNCTAD, and the World Bank. His work has served as a reference for deregulatory processes in other parts of the world too.

Professor Rudnick felt compelled to dig deeper into these issues when he participated in the early stages of market deregulation, a pioneering development in Chile, bringing together the identification of industry needs that were not being met either locally or internationally.

And he continues in this field, as one of the most well-traveled researchers from the School of Engineering.

HUGH RUDNICKPROFESSOR EMERITUS



Master of Science, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Manchester, United

Kingdom


MICROALGAE FOR BIOFUEL PRODUCTION

In the Laboratory of Renewable Energy and Waste, Professor César Sáez performs research and development in the area of bioenergy, specifically focused on the production of biofuels such as biodiesel from microalgae and photocatalytic and biological hydrogen production.

He strongly pursues the possibility of having a sustained production of biofuels from microalgae in northern Chile, through the Algaefuels Biofuels Consortium, where he leads the engineering area, which is formed by several companies, and the Universidad Católica’s Faculty of Biological Sciences and School of Engineering.

Until now, microalgae cultures in Chile were oriented toward the nutraceutical market and their volume was very small. However, with this project, the goal is to produce biodiesel from microalgae culture oil extraction taking place in the north of the country.

His work focuses on production in the desert, particularly in Mejillones in the Antofagasta Region, a strategic site for the large-scale production of these photosynthetic microorganisms. The soil in this area has no agricultural value and has a high presence of carbon dioxide sources. Moreover, it is a flat land with seawater nearby, high solar radiation and limited cloud cover.

The professor proudly states that there are about 20 thousand hectares available for open cultivation (shallow pools) and explains that although the amount of fuel produced would be small compared to national consumption, what’s most important, “is that it would be introducing a significant carbon-neutral fraction to the fuel circuit in Chile, i.e., photosynthetic organisms are used for collection, fuel is produced and combusted in a virtuous circle, which is the direction society needs to take regarding fossil fuels.”

Professor Sáez and his team designed a process plant to efficiently drain algae from the aqueous environment in terms of energy and cost. This is already a great challenge overcome, considering that given the low concentrations of a few grams per liter, other drainage alternatives, for example evaporation of water or centrifugation, would involve high costs. His next challenge is to find the best way to extract oils for biofuel production.

In the future the professor wants to extend the use of microalgae to purposes other than biofuels. By applying the concept of biorefinery, he wants to utilize every last fraction of the organism, for animal or human nutrition, for example.

CÉSAR SÁEZASSOCIATE PROFESSOR


Bachelor of Engineering Science, major in Industrial Engineering,


Bachelor of Engineering Science, major in Chemical Engineering,




Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh, United

Kingdom


SEISMIC ZONING IN NORTHERN CHILE

Northern Chile is one of the possible sites for the country’s next major earthquake. A multidisciplinary team is developing a project in the area, led by the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering. Its goal is to develop seismic hazard and vulnerability maps, which will provide information in digital, qualitative and analog format to Google Earth. From the field of Seismic Micro-zoning, Professor Esteban Sáez works to assess the effect that an earthquake will have on land with different characteristics.

His focus is on the study of soils. He collects available information on these and supplements it with as many geophysical measurements as he can, which allow him to make a thorough characterization of the properties of the sites. He also performs large-scale computer analyses to develop possible site responses, based on the property of the materials.

Recently the academic of the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering acquired a computer that performs dynamic experiments from soil samples taken in the field. “We will feed the field description we currently have with geophysical and laboratory data in order to arrive at a realistic numerical modeling of the problem,” says the professor.

Focused on the cities of Arica and Iquique, located in Northern Chile, the research team is working on a web search platform, which will add new data as it is generated. For example, if the authorities are planning to build a hospital, they will be able to access this platform, which will indicate the movement characteristics of the site.

“This web platform will be a decision-making tool for both the authorities and the public as a whole,” says the professor. They will be able to tell if a building located in a given area is likely to move more than another located relatively close by. The idea is that the authorities can make good decisions regarding intervention or construction, based on the specific seismic risk of each site.

According to Professor Sáez although this research will not result in regulations, it will provide recommendations that may motivate the authorities to review seismic construction standards for Northern Chile, an area that has accumulated a vast amount of kinetic energy and where, according to experts, the next major seismic event in the country is likely to occur.

ESTEBAN SÁEZASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Civil Engineer and Master of Science, Universidad Técnica

Federico Santa María, Chile

Master of Science, École Nationale des Ponts-et-Chaussées, France

Doctor of Philosophy, École Centrale Paris, France


INCESSANT AGITATOR

Professor Ricardo San Martín builds an atmosphere around him for design thinking, which seems to spring from him like a steady beat and encourages his students along a similar path.

He debunks the expression, “if you cannot do it, just teach it.” He demonstrates how designs live their test of fire when they are commercially integrated into society. He has pursued the development of botanical extracts for worldwide use, having developed these extracts from native Chilean or locally grown plants.

“There’s no reason for Chile to export raw materials,” he says. The technology is available for local production. “I’ve always felt that as engineers we should contribute to building new technological companies in Chile.”

He and his students have developed several commercial products, as well as a production company mainly based on the soapbark tree. This is an endemic tree to Chile, the Quillaja saponaria, which provides the raw material for many services and applications.

For example, BASF distributes natural nematicide, based on soapbark, thanks to Professor San Martín’s enterprise. Likewise, Codelco, the Chilean State copper company,

along with other international mining companies, currently apply an acid mist generation mitigator, also derived from the soapbark tree, in electro-winning plants for this metal. Soapbark extract is also used as a vaccine adjuvant in both animals (BAYER - FMD) and humans (GSK – against malaria).

Professor San Martín does not rest, and to observe him reminds one of Nicola Tesla in his permanent quest for basic research applications. Of course he could just continue with what he has to date achieved: the ecologically sustainable use of a national resource such as soapbark; the se�ing up of a company that provides direct employment to 150 people and indirect employment to 200 others; exports totaling more than USD10 million per year. But it is not in his DNA to stop here.

In 2013 he placed his efforts as a visiting academic on opening up new directions at the University of California in Berkeley, and he now works for the Universidad Católica from that institution, establishing a bridge between its students and Silicon Valley, motivating all those who come within his sphere of influence.

RICARDO SAN MARTÍN





Doctor of Philosophy, Imperial College of Science and Technology,

United Kingdom


ASSESSING THE SEISMIC BEHAVIOR OF MASONRY CONSTRUCTIONS

Chile is one of the most seismically active countries and the world. The February 27, 2010 earthquake once again put the earthquake resistant design of Chilean buildings to the test. Buildings constructed with reinforced masonry in particular suffered damage, in some cases severe damage, prompting Professor Cristián Sandoval, a specialist in modeling modern conventional masonry structures and historic structures, to conduct a research project to evaluate the vulnerability of this structural typology.

Using an approach similar to his 2011 doctoral thesis research, he tested full scale masonry, which underwent cyclic lateral loading, and he then numerically reproduced these tests. The objective was to establish the influence of several parameters that determine the behavior of these walls, and then propose an alternative design formula to current national regulations.

The numerical tools used by the academic in the modeling of reinforced masonry structures, are applied to both modern and historic buildings, which

enabled him to evaluate the seismic performance of older buildings also built with masonry. As for repair and reinforcement, he says the principle of minimum intervention is what ma�ers. “The priority is that it is reversible.” The models generated should provide an assessment of different reinforcement strategies.

Masonry is a bri�le material that is virtually unable to resist any tensile stresses. The challenge is to control that tension, while complying with Chilean seismic design regulations. There is currently a lot of experimental information available, which can use digital tools to be extended through a kind of “numerical experimentation.”

“My goal is that by using a combination of experiments and numerical modeling, this research enables us to formulate an alternative design equation that considers all the variables that influence the design of reinforced masonry walls,” says Professor Sandoval.

CRISTIÁN SANDOVAL


Geotechnical Engineering Faculty of Architecture, Design

and Urban Studies

Civil Engineer, Universidad Austral de Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya, Spain


MULTIPLYING RESISTANCE

When we look at a picture of a mammal’s anatomy, we can see that that what holds it up is not only its skeleton; there are tendons and muscle ligatures that help to keep it upright.

This is how researcher Hernán Santa María approaches masonry walls. Could carbon fibers be used to reinforce or repair them?

Fibers became commonplace globally in civil engineering in the 1980s, but not in Chile, a seismic country, where more than 50% of homes consist of masonry, many in the poorest social sectors.

Repairing or rehabilitating housing is costly, and the industry welcomes research into the use of fibers in masonry to minimize costs.

Professor Santa María found that there was insufficient rigorous experimental research on shear strength in masonry walls. There was, however, research on reinforcing walls outside their plane, called emptying a wall, but not for forces acting inside the plane.

A swi¡ kick can break the shinbone. You can’t do much by “emptying” titanium plates or surrounding the leg with grids.

Professor Santa María turned to carbon fibers, the equivalent of tendons in the leg. He took clay brick walls and put them through loading and unloading cycles on their plane, measuring the results. Then he reinforced identical walls, adding fibers to their surface, assuming that this would increase their resistance and deformability capacity compared with the unreinforced walls. “We tried different fiber densities and different directions” ...diagonal and horizontal. The fibers fulfilled their role:

“They significantly increase the resistance, and you can even control how much you want to increase resistance... You can design!,” he says. It also increases the ability of lateral wall deformation, which helps redistribute force in a building in the event of damage.

But, post-disaster, what do you do with traditional masonry walls?

They used fiber to reinforce previously damaged walls, taking advantage of the newly acquired knowledge. “We noted that, even when there was significant damage, you can recover the strength of the wall and part of its rigidity.”

They were able to produce a damaged and repaired wall with the same ultimate strength as an undamaged wall that had been reinforced with the same amount of fiber.

These results and others have been used to define U.S. construction standards, he says proudly. But he still regrets that they are not being used in vulnerable buildings in Chile, such as social housing or cultural heritage buildings.

For example, fiber should be used on heritage structures, because it is non-invasive; you adhere it, it’s between 0.1 and 0.3 mm thick, then you cover it, with no impact.

Although the fibers are rather expensive, they offer a solution to protect structures through increased resistance. And they are there available for use in repair.

They are very light, they are applied quickly and they set within hours. “You can’t just compare the direct costs of the system, but all of the costs associated with a repair project,” he says, and he knows that this means breaking traditions.

HERNÁN SANTA MARÍA




Master of Science, University of Texas, Austin, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Texas, Austin, United States


PROACTIVENESS IN THE ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM

The 1980s reform which decentralized the chilean electric power system resolved many problems, but these were quickly replaced with the significant challenge of coordinating different agents responsible for power transmission, distribution and generation. This is what motivated the professor, in conjunction with a professor from Berkeley, to propose a previously unheard of concept called proactive power grid planning.

The professor says his research has shown that a “proactive planning of the transmission network can induce a customized installation of generators in places where they are most needed”. His study focuses on assessing the best way to expand the power grid, i.e., which lines should be built, considering all the energy that could be in the system: conventional, coal, oil, gas and renewables, such as solar, wind and geothermal energy.

“Although in percentage terms, savings on social costs may not be much, but this percentage on the electric power system means savings of several billion dollars. By being proactive, we can be more efficient in terms of a greater social benefit and we can also pursue additional

objectives, for example, encourage renewable energy, through a network planning that promotes renewable generators to be installed in locations where they are most needed. As we develop more sophisticated models that represent the interactions between different agents, we become more confident that what we say is correct in terms of actual setup costs for this renewable energy goal or another.”

The professor’s proposed system is already being discussed at the State level in the United States, and has been implemented in some areas of Canada. In Chile more discussion is needed.

Enzo Sauma applies the design of mechanisms and game theory in analyzing electricity markets. On the one hand, he is concerned with analyzing the structure of the market, an economic analysis of the consequences of different public policies, and on the other, he focuses on the modeling of different planning or operation processes for electrical systems, which require coordination with various actors and the regulatory entity that dictates public policy.

ENZO SAUMAASSOCIATE PROFESSOR




Chile

Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations


Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering and Operations



AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR THE WORK OF ORGANIZATIONS

Each day the amount of stored data is multiplied, which implies significant challenges to store and analyze such information for any type of organization. To facilitate this, Professor Marcos Sepúlveda, a specialist in the area of Process Mining, works to develop tools to help discover and improve their performance.

He develops tools able to discover more effectively the reality of an organization’s processes, to see whether they run the way they should. “This helps determine who is making mistakes, in order to correct them, but it can also detect if someone has taken an interesting approach to a given process, so this can later be replicated to the rest of the organization.”

Professor Sepúlveda explains that they analyze temporary performance. How long does the process take? What are the different ways to run the process? Algorithms are used that run on a so¡ware package. The input from this so¡ware is recorded as events and stores information such as what the activities are, who runs them and when they are carried out. This information is used to create diagrams describing the process.

Professor Sepúlveda works with graduate students from the School of Engineering to develop techniques that

work with a larger amount of information than previously possible, leading to enhanced performance. He says that one of the most interesting things he has done recently is the prediction of remaining time. He developed an algorithm with a student to estimate the time remaining to complete an on-going process.

“We developed new software that extracts more complete information than other algorithms, which have improved the existing techniques,” says Sepúlveda.

Professor Sepulveda worked with another master’s student to expand the concept to estimate remaining costs. How much do I need to spend to complete the process? Is it worth it compared to the profit generated? He stresses that the work they have done with these students has been quite forward-thinking and innovative. “It opens an unexplored line of research within the area of Process Mining,” he says.

“Using the tools of Process Mining we can help increase organizational productivity and efficiency,” concludes Professor Sepúlveda.

MARCOS SEPÚLVEDA

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Computer

Science





A KNOWLEDGE-BASED APPROACH TO SUPPORT RISK MANAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Professor Serpell works with a team of researchers and graduate students in direct contact with the construction industry. “Almost everything we have done in research, to a greater or lesser extent, has been transferred to the industry or at least to one of the companies we have worked with,” he states proudly.

His desire is to help improve the sector’s performance. He is currently leading a FONDECYT project that addresses the questions: To what extent is risk management applied to construction projects in Chile? How can it be improved? What contributions can knowledge management make in this regard? Various questions have already been addressed in recent years, such as: Which useful knowledge management application can be used? How can we innovate in the industry? How can we develop innovation management?

For Alfredo Serpell, risk management presents major challenges. “We study how to help companies improve risk management so that they can properly address situations of uncertainty and risk that occur in projects and are o¡en not anticipated, resulting in very negative consequences,” explains the professor. A risk analysis and identification, coupled with the development of appropriate responses, will help minimize or manage risks be�er. Serpell warns that poor risk management also affects the customer-contractor relationship, creating conflicts and economic loss for both the customer and the contractor. In Chile, there is still

li�le knowledge on this subject and in many cases the risks are ignored.

Serpell is also looking for new knowledge management approaches and applications in construction. He says that “knowledge that is generated for each project should be made available to the rest of the organization.” From the vantage point of risk management, this point becomes stronger. “If all experience and lessons learned are documented for use in future projects, a company can use this to do things be�er the next time or at least not make the same mistake again,” he explains.

Innovation also plays a role in this field. Serpell’s experience confirms it. “Incorporating technology and new ways of doing things improves the performance of companies in all areas, resulting in be�er projects and be�er companies.” He developed a tool to measure the degree of maturity of innovation management within a group of construction companies, in order to see if they were doing something about it and how they were approaching it, i.e., if the degree of organizational maturity in this area was enough and if there was room for improvement.

“We must be alert to opportunities that both hard and so¡ technology can provide for project management. We want to further innovation and make it more effective and enhance its impact for the development and benefit of the company and its projects,” he concludes.

ALFREDO SERPELL




Master of Science, University of Texas, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Texas, United States


TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE CITY

As cities continue to grow, concrete has become the most requested building material worldwide.

The figures speak for themselves: according to the most conservative estimates, global demand for concrete now exceeds 35 billion tons per annum, concentrated mainly in cities located in developed and developing nations. Consequently, the production of cement and concrete, and demolition waste, have a significant impact on the environment.

Chilean cities are no exception. “There are many illegal construction waste dumps, where concrete is one of the most substantial and significant materials,” points out Professor Ricardo Serpell. One of the academic’s main areas of research is the development of methods for recycling and the sustainable production of cement and concrete.

Serpell has explored alternatives for the recycling of waste concrete based on different types of processes. More recently, his research has focused on the production of cementitious materials recycled via the thermal treatment of waste. During the process, “cement dehydrates and forms new reactive compounds,” indicates the researcher.

His research is focused on studying the parameters that affect the quality of recycled material, such as

the composition of the original concrete. “Results so far have been quite encouraging and we now have to identify a feasible scenario for this method from an environmental and economic point of view,” he says.

According to Serpell’s estimates, recycling through the use of heat is the most cost-effective option given that much higher temperatures are needed to manufacture conventional cements compared to the recycling process. He has already considered possible applications of his research. “Companies could have a mobile plant that reactivates material for reuse at the same construction site.” Projects that produce large amounts of waste concrete would benefit from recycling and reusing these materials, as this would substantially reduce their impact on the environment.

The recycling of construction waste is closely linked to another area of the professor’s research. He has been working on the restoration of heritage structures with Cristián Sandoval, another academic at the School of Engineering. Serpell is fully commi�ed to assessing the uses of existing materials and the development of compatible materials for their restoration. “Today the city is our environment and the good preservation of its infrastructure and buildings is critical to our quality of life,” he concludes.

RICARDO SERPELL



Architect, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Master’s and Doctorate in Engineering Sciences, Pontificia



INTELLIGENT ROBOTS

In recent years, the creation of machines that try to mimic human behavior has become increasingly more common. Considered one of the pioneers in the development of social robotics in our country, Professor Álvaro Soto has focused his research on the development of machine learning and cognitive robotics, namely, giving computers the capacity to learn from their experience. Just as we acquire new skills through experimentation with the world, the idea is that a robot may also acquire and develop new knowledge through machine-learning techniques.

In 2001, a¡er obtaining his doctorate degree, Professor Soto began to develop initiatives in Chile focused on the autonomous navigation of robots. How can you get a robot to build a map of the environment and navigate it without the need for someone to lead it? That was one of the first challenges that the professor considered. Motivated by this challenge, he developed algorithms for the construction of environmental maps, and obstacle detection and avoidance, and made autonomous navigation designs. And the goal was achieved: a computer-operated machine was able to act autonomously in indoor environments such as an office building.

Professor Soto recalls that he was aware of the limitations the robot still had; its representation of the environment in particular was still too primitive. For the robot, doors, furniture or corridors were only free

or occupied spaces to navigate. “We had to improve the representation of the environment and increase the robot’s semantic understanding, so I started working on the area of visual perception. Humans use vision to distinguish objects, people, actions, or scenarios, so we wanted to give the robot the ability to semantically understand its environment.”

Professor Soto’s research today is focused on providing a mobile robot with visual perception modules. This means that “the robot can understand its environment, know that what is before him is a door, not simply an obstacle, and the robot can potentially open that door and move on.” he explains. “The idea is to generate higher-level tasks, with greater semantics so that the robot can visit a person or search for a book, for example.” He has also collaborated with the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the Massachuse�s Institute of Technology (MIT) in this area.

“I want to make a significant contribution to the technological development of Chile, both through the creation of intelligent machines, and in training new generations who are interested in the development of this area in Chile,” says Professor Soto. “If we can provide a robot with suitable systems of perception, this will be the beginning of a new technological revolution, opening a wide range of applications that will significantly change our daily lives.”

ÁLVARO SOTOASSOCIATE PROFESSOR



Master of Science, Louisiana State University, United States



RENEWABLE ENERGIES AND INNOVATIVE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS THAT BENEFIT WATER RESOURCES

Due to the high availability of solar energy, the low availability of fresh water in the northern regions of Chile and the social role of water for both human life and environmental conservation, Professor Francisco Suárez focuses his research on this field. A specialist in distributed temperature sensing systems to quantify water resources, one of his motivations is to maximize water availability for society.

During his doctorate studies, he studied the use of salt-gradient solar ponds to collect and store solar energy, to desalinate water and to reduce the salinity of terminal lakes. His research was focused on the use of computer fluid dynamic models to represent double heat and salt diffusion phenomena in solar ponds, and on experimental evaluation of a thermal desalination pilot system linked to these ponds. Based on the data collected, he has found that by reducing evaporation in the solar pond, the stored energy can be increased by approximately 20%, which is associated with an increased production of fresh water.

By using innovative f iber-optic distributed temperature sensing systems and monitoring the thermal performance of solar ponds, he observes how water moves within the environment, which enables

quantification of water resources in natural systems. “With this technology we can see movement distributed over time and space, at a spatial scale of the order of centimeters for distances up to 5 km or more. This allows us to study interactions between surface water and groundwater, hydrogeological processes, explore geothermal resources, analyze eco-hydrology issues, engineering and many other disciplines,” explains professor Suárez, who has driven the development of this technology in Chile.

His research focuses on hydrological processes, addressing issues of evaporation in both solar ponds and arid soils. He looks at arid soils in order to quantify the natural availability of water resources in areas where the only water source comes from underground reservoirs. His goal is to be able to generate fresh water in arid areas, where there are only saline waters. “The idea is to generate greater availability of water for society as a whole, but primarily benefiting small towns in Northern Chile. This can be achieved in two ways: developing engineering systems that allow us to create new sources of fresh water, and understanding the hydrological balance in its natural state,” underlines.

FRANCISCO SUÁREZ



Hydraulics Civil Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de

Chile


Doctor of Philosophy, University of Nevada, United States


INTEGRATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO STUDY BRAIN ACTIVITY

“In Chile there is no equipment capable of simulta-neously measuring the electrical and hemodynamic activity of the brain,” says Professor Cristián Tejos, in reference to a new technology he has acquired, which will perform functional imaging through magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at the same time as an elec-troencephalograph (EEG). These two techniques allow us to observe brain activity and identify which areas of the brain are activated when performing certain tasks or when exposed to certain stimuli.

Through EEG we can measure the electrical activity of the brain and determine fairly accurately when it produced brain activation, whereas we use the fMRI to measure hemodynamic brain activity and thus know precisely where this activation occurred. “The focus of this project is to bring the two worlds of functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography together, to create a brain activation map that can locate things in precise time and space,” explains the professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Center for Biomedical Imaging.

The standard EEG and fMRI equipment are not compatible, so he is in the process of integrating hardware and so¡ware needed for his research. His challenge is to use this equipment to combine EEG and fMRI in a single tool. “This would enable us to obtain a map of brain activity that is able to accurately measure where and when each activation occurs.”

He also uses these tools with researchers from the Universidad Católica’s Neuroscience Center to develop Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI). The idea is for people

to develop the capacity to learn to control their brain activity when they cannot do it naturally. “Our focus is on developing knowledge and understanding how a brain works, what things are important and what is happening.”

“Think of a person who had an accident and lost his motor function,” he says. Through this technology this person can train his brain to think that it is moving his foot, hands or arms. “This task is carried out mentally and can be measured and employed to control devices that can perform these functions for us or develop therapeutic tools.”

One of these tools can be used for certain psychiatric disorders. In therapeutic terms we want to control certain emotions that might lead to depression or other pathology; in a sense “train ourselves to develop a cure for certain diseases.”

He will have to solve a lot of scientific, mathematical and technological problems. He explains that the complete system cannot be purchased, so they must join so¡ware with hardware from different manufacturers and companies. The key is that “we have to make these tools talk to each other.”

“This is not one piece of equipment; it’s a whole system that involves a magnetic resonator and the addition of multiple hardware and so¡ware devices. It’s quite a development and it will provide be�er quality brain activation maps, which will impact the development of knowledge and improve the quality of life of humans.”

CRISTIÁN TEJOS ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR


Industrial Civil Engineer, major in Electricity, Pontificia Universidad

Católica de Chile


Chile

Master of Science, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge,

United Kingdom


PERFECTING THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE

About 35 years ago, Guillermo Thenoux set out to contribute to improving road infrastructure. He studied in England and the United States and has visited universities and research centers in Europe, Australia and South Africa, in order to bring to Chile new knowledge, while also developing some of his own. He formed the Center for Engineering and Road Research (Centro de Ingeniería e Investigación Vial-CIIV) and got his undergraduate and graduate students involved in order to connect academia with practice and develop essentially applied research.

Among his contributions, Guillermo Thenoux and his team pursued research and transfer of innovative pavement recycling techniques, gaining international recognition for recycling both concrete pavements and asphalt. Their slogan: “We reuse the same roads and improve them.”

His work has been the subject of coursework and government and private consulting contracts throughout Latin America. With his ears to the ground and constant travels within Latin America, he detected that roads with low transit, or the “roads of the poor,” didn’t get the engineering a�ention they needed. Since this discovery, he has commi�ed to developing special

engineering for these routes, which account for “80% of road infrastructure in Latin America” and launched a project for the Chilean government’s Ministry of Public Works.

Through his extensive research in the field of roads and pavements, he a�racted students to the graduate program from all over Latin America. Working with students has allowed him to develop very specific research topics, such as: reduction of aging of asphalt pavements through the use of grape skins and seeds; recycling of concrete pavement through resonant micro-crushing; measuring dust emitted directly from the vehicle wheel; on-site asphalt recycling with foaming technique; development of high-strength ultra-lightweight concrete; development of articulated asphalt pavements that don’t suffer from fatigue; and use of Magnesium Chloride for complete dust emission control, etc.

Guillermo Thenoux has earned several awards for the quality of his teaching and his publications. He currently places the greater part of his energy into the topic he’s been most concerned about in recent years; improving the engineering and quality of pavement projects.

GUILLERMO THENOUX




Master of Science, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

Doctor of Philosophy, Oregon State University, United States


ORE ECONOMY: THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPETITIVENESS IN A COPPER-PRODUCING COUNTRY

Copper is Chile’s main export and primary national source of revenue. Its importance in the domestic market is undeniable.

John Tilton, has worked for years in the study of ore economics, i.e., understanding the market for copper, steel and other minerals, metals and commodities. “I’m interested in economics and public policy associated with mining and metal production,” says the professor, who has been studying the economy of copper in Chile for more than ten years.

Recently retired from the Colorado School of Mines, Tilton has published several papers and articles throughout his career. One of his last papers was published in “Economic issues in mining”, edited by Professor Gustavo Lagos of the University’s Department of Mining Engineering, and contained eight articles wri�en by experts from different fields. Tilton participated in “Ore Economics: Overview of a discipline,” with Richard Gordon of Pennsylvania State University, to provide a review of the discipline since 1945, and in the article “Investor demand and spot commodity prices” where David Humphreys and Marian Radetzki analyze the effect of investors on the international ore market.

Professor Tilton is currently in the process of writing a book with Juan Ignacio Guzmán, Adjunct Assistant Professor of School of Engineering, where he reviews

the principles of ore economics applied to the domestic market.

The book is divided into three parts and presents an analysis of the application of basic economic principles such as supply and demand in metals and commodities markets. It also compares the relationship between the mineral wealth of a country and its economic development. Another topic researched by Tilton is how the government should promote the competitiveness of the mining industry and whether taxes for mining companies should be higher than regular taxes, among other topics.

One of Professor Tilton’s favorite topics of discussion is the cost of copper production.

“When people say that Chile has only 70 years of copper reserves, they are measuring the availability of ore reserves in already discovered deposits, which are easy to extract with today’s technology. But in the coming years, we will find more deposits and develop new technology that will allow us to commercially extract poor quality copper deposits,” he says emphatically. “In 70 years, the question will be: What happened to the cost of producing copper in Chile? And from a local point of view, what really ma�ers is how competitive we will be compared to Australia, Mongolia and Peru,” he concludes.

JOHN TILTONADJUNCT PROFESSOR


Bachelor of Arts, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International

Affairs, Princeton, United States

Master of Arts, Economics, Yale University, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Economics, Yale University, United States


ROBOTICS IN MINING AND AGRICULTURE

Like the rest of the world, Chile is moving from open-pit mining to massive underground mining. It is estimated that by 2035, underground mining will prevail worldwide. An example is the world famous largest open-pit copper mine, Chuquicamata, which will convert entirely to underground operations in 2019. Professor Miguel Torres notes that the surface deposits are being depleted and massive surface excavations are becoming increasingly less profitable. Building tunnels to enable a more efficient extraction with less environmental impact is gaining strength. Here lies one of the great challenges of his research: to create automated machines that can operate and navigate in tunnels.

“Robotics makes sense for highly repetitive, tedious and dangerous tasks,” says Professor Torres, referring to one of his main areas of research. When pursuing his undergraduate studies at the School of Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, he began participating in projects in this area that seemed very interesting to him and showed a significant growth potential. “That’s how I found my way into robotics and automation,” he says.

Since 2011, the academic of the Department of Electrical Engineering has worked on automatically controlling robotic arms mounted on mobile platforms. This initiative has direct applications in mining and agriculture.

Tunnels run the risk of cave-ins, so companies have begun to invest in automating the ore extraction with robotic machines. Professor Torres has recently focused on the development of physically accurate simulators that provide reliable numbers on the behavior of mobile robotic manipulators, in order to enhance their design and control.

“How much force do I need to pick up a rock and what is the best way to take hold of it?” poses Torres. He explains that this variable affects the design of more efficient remote-operated or autonomous machines, considering the interaction of the robot with the field, which is essential for a physically realistic simulation of this interaction.

The professor has developed simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms and the automation of an industrial excavator. “The machine builds its own map, but to do this it must know where it is located,” he says. The development of this technology in mining could reduce the risk of accidents and health hazards for people, and in the case of agriculture, it will also help improve productivity,” says the academic. He adds that “not only does this project have an important component of cu�ing edge research, but it also has an important role in proving to the industry that this technology can be Made in Chile.”

MIGUEL TORRESASSOCIATE PROFESSOR




Doctor of Philosophy, Mc Gill University, Canada


FILM IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

She does not like to work alone, she likes to collaborate.

Her personality makes it easy for her to establish professional relationships, with both professors and students. She explicitly says that in chemical and bioprocess engineering, teaching is her passion.

She is a fan of undergraduate research, “they have two years to make mistakes, because it doesn’t count yet.” So, when starting the thesis, “all of that initial energy is already invested.”

For her, the hardest part is starting. More than the persistence required in the laboratory, where you keep perfecting the processes, accepting failures. Starting involves assembling a team of collaborators, defining the problem, making the experimental plan, developing protocols, choosing the so¡ware. A lot of people grow frustrated and abandon the projects.

She pursues three distinct research areas, where the common thread is polymeric materials.

One project is the use of polymers in edible food coatings. She wants to improve product quality, increase shelf life and enhance their properties.

The second, of a biomedical nature, uses polymers to achieve a final goal: tissue regeneration. This is achieved naturally, it’s true, but the professor wants to support

it by using polymers and cell therapies, when natural regeneration is insufficient.

The third project is more theoretical: the professor and her team use molecular modeling tools to understand the relationship between different molecules. She started with polymers, but she moved on to smaller molecules. It’s about active compounds and their relationship with the solvent extracted. This information is used to be�er understand processes of solubility and extraction of these compounds.

Efforts in the biomedical project have been focused on teambuilding, multidisciplinary work. The team is now in place, the students are hard at work, building fabrication and characterization methods. They explore a process that uses voltages of up to 3000 volts to obtain polymer fibers in a controlled environment.

She works with Professor José Manuel del Valle in modeling; she extracts compounds in supercritical CO2.

But the closest she has come to application is in the food project funded by the Copec-Universidad Católica Foundation. She works with professors José Cuevas and Ricardo Pérez, looking for edible films based on natural ingredients. They wish to extend the shelf life of salmon by applying these films. “We are very close to proving it can be done,” she says.

LORETO VALENZUELAASSISTANT PROFESSOR




Chile

Doctor of Philosophy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,

United States


DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY FOR LARGE TELESCOPES

Chile is a country with enormous potential in astronomy. Interested in contributing to the development of this discipline, Professor Leonardo Vanzi works in the area of astronomical instrumentation. He says the country has always been host to telescopes, but has had no active participation in the construction and development of the technologies involved.

The professor works on the construction of instruments for astronomical observations. Among other projects, he is researching a precision instrument for large international telescopes. The instrument is a multi-object spectrograph for the VLT telescope at Cerro Paranal, part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which will allow simultaneous observation of a large number of stars and galaxies and will also obtain their light spectrum.

The instrument, known by the acronym MOONS, will be built by an international consortium, which includes the active participation of the astronomical instrumentation group from the Astro-engineering Center at Universidad Católica (AIUC), led by Professor Vanzi. Its mission is twofold: develop a system to accurately position a set of optical fibers in the telescope focus and develop the control so¡ware for the instrument.

The instrument involves many parts and typically is not developed by a single group. The consortium consists of ten institutions with over a hundred people involved. Currently Professor Vanzi, in collaboration with Professor Miguel Torres, is developing system

prototypes. They will travel to England in 2014 to integrate it with the other part of the equipment and test it as a whole. The instrument should start its construction phase in 2015 and it should be operational by around 2020.

The professor says that his work addresses a need in the astronomical community to perform certain types of observations. Their ultimate goal is to respond to scientific inquiries about the origin of the Universe.

Parallel to this, Professor Vanzi is also building a smaller spectrograph in both size and scope, compared to the MOONS, for a telescope in Northern Chile. “It’s one hundred percent Made in Chile,” he highlights.

“We worked for the past two years developing the idea and the design. We handled everything, from the mechanical design, optical design, manufacturing of components, and assembly of components in the lab.”

“At AIUC we are aware that astronomy is a niche. Our aspiration is not to change the face of the country, but we do believe we can make a significant contribution to help Chile move away from an economy based exclusively on basic natural resources to an economy that includes technology Made in Chile.” We are developing this tool within an area where Chile has a huge competitive advantage, which is why we have a strong commitment to the public and private sectors interested in research and innovation.

LEONARDO VANZI

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORDepartment of Electrical

Engineering

Bachelor in Physics, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy

Doctor of Philosophy, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy


WASTE: THE ENERGY OF THE FUTURE

In nature, microorganisms are the main catalysts for the chemical reactions of transformation and mobility of contaminants. The study of microorganisms in the environment and their use in the development of energetically-sustainable treatment systems is one of the motivations of Ignacio Vargas, expert in environmental biotechnology.

The extreme natural habitats of Northern Chile (i.e., high temperature, salinity, high concentrations of heavy metals) present an excellent opportunity to understand the biological processes that control the mobility of contaminants and to find microorganisms with new and special abilities. This line of research is particularly interesting for the study of microorganisms capable of withstanding these extreme environments and the exploration of strategies to use these capabilities in engineering systems to develop innovative treatment systems and sustainable cities.

Reliance on fossil fuels is not sustainable over time and it is time to explore new energy sources. The Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a new opportunity to generate clean

energy, using the metabolic activity of bacteria capable of transferring electrons outside of the cell. This type of technology can be used to develop wastewater treatment systems, bioremediation of sediments and more energy-efficient desalination processes. Ignacio Vargas’ MFC research group is currently developing various initiatives to improve knowledge in this field and find solutions to the country’s needs.

The development of such systems could generate a tremendous impact on low-income communities and remote locations of the country, where there’s no electricity or treatment systems. “If you have a self-sufficient waste treatment system that works by taking the energy from itself, without adding external power, it would be a tremendous step forward in terms of savings for the energy matrix and access to sanitary technologies.” Ignacio Vargas, further projecting the impact of these studies, speaks of cities, and how the integration of constructed natural systems, such as green roofs, wetlands or flood parks could operate as treatment systems and energy sources.

IGNACIO VARGAS



Environmental Civil Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de

Chile


Chile

Post-doctorate Fellow, Pennsylvania State University,

United States


WITH MATHEMATICAL GRACE

“If you are a researcher, you have to know how to communicate what you research,” says Professor Vera. “That is intrinsic to a university; otherwise, we would just be a research center.”

His students comment on his passion for teaching. He gets excited with mathematics. “I’m a civil engineer, mathematician,” he says when introducing himself. “Mathematics has that grace, since it is, in some way, the top layer of knowledge. Those who understand it well can make a difference. The same concept used in one field can also be used in another.”

He chose operational research, where he applies and develops theory, “very important, absolutely necessary for what you’re doing, but it cannot just be about theory, the basic premise is that it helps to solve problems.”

In one brushstroke, he exemplif ies: operations planning, investment decisions, products delivery, the organization of hospitals.

He develops increasingly complex optimization models. He studies the impact of noise and generates sensitivity analyses. He wants robust computable models, whose solutions do not change significantly when there are variations.

And the demands are increasing: previously a company needed control, for example, of the truck fleet day-by-day; today it’s minute by minute.

And what if the system conditions change?

“Of course you can develop it computationally, but I also want to know more fundamental things. This leads me to study characteristics of the problems, even those that are connected with the geometry of events in multidimensional spaces where these issues are analyzed.”

Reality gets complicated. He approaches planning where details are met on different time horizons. Plans o¡en fail because there is no room for flexibility or uncertainty.

He speaks of stochastic optimization, of convex optimization; of new projects where he applies algorithms that he knows well: he works on images in collaboration with Professor Pablo Irarrázaval, and on hospital optimization with Professor Juan Carlos Ferrer.

He has focused on optimizing, he says, because that’s what interests him and it has a very important practical relevance. It also allows the development and management of “very interesting and quite sophisticated” conceptual, theoretical and algorithmic issues.

“Some of us who work on these issues have developed responses from applied research, but we have also generated results in terms of mathematics, which is great, because you generate knowledge on both sides: practical and conceptual knowledge, which interests me as a vocation and as a researcher”.

JORGE VERAPROFESSOR


Civil Engineer Mathematician, Universidad de Chile

Master of Science, Cornell University, United States



ENGINEER AT THE SERVICE OF THE DESIGN OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

What excites Professor Vera is the design of sustainable buildings. He has focused his research in this field on building envelopes and their impact on indoor environmental quality (thermal, visual, acoustic comfort). Professor Vera takes part in R+D+i projects whose main objective is to experimentally evaluate the performance of two types of building envelopes, complex fenestration systems and plant cover. In addition to the experimental work, he collaborates with other researchers and students to conduct modeling for transfer of heat, humidity and air of these envelope systems. He also directed existing building monitoring efforts to assess how its envelope behaves and its impact on the quality of the indoor environment.

With the increasing use of plant cover in Chile, new challenges arise that the professor takes as his own. The design and technology of plant walls and ceilings in use come from rainy, wet and/or cold weather, in contrast to the arid and semi-arid climate of Central Chile. “These covers require an architectural and engineering design that allows them to perform adequately in a climate with low rainfall, high temperatures and solar radiation,” explains Professor Vera. To meet this challenge, he built the Laboratory of Plant Buildings Infrastructure (Laboratorio de Infraestructura Vegetal de Edificios-LIVE), the first R+D+i laboratory of its kind in Latin America.

LIVE currently researches 18 full-scale specimens of green roofs and two specimens of plant walls.

This is a multidisciplinary innovation project, involving the participation of professors from the School of Architecture and the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, along with undergraduate and graduate students from the University. The main concern is to have plant cover solutions of known performance and benefit the city and its buildings. At an urban scale, plant cover helps reduce the “heat island” effect, encourages biodiversity, mitigates noise and air pollution, and reduces water runoff that can cause flooding.

We are currently researching the thermal, biophysical and hydraulic performance of green walls and plant covers. The next challenge, according to Professor Vera, is to research the extent to which these plant covers can reduce air pollution and noise pollution. This could help solve these serious problems present in several cities in Chile.

Vera is a Research Professor of the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable-CEDEUS) of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and co-founder of the Integral Engineering Unit in Sustainable Construction (Ingeniería Integral en Construcción Sustentable- IICoS) at DICTUC.

SERGIO VERAASSISTANT PROFESSOR




Doctor of Philosophy in Building Engineering, Concordia University,

Canada


ANTICIPATING ENERGY

Professor Vergara is at the pulse of changes in nuclear energy, which he says, is the basis of other forms of energy. He is a�entive to technology and its developments, as well as its complexities in the face of public perception and political views that affect decision making.

Despite the Fukushima accident in Japan, and also as a result thereof, the technology continues to evolve. “You have to know it, and size its industrial capacity,” says Professor Vergara. Japan shut down its reactions and some countries have followed suit, thereby increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Sooner or later, it will have to be replaced.

Professor Vergara’s students and the master’s program he directs serve as a channel for his constant a�ention to the issue.

He knows that current nuclear reactors and their technology seem increasingly obsolete. He doesn’t see the industry moving towards a technological change, but “you can reverse the scale”: reducing the size lowers the investment risk and further enhances safety, which, despite the negative press, actually has the lowest mortality and morbidity rates.

The investment is increasing –exaggerated at time due to regulatory issues– and the economic feasibility of projects thus suffers. The investor must assess the likelihood that the completed project will not receive an operating license because of social pressures.

With smaller, less expensive nuclear reactors, the risk is manageable, because “a large reactor that cannot be licensed for reasons beyond the company’s control can lead to bankruptcy.”

He stresses that its conversion is clean and production costs low, contrary to fossil fuels and firewood, which emit greenhouse gases. He does not see shale gas in the long run, because its production is complicated. It needs to be fragmented and requires lots of water, which becomes contaminated and emits carbon.

He believes it is necessary to invest in renewable energy, especially hydropower, but it’s main defect, the natural intermi�ency, has not yet been overcome.

He is convinced by the progress that distinguishes the new reactors from the old ones. Most units today are second generation, while fi¡h generation concepts are currently under development, bordering the elusive and a�ractive nuclear fusion that emulates the processes of the sun.

JULIO VERGARAADJUNCT ASSOCIATE

PROFESSORDepartment of Mechanical

Engineering and Metallurgy

Bachelor of Naval Science, Academia Politécnica Naval, Chile

Naval Mechanical Engineer, Academia Politécnica Naval, Chile

Master in Business Administration, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile

Master of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine

Engineering, Massachuse�s Institute of Technology, United States

Master of Science in Materials Engineering, Massachuse�s Institute


Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering, Massachuse�s Institute


Doctor of Philosophy in Nuclear Materials Engineering, Massachuse�s

Institute of Technology, United States


MATHEMATICAL MODELS AND ALGORITHMS APPLIED TO THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

The methodological development for problem solving is one of the main interests of academic José Verschae.

Verschae, who received his doctorate from the Department of Mathematics at the Technical University of Berlin, is passionate about his discipline. His area of research is the analysis of algorithms for combinatorial optimization problems.

Professor Verschae has studied mathematical models and algorithms with applications for the technology sector, particularly for companies that need to store large amounts of data.

“As computer firms start to grow, storing large amounts of data in ways that allow quick access along with safeguards in terms of preventing breakdowns in individual storage units becomes an increasingly challenging issue,” he says. “One way to maintain such a system at low cost is to use different sized storage units organized via a large number of servers. The heterogeneity of the storage units can mean that different servers have different capacities. Hence, the need to identify algorithms that allow us to distribute the storage units in a balanced fashion,” states the academic.

Verschae’s research is focused on balancing the capacity of servers via a mathematical model. Part of the difficulty is that this is a dynamic covering a period of time and storage units can of course fail. Therefore, solutions are sought that can adapt to changes undertaking local disturbances to the solution, in order to maintain a nearly optimal quality.

This family of mathematical models can be used in different fields. “The abstract mathematical model can be applied to different areas such as scheduling problems in tasks where the aim is to balance the load of production lines in terms of efficiency,” he points out.

“Studying these problems from a theoretical point of view helps us understand the underlying mathematical structure of the problem. This understanding in turn allows for the design of algorithms that can carry this mathematical development to an applied field,” he concludes.

JOSÉ VERSCHAEASSISTANT PROFESSOR


Faculty of Mathematics


Dr. rer. nat. ,Technical University of Berlin, Germany


STRENGTHENING SMALL AND MEDIUM-SCALE MINING

Interested in driving innovation in the mining industry in Chile, Professor Álvaro Videla works on developing a leach test to short columns with the goal of generating a protocol for small- and medium-scale mining operations to run feasibility studies of their leaching and bioleaching projects at costs well below those incurred today. “My sight is set on the medium-scale mining industry. If you create opportunities for them, they are potentially more audacious than a large-scale mining corporation in terms of taking risks and pushing innovation”.

The professor from the Department of Mining Engineering, explains how he carries out copper ore leach tests. This process exposes the rock surface to an oxidizing solution under conditions that cause the copper to change its state from solid to liquid, thereby obtaining copper. “The test is carried out in one-meter columns, where all variables are controlled. The results are scaled to anticipate what might happen in an industrial heap leach facility,” says Videla.

Professor Videla works with Professor Marcelo Andía from the School of Medicine to observe the evolution of ferric ion within the columns, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Videla states that they meet regularly to determine how they could look inside these one-meter columns with more precision. “Through the production of ferric ion, we intend to observe the evolution of the bacteria that accelerate the leaching process.”

The researchers have since considered addressing the definition of external conditions that lead to a more uniform bacteria distribution within the porous bed, so that the generation of ferric ion is catalyzed in the

entire column and not just in some areas. The solution to this problem or the development of a monitoring system, would significantly increase the leach process recovery. “We are at an early stage, but we believe that there is potential to increase the leach process recovery by at least 10 points.”

They have used MRI imaging to observe and illuminate the ferric ion in a three dimensional image inside an opaque medium. They use algorithms developed by Professor Marcelo Andía, which are applied during the exposure of the material in the MRI.

“We want to verify the results of ore extraction through a low-cost, non-invasive, non-destructive and reliable test at an early assessment stage of the project, to enable medium-scale mining to raise capital for project development.” His goal is to generate more entrepreneurs in this area.

Today Professor Videla is also focused on the area of purification and refining of elements. He works in manufacturing nano-copper particles from bio-sustainable processes. “It is an important challenge because it would open up tremendous opportunities for small copper producers in Chile. They could not only sell electro-refined copper cathodes, but also a much more refined product such as nanoscale powders at a very low cost.”

And they are taking steps in this direction. “We created a clean laboratory with a lot of effort, where we have enough equipment to reach the hundred nanometer range of high purity. We will continue working to achieve the minimum possible size.”

ÁLVARO VIDELA ASSISTANT PROFESSOR



Doctor of Philosophy, Metallurgical Engineering,

University of Utah, United States


TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN CONCRETE

The trend in construction projects is to increase concrete requirements and demand higher quality standards. This makes it a challenge for engineers to consider the evolution of the properties of concrete in the design and construction phases, and evaluate the design of materials and construction procedures so that structures perform safely and durably. These are the challenges addressed by Professor Carlos Videla, during his long career as a researcher and consultant to construction companies.

The priority research areas for Carlos Videla in the field of concrete technology and construction range from the study and modeling of its properties, application development and optimization of special concrete, assessment of its properties in situ and in laboratory, and the analysis of pathologies of construction and the durability of concrete.

As a researcher, he was able to model the long-term shrinkage of concrete made from domestic raw materials to be applied to the structural design and the construction process, and to assess and quantify the impact of different methods for reducing the magnitude of this phenomenon and controlling the occurrence of cracking in buildings.

In the field of research of special concretes, he has made noteworthy contributions in the development

of methodologies for the design of structural concrete mixtures with lightweight aggregates to be applied in construction and prefabrication, roller compacted concrete for dams and porous concrete aggregates for urban permeable pavements. He has also made significant contributions in modeling the properties and optimizing the dosage of high-performance concrete and the mechanical properties of lightweight structural concrete.

Videla also developed a technology for cold agglomeration of fly ash for manufacturing lightweight aggregates for concrete and other projects focused on improving the durability and sustainability of concrete construction.

He has also made considerable contributions in traffic engineering, with active participation in research projects for government organizations aimed at implementing Road Management Systems for roads and streets throughout the country.

He has received distinctions for his contributions to technological development in concrete and for his vision and perseverance to transfer knowledge from the University to society, such as the “Technology Development” award from the Chilean Institute of Cement and Concrete; “DICTUC for Development of Chile” and Delmar L. Bloem Distinguished Service Award from the American Concrete Institute.

CARLOS VIDELAPROFESSOR



Doctor of Philosophy, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom


A PERSONAL JOURNEY

Professor Walczak can be compared to Sisyphus as she sets research objectives for herself, with the difference that she has already reached the summit with rock in hand.

During her three-year doctorate degree, she developed her objective: to achieve self-repairing surfaces threatened by corrosion.

“How do I do this?” was a recurring concern. In the lab, while starting down a path, she always questioned whether every hypothesis would work.

She had to develop a coating for a piece to “self-cure” from corrosion. It was not a question of designing a coating, a passive protection, but she had to find one that reacted actively against corrosion.

She focused on a solution with an inhibitor which was stored in capsules incorporated into the coating and in the event of corrosion, would be released. The inhibitor is toxic, the doses should be “homeopathic,” to avoid contamination of the environment.

She developed 300-nanometer capsules, given the typical size of galvanic coating which measured 7 microns, and she demonstrated how to incorporate the inhibitor.

When she came to Chile, she still didn’t know if her solution would work, or if it was worth it. As she did not have the necessary laboratory equipment, she opted for numerical modeling.

She took the data from the capsules, programmed its behavior, determined the inhibitor release rate and how it affects corrosion.

She obtained Fondecyt funding to answer the question of how many capsules were needed to achieve the self-repair effect. A¡er four years, she already has the answer. “I have the paper, which is like the paper of my life. It will work. It was worth it. This is my foundation!” she declares.

The experience of understanding modeling in her field led her to jump into other areas. Now she works with Hydraulic Engineering, researching biocorrosion. “I’m adapting my model to incorporate a bacterial biofilm that is introduced into the process,” she says.

For her newest project she wants to complicate the model and predict the corrosion of tubes that carry ore concentrate pulp. The damage is abrasive and corrosive. The wear rate is not known a priori, so you cannot calculate the cost or durability of the ducts. She wants to combine corrosion and wear in the model to predict synergy between the two processes.

She also wants to achieve environmental security, sustainability and amiability, and to complete the personal journey she is on.

MAGDALENA WALCZAK



Master in Mechanical Engineering, Technical University

of Wroclaw, Poland

Dr.-Ing., Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany


INTEGRAL MODELING OF RENEWABLE ENERGIES AND POLICIES FOR THEIR INTEGRATION

With a desire to influence public policies on energy and distributed generation, Professor David Wa�s has specialized in electrical engineering and economics applied to operations, planning and regulation of electrical systems. Through his research and consultancies, he has worked with governments and companies related to this field. During his doctorate in the United States, he began to study wind energy and its integration. On his return to Chile, he became involved in the renewable electricity market.

In one of his consulting jobs, during a bid for energy supply of a large power generation company, “We studied nearly one hundred renewable projects, modeling several of them technically, from the resource and its technology to their production and integration to the power grid.” From this research, he studied all the lower-risk alternatives and the development of portfolios. Several solar power projects emerged out of this. “Four years ago nobody thought anyone could commercially develop solar energy,” he says.

Professor Wa�s leads a team of more than a dozen graduate students and professionals who develop proposals on ma�ers of Net Metering and Net Billing, flexible pricing, smart metering, cogeneration, gas,

and distributed generation. He also encourages undergraduates to pursue these issues. “Students are greatly motivated to participate in projects that contribute to the development of public policy in the country and I love to inspire them along this path,” says the professor.

“Our development goes hand in hand with renewable energy, with a major emphasis on solar development and cogeneration, but unlike other groups, we complement the technical analysis with the laws, regulations and standards to integrate renewable energy,” Wa�s points out.

He and his team developed a standardized model, simplified and segmented to facilitate the connection of residential and industrial generators. “We developed our own tools for modeling solar and wind resources, technical, commercial and optimization modeling, which we validated and compared with commercial tools.”

Today, Professor Watts collaborates on various legislative bill proposals, regulations and standards for the Ministry of Energy. “Our team has a significant influence on the development of public policies, which have removed the barriers for non-conventional renewable energy.”

DAVID WATTS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR




Master of Science and Master of Arts, University of Wisconsin-

Madison, United States



OBSERVATION TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH

Professor Yáñez has specialized in geophysics for the past 30 years. He is joined by two geologists as members of the Geoscience Group of the Universidad Católica’s School of Engineering, formed in 2010 to address geological hazards, natural resources and energy, specifically geothermal energy.

The professor uses instrumentation for determining the physical properties of the interior of the earth. The signal that originates or is propagated from inside the earth explains a number of natural phenomena and distribution of geological resources. For example, it explains when, how, where and what size major earthquakes will be; where mineral or water resources are located; or how foundation soil will behave, among other phenomena. The instruments of his discipline are like the eyes, ears and hands to recognize the interior of the earth on spatial scales of a few meters to hundreds of kilometers.

From the perspective of geological hazards, Professor Yáñez leads a project on earthquake hazards in Northern

Chile, which ranges from geosciences to structural engineering, with the goal of providing a tool for public use that allows be�er decision making and be�er preparation of the population and infrastructure. This project is developed in Northern Chile because the existing scientific knowledge and historical seismic records indicate that the next major earthquake will occur in this area in the coming decades. Consequently, this project aims to incorporate preventive tools that will establish construction parameters appropriate to the characteristics of each location.

The great methodological goal is to integrate knowledge of geosciences and structural engineering into a single project and consolidate it in a public domain GIS platform. This platform will be displayed on a map of the riskiest areas, where stricter construction rules should apply. It is an unprecedented platform in Chile, which a¡er completing its pilot phase in Northern Chile, should be expanded to the rest of the country.

GONZALO YÁÑEZ



Master of Science in Geophysics, Universidad de Chile

Master of Science, Columbia University, United States

Doctor of Philosophy, Columbia University, United States


ESTABLISHING NEW SPACES FOR INNOVATION

There are not enough researchers like Stephen Zhang in Chile, experts on managing innovation and entrepreneurship. The professor says that one of the main challenges is to multiply action.

Before joining academia, Stephen Zhang was an engineer, a management consultant and a designer of technological innovation.

He came from Singapore to the School of Engineering at Universidad Católica to promote innovation from within, encourage new initiatives and new academic programs and to involve the largest number of students possible in a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

His influence extends from the School of Engineering to the rest of the University, through the Certificate of Innovation, which he leads. It is a multidisciplinary program in which he teaches students methodologies to develop innovations with global impact and increase the likelihood of success of their ventures. In addition, Stephen is a member of Innovation Factory, the University’s think-tank focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. He also leads Aukan, an area of innovation at DICTUC, where he focuses on advising businesses on innovation strategies.

In the field of research, his main line of work is how to make decisions and manage innovation and entrepreneurship actions in environments marked by constant evolution and uncertainty. Such uncertainties must be handled differently than those in the field of finance. In the field of entrepreneurship, perceptions and behaviors of entrepreneurs and innovators come into play.

How to manage uncertainty? Organizations are transforming and technology is advancing rapidly. Professor Zhang’s studies propose the component of flexibility, effectuation, ‘heuristics and biases’ and ‘exploration and exploitation’ as major weapons to counterbalance the lack of information on strategic decisions. This is demonstrated again and again in Chilean companies, through his intervention from Aukan.

His research also addresses the problem from a broader perspective: the design of organizations and organizational structures prepared to innovate, and manage change and uncertainty.

STEPHEN ZHANG

ASSISTANT PROFESSORDepartment of Industrial and

Systems Engineering

Bachelor of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Doctor of Philosophy, National University of Singapore


GLOSSARY

AIUC (Centro de Astro-Ingeniería de la Universidad Católica – Universidad Católica Astro-Engineering Center): The mission of this center is to serve as a channel for cu�ing-edge research and to generate new technological and computational opportunities in the field of astronomy and engineering.

Anillos de Investigación en Ciencia y Tecnología (Science and Technology Research Rings): This is one of the instruments of the Research Partnership Program (PIA) of the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT), which seeks to promote the scientific and technological development of the country, through the funding of research projects supported by collaborative, comprehensive and multidisciplinary work.

CEDEUS (Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable – Center for Sustainable Urban Development): The aim of this unit is to promote learning and knowledge transfer; generate a new mass of high-level researchers in Chile; and produce ideas on critical issues of sustainable urban development, as well as policy recommendations that could provide solutions. Co-led by UC Engineering.

CEGA (Centro de Excelencia de Geotermia de los Andes – Andean Geothermal Center of Excellence): A body dedicated to improving and increasing scientific knowledge about geothermal energy in Chile. With participation of UC Engineering, together with other institutions.

CIGIDEN (Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de Desastres Naturales - National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management): The aim of this institution is to contribute to the mitigation of sociological, psychological, physical and economic impacts

generated by natural disasters, taking advantage of the fact that Chile is one of the most important natural laboratories in the world where in-depth studies of such phenomena can be undertaken. Led by UC Engineering.

CIIV (Centro de Ingeniería e Investigación Vial - Center for Road Engineering and Research): This unit forms part of DICTUC S.A., and is dedicated to the study and scientific and technological research of areas related to road infrastructure, with particular emphasis placed on pavements.

CONICYT (Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica - National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research): An agency under the Ministry of Education, with two strategic pillars: promoting the formation of human capital, and strengthening the scientific and technological foundations of the country through scholarships and various funds such as FONDAP, FONDEF, FONDECYT, along with other funding initiatives.

CORFO (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción – Production Development Corporation): A Chilean government agency with the mission to improve the country’s competitiveness and diversification by encouraging investment, innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as strengthening human capital and the technological capacity to obtain sustainable and territorially-balanced development. One of its funding programs is INNOVA - CORFO.

DICTUC S.A.: An affiliate of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC), dedicated to the transfer of the knowledge and technology generated by the UC School of Engineering, so as to place it at the service of the community, through individual or multidisciplinary services.


FONDAP – CONICYT (Fondo de Financiamiento de Centros de Investigación en Áreas Prioritarias - Financing Fund for Research Centers in Priority Areas): The aim of this body is to coordinate the activity of groups of researchers who have proven productivity in areas of knowledge that are important for the country, and where national basic science has reached a high level of development. FONDAP has funded scientific research centers of excellence such as the National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (CIGIGEN) and the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CEDEUS).

FONDECYT – CONICYT (Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico - National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development): The aim of this body is to encourage and promote the development of basic scientific and technological research; it is the main fund of its kind in Chile. It finances regular projects by experienced researchers; initiating research projects aimed at young researchers, and postdoctoral projects.

FONDEF – CONICYT (Fondo de Fomento al Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico - Scientific and Technological Development Support Fund): The purpose of this initiative is to help increase the competitiveness of the national economy and improve the standard of living of the country’s inhabitants. This is done through the promotion of linkages between research institutions, companies and other entities that undertake applied research and technological development projects, deemed important for the production sector and geared towards public interest.

FONDEQUIP (Fondo de Equipamiento Científico y Tecnológico - Scientific and Technological Equipment Fund): A CONICYT program that provides funding through a competitive selection system for the acquisition, updating and/or access to medium- and high-level scientific and technological equipment for research activities; also allowing for access to such equipment at international level.

GEPUC (Centro de Excelencia en Gestión de Producción de la Universidad Católica - Center of Excellence in Production Management of the Universidad Católica): The aim of this center is to develop, implement and disseminate knowledge regarding management and production technologies in the main economic areas of the country. Led by the UC Department of Engineering and Construction Management.

Iniciativa Científica Milenio (Millennium Science Initiative): A government body under the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism (Minecon). The main objective of which is to promote the development of cu�ing-edge scientific and technological research in the country.

LIVE (Laboratorio de Infraestructura Vegetal de Edificios - Laboratory of Plant Infrastructure for Buildings): The aim of this body is to develop research, development and innovation in technologies for green roofs and walls for buildings. It is the first R&D+i laboratory of its kind in Latin America. Led by UC Engineering.

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