Dr. Vidya Manian specializes in artificial intelligence and hyperspectral imaging. Her research advances machine learning methods for high-energy physics, remote sensing, and neurodegenerative disease prediction. Her interdisciplinary work optimizes complex data analysis across medicine, physics, and bioengineering.
Our Researchers
M
Manian, Vidya
Electrical and computer engineering
Research interests
- AI
- Hyperspectral imaging
- Machine learning
About
Contact Info
Email: vidya.manian@upr.edu
Office: S-408
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3650, 5845
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3834-8857
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Diaz-Martinez, V., &
Manian, V. (2026). Comparative analysis of diffusion models for jet image generation in high-energy physics. IEEE Access, 14, 38115–38128. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3671200
Vasquez Plaza, D. F., & Manian, V. (2026). B-jet tagging using a hybrid edge convolution and transformer architecture. Journal of Instrumentation, 21, Artículo P03019. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/21/03/P03019
Alfaro-Mejía, E., Delgado, C. J., & Manian, V. (2025). An elliptic kernel unsupervised autoencoder—Graph convolutional network ensemble model for hyperspectral unmixing. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 18, 14594–14614. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2025.3576281
Martínez Cruzado, Jose A.
Civil Engineering and Surveying
Research interests
- Structural engineering
- Earthquake engineering
- Seismic rehabilitation
About
Dr. José A. Martínez-Cruzado specializes in earthquake engineering and structural resilience. As Director of the Puerto Rico Strong Motion Program (PRSMP), his research advances the seismic instrumentation of critical infrastructure, including dams and bridges. His work focuses on the rehabilitation of reinforced concrete structures to improve safety in high-seismic risk zones.
Contact Info
Email: jose.martinez44@upr.edu
Office: CI-105C1
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3401
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Claros Gomez, D. F., Vanacore, E. A., Martínez Cruzado, J. A., & Suárez, L. E. (2020). Preliminary crustal GMPE for Puerto Rico after the 2020 SWPR seismic sequence. ESSOAr. https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10505438.1
Yang, L., Wang, G., Huérfano, V., Martínez-Cruzado, J. A., & Liu, H. (2016). GPS geodetic infrastructure for natural hazards study in the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands region. Natural Hazards, 83(1), 641–665. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-016-2344-7
Medina Lee, Juan
Computer Science and Engineering
Research interests
- Electronic engineering
- Control systems
- Embedded systems
- Operating Systems
- Autonomous driving systems
About
Dr. Juan Felipe Medina specializes in automation, robotics, and human-machine teaming. His research focuses on human factors and decision-making within autonomous vehicles and navigation systems. By bridging electronics and computer science, he advances the development of intelligent robotics and human-centric design for complex autonomous driving environments.
Contact Info
Email: juan.medina26@upr.edu
Office: S-613
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2448
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Peña, J., Vasquez, E., Feo, A., & Medina-Lee, J. (2026). Take over requests study in a simulation environment for conditional automated vehicles. En M. Rodriguez Martinez, K. Lu, F. Ye, & Y. Qian (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Symposium on Intelligent Computing and Networking 2025 (Vol. 1698, pp. 699–712). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-09694-4_49
Peña, J. C., Vásquez, E., Feo-Cediel, G. A., Negroni, A., & Medina-Lee, J. F. (2025). Beyond “One-Size-Fits-All”: Estimating Driver Attention with Physiological Clustering and LSTM Models. Electronics, 14(23), 4655. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14234655
Vásquez, E., Feo, A., Negron, E., Colon, J., Peña, J., & Medina-Lee, J. F. (2025). Analysis and identification of physiological profiles for cognitive load modeling in conditioned autonomous driving using unsupervised analysis and clustering. 2025 IEEE International Conference on Vehicular Electronics and Safety (ICVES), Coventry, United Kingdom. 103–109. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICVES65691.2025.11376357
Medina Sánchez, Rafael
Electrical and computer Engineering
Research interests
- Microwave and radar systems
- Phased array antennas
- RF microelectronics
About
Rafael H. Medina-Sanchez is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez, specializing in microwave and radar systems, phased array antennas, and RF microelectronics. His work focuses on radar technologies for weather sensing and distributed networks, with over 250 citations spanning antenna design, calibration techniques, and advanced phased array radar systems.
Contact Info
Email: rafael.medina1@upr.edu
Office: OF-332
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 6199
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Claudio, J., & Medina, R. (2025). Modeling and design of high isolation dual-polarized aperture-coupled microstrip patch antennas with dual-offset feedlines. 2025 IEEE MTT-S Latin America Microwave Conference (LAMC), San Juan, PR, USA. 54–57. https://doi.org/10.1109/LAMC63321.2025.10880565
Claudio, J. P., & Medina, R. (2024). Modeling and design of aperture coupled microstrip patch antennas with dual-offset feedline. 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and INC/USNC‐URSI Radio Science Meeting (AP-S/INC-USNC-URSI), Firenze, Italy. 753–754. https://doi.org/10.1109/AP-S/INC-USNC-URSI52054.2024.10685925
Orraca, L., Aybar, N., Carrasquillo, R., Medina, R., Rodríguez Solis, R., Colom, J., & Fernández-Rodríguez, F. O. (2018). Compact high frequency receiver system for Arecibo observatory radiation pattern measurement. 2018 IEEE Radio and Wireless Symposium (RWS), Anaheim, CA, USA. 10–13. https://doi.org/10.1109/RWS.2018.8304932
Méndez Román, Rafael
Chemical Engineering
Research interests
- Pharmaceutical engineering
- Process control
About
Dr. Méndez earned a Ph.D. from the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez in 2005. His research focuses on pharmaceutical powder properties, continuous mixing, and tablet compaction. Teaching interests include pharmaceutical operations, as well as core chemical engineering subjects such as thermodynamics, kinetics, and statistical methods. He is an active member of UPRM’s Analytical and Pharmaceutical Research Group whose mission focuses on workforce training through advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing research.
Contact Info
Email: rafael.mendez1@upr.edu
Office: IQ-205-J
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3585
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Patel, D. S., Méndez, R., & Romañach, R. J. (2026). Monitoring continuous mixing process dynamics through the NIR spectra baseline using a stream sampler. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 689, Artículo 126502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.126502
Movilla-Meza, N. A., Patel, D. S., Méndez, R., & Romañach, R. J. (2025). PAT for monitoring the state of control in continuous manufacturing of solid oral dosage forms. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 417(22), 5597–5609. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-025-06012-w
Patel, D. S., Méndez, R., & Romañach, R. J. (2024). Cleaning of direct compression continuous manufacturing equipment through displacement of API residues by excipients. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 652, Artículo 123849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.123849
Montalvo Castro, Hansel
Chemical Engineering
Research interests
- Heterogeneous Catalysis
- Zeolites & Phosphides
- Biomass Conversion
About
Dr. Hansel A. Montalvo-Castro specializes in heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemical reactions. His research advances structure–function relationships, catalytic activation of alkanes, and carbon dioxide reduction. By bridging chemical engineering and materials science, he contributes to sustainable energy solutions through high-impact work in hydrogen evolution and selective combustion processes.
Contact Info
Email: hansel.montalvo@upr.edu
Office: IQ-205-K
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Montalvo-Castro, H., Thomas, S., Meyer, R. J., & Hibbitts, D. (2025). DFT+U calculations on substitutionally doped (Ni, Cu, Zn) Mg-vanadate surfaces for the oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes. Journal of Catalysis, 450, Artículo 116313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2025.116313
Montalvo-Castro, H., Loaiza-Orduz, Á., Meyer, R. J., Plaisance, C., & Hibbitts, D. (2025). Electronic and geometric features controlling the reactivity of Mg-vanadate and V2O5 surfaces toward the initial C–H activation of C1–C3 alkanes – A DFT+U study. Journal of Catalysis, 442, Artículo 115800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2024.115800
Ezenwa, S., Montalvo-Castro, H., Hoffman, A. J., Locht, H., Attebery, J., Jan, D.-Y., Schmithorst, M., Chmelka, B., Hibbitts, D., & Gounder, R. (2024). Synthetic placement of active sites in MFI zeolites for selective toluene methylation to para-xylene. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 146(15), 10666–10678. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c00373
Montejo Valencia, Luis
Engineering sciences and materials
Research interests
- Structural engineering
- Geotechnical earthquake engineering
- Signal processing
- Health monitoring
About
Dr. Luis A. Montejo Valencia specializes in structural and geotechnical earthquake engineering, signal processing, and health monitoring. His research advances seismic design for reinforced concrete structures and uses wavelet transforms to analyze earthquake records. He bridges civil engineering with advanced computational tools to improve structural resilience and engineering education.
Contact Info
Email: luis.montejo@upr.edu
Office: OF-409
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 5918
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Montejo, L. A. (2026). Generation of Fourier amplitude spectra and power spectral density functions compatible with orientation-independent design spectra for bidirectional seismic analyses of nuclear facilities. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 58(5), Artículo 104136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2026.104136
Peralta, L., & Montejo, L. A. (2025). Seismic Assessment of Informally Designed 2-Floor RC Houses: Lessons from the 2020 Southern Puerto Rico Earthquake Sequence. Eng, 6(8), 176. https://doi.org/10.3390/eng6080176
Montejo, L. A. (2025). Generation of response spectrum compatible records satisfying a minimum power spectral density function. Earthquake Engineering and Resilience, 4(3), 215–228. https://doi.org/10.1002/eer2.70008
Mora Navarro, Camilo
Chemical Engineering
Research interests
- Extracellular matrix scaffold production
- Protein expression and purification
- Stem cells and cytocompatibility assessment
- Molecular biology
About
Dr. Camilo Mora specializes in bioengineering and chemical engineering, with a focus on biomaterials and regenerative medicine. His research advances the development of extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds and extracellular vesicles (EV) for tissue regeneration and cancer studies. By bridging advanced molecular biology with industrial expertise in manufacturing and quality assurance, he translates complex scientific research into scalable, high-quality engineering solutions.
Contact Info
Email: camilo.mora@upr.edu
Office: IQ-205-G
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 6816
Website: https://www.uprm.edu/biomartlab/
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Buendia-Otero, M. J., Velez-Roman, L., Jimenez-Osorio, J., Ayus-Martinez, S., Meza-Morales, W., Domenech, M., Dion, G. R., Freytes, D., & Mora, C. (2025). Aerosolizable formulations of porcine extracellular matrix with antibacterial and immunomodulatory effects. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 11(12), 7254–7268. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.5c01304
Mora-Navarro, C., Smith, E., Wang, Z., Ramos-Alamo, M. d. C., Collins, L., Awad, N., Cruz, D. R. D., Tollison, T. S., Huntress, I., Gartling, G., Nakamura, R., Dion, G. R., Peng, X., Branski, R. C., & Freytes, D. O. (2026). Injection of vocal fold lamina propria-derived hydrogels modulates fibrosis in injured vocal folds. Biomaterials Advances, 178, Artículo 214424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214424
Meza-Morales, W., Ayus-Martinez, S., Jimenez-Osorio, J., Buendia-Otero, M., López, L., Suleiman, D., Suarez, E., Freytes, D. O., Cunci, L., & Mora, C. (2025). Functionalized screen-printed electrodes for non-invasive detection of vascular-endothelial cadherin in extracellular vesicles. RSC Advances, 15(16), 12609–12621. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RA08926J
Muñoz Barreto, Jonathan
Civil Engineering and Surveying
Research interests
- Hydrology
- Remote sensing
- Meteorology
- Flood modeling
About
Dr. Jonathan Muñoz Barreto specializes in geomatics, remote sensing, and water resources. His research advances the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and satellite imagery for coastal monitoring, flood assessment, and precision agriculture. By integrating climate hydrology with geographic information systems (GIS), he develops solutions for watershed management and infrastructure resilience against natural disasters.
Contact Info
Email: jonathan.munoz@upr.edu
Office: CI-015
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 6345
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Trossi-Torres, G., Muñoz-Barreto, J., Feliciano-Cruz, L. I., & Lakhankar, T. (2026). Assessing National Water Model Soil Moisture Performance in Puerto Rico Using In Situ and Satellite Observations. Water, 18(5), 590. https://doi.org/10.3390/w18050590
Trossi-Torres, G., Muñoz-Barreto, J., Feliciano-Cruz, L. I., & Lakhankar, T. (2025). Impacts of Precipitation Trends on Reservoirs and Rivers in Puerto Rico from 1990 to 2022. Sustainability, 17(17), 7801. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177801
O
Ortiz Rivera, Eduardo I
Electrical and computer Engineering
Research interests
- Nonlinear control
- Power electronics
- Modeling of photovoltaic systems
- Renewable energy
- Power supplies for satellites
About
Dr. Eduardo I. Ortiz-Rivera specializes in power electronics, control systems, and renewable energy. As leader of the Minds2CREATE team, his research focuses on nonlinear modeling for aerospace systems and unmanned vehicles. He bridges mathematical modeling with practical applications in robotics, driving innovation in sustainable energy and dynamic power systems.
Contact Info
Email: eduardo.ortiz7@upr.edu
Office: SA-513
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 6282
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Ortiz Rivera, E. I., Del Valle Nieves, G., Stein, J. S., & Darbali-Zamora, R. (2025). Series and shunt resistances ratio photovoltaic model compared with the PV single diode model. 2025 IEEE 53rd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), Montreal, QC, Canada. 0830–0835. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC59419.2025.11132491
Ortiz Rivera, E. I., & Lugo León, J. J. (2025). Mathematical analysis and proof of existence of the photovoltaic exponential model. 2025 IEEE 26th Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics (COMPEL), Knoxville, TN, USA. 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMPEL57166.2025.11121194
Akhtar, Z., Ortiz-Rivera, E. I., & C-Gonzalez, A. M. (2024). Grid-forming inverter: A review and educational perspective. 2024 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), Washington, DC, USA. 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE61694.2024.10893577
Orama Exclusa, Lionel
Electrical and computer Engineering
Research interests
- Power Systems Transients
- Alternative Energy Sources
- Distributed Generation
- Power Systems Protection
About
Dr. Lionel R. Orama Exclusa specializes in power and energy engineering, with a focus on power system protection and electrical transients. His research advances the numerical modeling of high-voltage circuit breakers and the integration of renewable energy resources. As a practicing Professional Engineer and consultant, he bridges academic theory with industrial application, emphasizing electrical safety in the workplace and energy efficiency.
Contact Info
Email: lionel.orama@upr.edu
Office: SA-410
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3604
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Lozano-Inca, F., Orama-Exclusa, L. R., Darbali-Zamora, R., & Ortiz-Rivera, E. I. (2024). Adaptive protection for microgrids: University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez use case. 2024 IEEE 52nd Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC), Seattle, WA, USA. 0381–0387. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC57443.2024.10749074
Tremont-Brito, R. J., Aponte-Bezares, E., Orama-Exclusa, L. R., Darbali-Zamora, R., & Malave-Sanabria, A. J. (2023). Microgrid design toolkit evaluation and trade-offs analysis for rural community in Cayey Puerto Rico. 2023 IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Latin America (ISGT-LA), San Juan, PR, USA. 220–224. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISGT-LA56058.2023.10328296
Lugo-Hernández, E. A., Castro-Sitiriche, M. J., Irizarry-Rivera, A. A., & Orama-Exclusa, L. (2023). RE: Comprehensive survey of residential photovoltaic systems in Puerto Rico.
Ortiz Bermúdez, Patricia
Chemical Engineering
Research interests
- Biocatalysts for lignocellulose degradation
- Synthesis of antimicrobial nanoparticles
- Microbial technology
- Biomaterials
About
Dr. Patricia Ortiz-Bermúdez specializes in biomaterials and microbial technology, focusing on protein-inspired antimicrobial materials. Her research advances nanotechnology applications in food science and agriculture. By bridging chemical engineering and biotechnology, she develops innovative solutions in protein engineering and sustainable biological systems for medical and industrial use.
Contact Info
Email: patricia.ortiz3@upr.edu
Office: IQ-205-MA
Phone: 787-832-4040 Ext. 3209
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Sluis-Cremer, N., Traverso Avilés, E. E., González, O. Q., Ríos-Velázquez, C., Ortiz-Bermudez, P., Ross, R., & Levine, A. D. (2023). RING program: The CFAR diversity, equity, and inclusion pathway initiative. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 94(2S), S122–S126. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000003257
Lee, M.-R., Raman, N., Ortiz-Bermúdez, P., Lynn, D. M., & Palecek, S. P. (2019). 14-Helical β-peptides elicit toxicity against C. albicans by forming pores in the cell membrane and subsequently disrupting intracellular organelles. Cell Chemical Biology, 26(2), 289–299.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.11.002
Herrera-Posada, S., Mora-Navarro, C., Ortiz-Bermudez, P., Torres-Lugo, M., McElhinny, K. M., Evans, P. G., Calcagno, B. O., & Acevedo, A. (2016). Magneto-responsive liquid crystalline elastomer nanocomposites as potential candidates for dynamic cell culture substrates. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 65, 369–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2016.04.063
O'Neill Carrillo, Efrain
Electrical and computer Engineering
Research interests
- Renewable energy
- Microgrids
- Power quality & Power distribution systems
- Energy policy
About
Dr. Efraín O’Neill-Carrillo specializes in sustainable energy and power quality, focusing on the social and ethical implications of engineering. His research advances distributed generation and energy policy to foster resilient power systems. By bridging technical power engineering with public policy, he leads interdisciplinary efforts to transition Puerto Rico toward sustainable and socially relevant energy solutions.
Contact Info
Email: efrain.oneill@upr.edu
Office: S-212
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 5843
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Calloquispe-Huallpa, R., Darbali-Zamora, R., Huaman-Rivera, A., Aponte-Bezares, E. E., Wachtel, A. M., & O’Neill-Carrillo, E. (2025). OpenDss to ReNCAT: A graph theory approach for automated power network data extraction. 2025 IEEE 53rd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), Montreal, QC, Canada. 1239–1245. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC59419.2025.11132605
Delgado, C. J., Alfaro-Mejía, E., Manian, V., O’Neill-Carrillo, E., & Andrade, F. (2024). Photovoltaic Power Generation Forecasting with Hidden Markov Model and Long Short-Term Memory in MISO and SISO Configurations. Energies, 17(3), 668. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17030668
Reyes-Colón, R., & O’Neill-Carrillo, E. (2023). A sustainable energy market through community-based PV systems. 2023 IEEE 50th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), San Juan, PR, USA. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC48320.2023.10360052
P
Padilla Cestero, Ingrid Y.
Civil Engineering and Surveying
Research interests
- Environmental engineering
- Groundwater flow and transport modeling
- Water resources
About
Dr. Ingrid Padilla specializes in groundwater hydrology and contaminant transport. Her research investigates the impacts of extreme hydrologic events on environmental quality and public health. She leads field-scale modeling programs to analyze groundwater systems, while advocating for STEM diversity and increasing representation of underrepresented groups in engineering.
Contact Info
Email: ingrid.padilla@upr.edu
Office: CL-005
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3417
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Lin, Y., Li, G., Rivera, M. S., Jiang, T., Cotto, I., Carpenter, C. M. G., Rich, S. L., Giese, R. W., Helbling, D. E., Padilla, I. Y., Rosario-Pabón, Z., Alshawabkeh, A. N., Pinto, A., & Gu, A. Z. (2024). Long-term impact of Hurricane Maria on point-of-use drinking water quality in Puerto Rico and associated potential adverse health effects. Water Research, 265, Artículo 122213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.122213
Riddell, J. L., Downey, A. R., Vesper, D. J., & Padilla, I. Y. (2023). Total organic carbon concentrations in clastic cave sediments from Butler Cave, Virginia, USA: Implications for contaminant fate and transport. Environmental Earth Sciences, 82(9), Artículo 231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-10893-4
Downey, A. R., Riddell, J. L., Padilla, I. Y., & Vesper, D. J. (2022). Storage and distribution of organic carbon in cave sediments: Examples from two caves in the northern karst region of Puerto Rico. Environmental Earth Sciences, 82(1), Artículo 36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10720-2
Padovani Blanco, Agnes
Chemical Engineering
Research interests
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- STEM Education
- Interfacial Phenomena
About
Dr. Agnes Padovani serves as Co-Director of Engineering Workforce Development (EWD) for the NSF Engineering Research Center in Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT), where she leads initiatives integrating research and STEM education throughout Puerto Rico.
Contact Info
Email: agnes.padovani@upr.edu
Office: OF 319
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 6185
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Suárez, O. M., Padovani, A. M., Torres-Lugo, M., Hernández-Maldonado, A. J., & Perales-Pérez, O. J. (2018). The Mayagüez Nanotechnology Center: 10 years of transformative impact on interdisciplinary research—The highlights. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12613.91364
Pomales, C., Suárez, O. M., Padovani, A. M., & Alvarez, J. (2018). A successful pre-college nanotechnology experience for low-income students. American Society for Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2–29732
De Hoyos-Ruperto, M., Pomales, C., Padovani, A. M., & Suárez, O. M. (2017). An entrepreneurship education co-curricular program to stimulate entrepreneurial mindset in engineering students. MRS Advances, 2(31-32), 1653–1659. https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2017.109
Pagán Torres, Yomaira
Chemical Engineering
Research interests
- Heterogeneous catalysis
- Kinetic and reaction engineering
- Catalytic nanomaterial synthesis
- Renewable energy
- Sustainability
About
Dr. Yomaira Pagán-Torres specializes in catalysis for sustainability, focusing on the conversion of biomass, carbon dioxide, and waste plastics into chemicals. Her research advances the design of catalytic materials to selectively activate carbon-based feedstocks. By bridging academic research with industrial experience, she develops innovative technologies for renewable energy and green chemistry.
Contact Info
Email: yomairaj.pagan@upr.edu
Office: IQ-207-E
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3589
Webpage: Pagan Torres Lab
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Kiani, D., Eaglesfield, R., May, J. H., Werner, A. Z., Chen, E. Y.-X., Román-Leshkov, Y., Pagán-Torres, Y. J., & Beckham, G. T. (2025). Production of bio-based lactones as monomers for a circular polymer economy. Nature Reviews Chemistry, 9, 749–765. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-025-00765-9
Al Abdulghani, A. J., Ganguly, S., Hagmann, R. H., Sun, Z., Alvear, M., Mark, L. O., Nikolla, E., Pagán-Torres, Y. J., & Hermans, I. (2025). Uncovering the pressure-dependent mechanism of CO2 hydrogenation to methanol on Ga-promoted Cu/ZrO2 using operando modulation-excitation DRIFTS. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 147(31), 27438–27448. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c04835
Ammal, S. C., Albarracín-Suazo, S. C., Lin, Z., Chen, J. G., Pagán-Torres, Y. J., & Heyden, A. (2025). Reactor evaluation and active site identification of molybdenum carbide powder catalyst for the hydrodeoxygenation of glycerol. Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 378, Artículo 125607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2025.125607
Pagán Trinidad, Ismael
Civil Engineering and Surveying
Research interests
- Transportation technology
- Natural hazards
- Water resources
About
Professor Ismael Pagán-Trinidad specializes in hydrosystems and resilient civil infrastructure, focusing on flood damage estimation and coastal protection. His research advances disaster mitigation strategies for built environments facing natural hazards. By bridging engineering practice with sustainable design, he improves infrastructure safety and resilience against climate-driven risks.
Contact Info
Email: ismael.pagan@upr.edu
Office: CI-011C
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3496, 6744
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Dieppa Ortiz, J. A., & Pagán Trinidad, I. (2025). Assessing the damage prevented by a proposed flood barrier in Scheveningen’s port under current and future conditions. Natural Hazards Review, 26(4), Artículo 05025011. https://doi.org/10.1061/NHREFO.NHENG-2484
Diaz, N. D., Lee, Y., Kothuis, B. L. M., Pagán-Trinidad, I., Jonkman, S. N., & Brody, S. D. (2024). Mapping the Flood Vulnerability of Residential Structures: Cases from The Netherlands, Puerto Rico, and the United States. Geosciences, 14(4), 109. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14040109
Figueroa-Medina, A. M., Pagán-Trinidad, I., López-Del Puerto, C., Dieppa-Ortiz, J. A., & Alicea-Hernández, J. (2024). Fostering transportation workforce development for the blue economy. 2024 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), Washington, DC, USA. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE61694.2024.10893413
Papadopoulos, Christopher
Engineering sciences and materials
Research interests
- Structural mechanics
- Biomechanics
- Engineering ethics
- Engineering education
- Sustainability
About
Dr. Christopher Papadopoulos specializes in structural mechanics and bioconstruction, focusing on sustainable materials like bamboo. His research advances mechanics education and engineering ethics, promoting social responsibility within technical disciplines. By bridging finite element analysis with appropriate technology, he develops resilient engineering solutions while advocating for environmentally responsible institutional practices.
Contact Info
Email: christopher.papadopoulos@upr.edu
Office: OF-402
Phone: (787) 832-4040 Ext. 3065
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Lara-Rodríguez, Y. P., & Papadopoulos, C. (2025, June), BOARD # 23: Work in Progress: Development of a Teaching Module to Elicit Retention of Conceptual Learning in the Biomedical Engineering Discipline for High School Students. Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2–55588
Koretsky, M., & Self, B. P., & Papadopoulos, C., & Prince, M. J., & Dal Bello, D. J. (2025, June), BOARD # 262: IUSE: Propagation of the Concept Warehouse – an Educational Technology Tool to Promote Concept Based Active Learning Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2–55624
Papadopoulos, C., & Jensen, C. X. J., & Baiges-Valentin, I. J., & Colón-Rivera, K. (2025, June), On the Symbiotic Nature of Science, Sustainability, and Systems Thinking in an Introductory Course on Sustainability Concepts Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada. https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2–57012
Patarroyo Montenegro, Juan F.
Computer Science and Engineering
Research interests
- Robotics & Electronics
- Embedded systems
- Automated Systems
- Computer Engineering
- Low level architectures
About
CAREER awardee Dr. Juan Felipe Patarroyo Montenegro specializes in microgrid control and renewable energy. His research focuses on embedded systems, utilizing FPGA platforms and real-time operating systems to solve complex dynamic equations. By bridging hardware-software integration with smart grid technology, he advances high-performance algorithmic implementations for the next generation of sustainable energy networks.
Contact Info
Email: juan.patarroyo@upr.edu
Office: OF-330
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 5952
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Saldaña-Aristizábal, L., Niño-Tejada, K., Rivas-Caicedo, J. L., & Patarroyo-Montenegro, J. F. (2026). Evaluating quaternion-based representations for human activity recognition using motion capture. En M. Rodriguez Martinez, K. Lu, F. Ye, & Y. Qian (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Symposium on Intelligent Computing and Networking 2025: ISICN 2025 (Vol. 1698, pp. 115–128). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-09694-4_10
Niño-Tejada, K., Saldaña-Aristizábal, L., Rivas-Caicedo, J. L., & Patarroyo-Montenegro, J. F. (2025). Upper Limb Joint Angle Estimation Using a Reduced Number of IMU Sensors and Recurrent Neural Networks. Electronics, 14(15), 3039. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14153039
Rivas-Caicedo, J. L., Saldaña-Aristizabal, L., Niño-Tejada, K., & Patarroyo-Montenegro, J. F. (2025). A Multi-Sensor Dataset for Human Activity Recognition Using Inertial and Orientation Data. Data, 10(8), 129. https://doi.org/10.3390/data10080129