Faculty

DAVID SULEIMAN-ROSADO, Department Chair

Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology (1994) 
Email:  david.suleiman@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-205-G 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2685 
Research interests: Specialty Separations and Advanced Materials 
Teaching interests: Material & Energy Balances, Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Transport Phenomena

RAFAEL MÉNDEZ ROMÁN, Associate Chair

Ph.D. University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez (2005) 
Email:  rafael.mendez1@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-205-J 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3585 
Research interests: Pharmaceutical Powder Properties, Continuous Mixing, Tablet Compaction 
Teaching interests: Pharmaceutical Operations, Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Statistical Methods for Chemical Engineers 

ARTURO J. HERNÁNDEZ-MALDONADO, Professor

Ph.D. University of Michigan (2004)  
Email:  arturoj.hernandez@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-105-N 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3748 
Web page: Hernández Maldonado Research Group
Research interests: Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoporous Materials, Zeolites, Pillared Coordination Polymers, Metal-Organic Frameworks, Hierarchical Nanoporous Composites, Advanced Adsorption Applications, Removal of Contaminants of Emerging Concern from Water via Adsorption, Trace Carbon Dioxide Removal for Life Support Systems in Aerospace Applications, Ammonia Adsorption at High Temperature and Pressure
Teaching interests: Mass Transfer, Transport Phenomena, Adsorption Engineering 

ALDO ACEVEDO RULLÁN, Professor and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs

Ph.D. University of Delaware (2006) 
Email:  aldo.acevedo@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-205-MB 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2473 
Teaching interests: Polymer Science and Engineering, Soft Matter, Rheology, Process Design, Transport Phenomena, Fluid Mechanics 

UBALDO M. CÓRDOVA-FIGUEROA, Professor 

Ph.D. California Institute of Technology (2008) 
Email:  ubaldom.cordova@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-K 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 5844 
Research interests: Transport Phenomena, Physicochemical Hydrodynamics, Brownian Dynamics Simulations, Colloidal Dispersions, Microrheology, Synthesis of Selfpropelled Janus Particles 
Teaching interests: Transport Phenomena, Colloidal Physics 

CARLOS VELÁZQUEZ-FIGUEROA, Professor

Ph.D. University of Connecticut (1997) 
Email:  carlos.velazquez9@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-205-N 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2576 
Research interests: Process Control, Application of Control Theory to Pharmaceutical Operations and Biotechnology, Supercritical Fluid for Pharmaceutical Applications, and Parameter Estimation 
Teaching interests: Process Control, Instrumentation, Material and Energy Balances, Pharmaceutical Technologies 

MADELINE TORRES-LUGO, Professor

Ph.D. Purdue University (2001)  
Email:  madeline.torres6@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-104-D 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2585/6456 
Web page: 
Research interests 
Biochemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Materials, and Polymers 
Teaching interests 
Polymers, Thermodynamics 

PATRICIA ORTÍZ BERMÚDEZ, Professor 

PhD in Microbiology at University of Wisconsin-Madison (2005) 
Email:  patricia.ortiz3@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-205-MA 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3209 
Research interests: Discovery and characterization of novel biocatalysts for lignocellulose degradation, and synthesis of antimicrobial nanoparticles and their interaction with microbial cell walls 
Teaching interests: Bioengineering, Food Fermentation and Biotechnology, Biorefineries and Bioproducts 

MARÍA C. CURET ARANA, Professor 

Ph.D. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (2006) 
Email:  maria.curetarana@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-B 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2569 
Research interests: Kinetic modeling, Catalysis, First-principle calculations 
Teaching interests: Undergraduate and Graduate Chemical Reaction Kinetics, Catalysis, Applied Molecular Modeling, Environmental Chemical Engineering 

YOMAIRA J. PAGÁN-TORRES, Professor 

PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison (2011) 
Email:  yomairaj.pagan@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-E 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3589 
Webpage: Pagan-Torres Lab
Research interests: Heterogeneous Catalysis, Kinetic and Reaction Engineering, Catalytic Nanomaterial Synthesis and Characterization, Renewable Energy and Sustainability 
Teaching interests: Chemical Engineering Kinetics and Catalysis, Chemical Process Safety and Economics, Chemical Engineering Process Design

CLARIBEL ACEVEDO VÉLEZ, Professor

Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison (2011) 
Email:  claribel.acevedo@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-205-K 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 6451 
Webpage: Acevedo Velez Lab
Research interest: Colloidal and Interfacial Phenomena, Surfactant Science, Nanoscale Science 
Teaching interests: Momentum Transfer Operations, Colloids, & Interfaces, Process Design

MARIBELLA DOMENECH GARCÍA, Professor 

Ph.D. in Biomed. Eng. at University of Wisconsin-Madison (2010) 
Email:  maribella.domenech@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-G 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3749 
Webpage: Domenech Lab
Research interests: Microfluidics, Tumor Microenvironment, Stem cell technologies, Breast Cancer, culture platforms, 3D bioprinting 
Teaching interests: Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering, Chemical Engineering-Unit Operations

CAMILO A. MORA-NAVARRO, Assistant Professor

Ph.D. University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez  
Email:  camilo.mora@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-205-G 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 6816
Web page: Biomart Lab
Research interests: Extracellular Matrix, extracellular Vesicles, Biomaterials, Fibrosis and Geogenesis, Antimicrobial
Teaching interests: Heat and Mass Transport, Biomolecular Engineering

PAOLA A. BALDAGUEZ MEDINA, Assistant Professor

Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (2024) 
Email:  paola.baldaguez@upr.edu
Office:  IQ-206-F
Phone: (787) 834-3655 
Web page: Baldaguez Medina Research Group
Research interests: Electrochemically mediated water remediation redox materials, advanced oxidative processes, electrochemical biosensors 
Teaching interests: Transport Phenomena, Unit Operations, Materials & Energy Balances, Electrochemical Engineering