Faculty

ALDO ACEVEDO RULLÁN, Professor

CLARIBEL ACEVEDO VÉLEZ, Associate Professor
A picture containing person, person, wall, indoor

Description automatically generated

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

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

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) 832-4040 ext. 3607 
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

MOSES N. BOGERE, Professor

Ph.D. University of Akron (1993) 
Email:  mosesn.bogere@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-C 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3607 
Web page: 
Research interests 
Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Dispersed Multiphase Systems, Control and Optimization, Applied Mathematics 
Teaching interests 
Multiphase Transport Phenomena, Process Control, Modeling and Instrumentation, Process Design

UBALDO M. CÓRDOVA-FIGUEROA, Professor 
MARÍA C. CURET ARANA, Professor 

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

A picture containing wall, person, indoor

Description automatically generated

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

MARIBELLA DOMENECH GARCIA, Professor 
ARTURO J. HERNÁNDEZ-MALDONADO, 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: https://maradomenech.wixsite.com/domenechlab
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

Publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/maribella.domenech.1/bibliography/public/ 

h.D. University of Michigan (2004)  
Email:  arturoj.hernandez@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-105-N 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3748 
Web page: 
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 

MAGDA LATORRE-ESTEVES, Associate Researcher 

Ph.D.  Harvard Medical School (2006) 
Email:  magda.latorre@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-F 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2684 
Web page: 
Research interests 
Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Tissue Engineering 
Teaching interests 
Molecular Biology and Genetics, Nanomedicine Science and Technology, Quantitative Biology, Bioengineering 

MARIA M. MARTINEZ IÑESTA, Professor 
RAFAEL MENDEZ ROMAN, Professor 
A picture containing person, wall, indoor, posing

Description automatically generated

Ph.D. University of Delaware (2005) 
Email:  mariam.martinez@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-H 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3605 
Web page: 
Research Interests 
Synthesis of metal nanostructures (nanowires and nanogrids), study of porous materials as templates, structural characterization of disordered materials, structural characterization of nanostructures, characterization of the properties of nanostructures and of the composite nanostructure + template for electronic and catalytic applications 
Teaching Interests 
Undergraduate and Graduate Kinetics, Diffraction, and Materials Characterization 

A picture containing wall, person, person, indoor

Description automatically generated

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

CAMILO A. MORA-NAVARRO, Assistant Professor

Ph.D. University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (20xx) 
Email:  camilo.mora@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-205-G 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 6816
Web page: https://www.uprm.edu/biomartlab/

Research interests: Extracellular Matrix, extracellular Vesicles, Biomaterials, Fibrosis and Geogenesis, Antimicrobial

Teaching interests: Heat and Mass Transport, Biomolecular Engineering

PATRICIA ORTIZ BERMUDEZ, Professor 
YOMAIRA J. PAGAN-TORRES, 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 
Web page: 
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 

PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison (2011) 
Email:  yomairaj.pagan@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-E 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3589 
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

Lab website: Pagan-Torres Lab

LORENZO SALICETI-PIAZZA, Professor

A picture containing wall, person, indoor, standing

Description automatically generated

Ph.D. Purdue University (1996) 
Email:  lorenzo.saliceti@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-I 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2549 
Web page: 
Research interests 
Biochemical Engineering, Utilization of Renewable Resources 
Teaching interests 
Biochemical Engineering, Process Control and Applied Statistics 

LAKSHMI N. SRIDHAR, Professor 
DAVID SULEIMAN-ROSADO, Professor 

Ph.D. Clarkson University (1991) 
Email:  lakshmi.sridhar@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-105I 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 3173 
Web page: 
Research interests 
Analysis and Separation Processes, Process Optimization and Control Design, Synthesis and Control 
Teaching interests 
Applied Mathematics, Separation Processes, Reactions Engineering, and Transport Phenomena 

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

MADELINE TORRES-LUGO, Professor
CARLOS VELÁZQUEZ-FIGUEROA, Professor 
A picture containing person, plant, person

Description automatically generated

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 

Ph.D. University of Connecticut (1997) 
Email:  carlos.velazquez9@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-205-N 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2576 
Web page: 
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 

GILBERTO VILLAFAÑE-RUIZ, Professor 

Ph.D. Tulane University (1974) 
Email:  gilberto.villafane@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-207-D 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2581 
Web page: 

Retired Faculty

L. ANTONIO ESTÉVEZ-DE VIDTS, Professor 

NELSON CARDONA-MARTÍNEZ, Professor

Ph.D. University of California-Davis (1983) 
Email:  antonio.estevez@upr.edu 
Research interests
Supercritical Fluids Fundamentals and Applications; Bubble Columns Hydrodynamics and Applications; Distillation Tray Efficiency 
Teaching interests
Thermodynamics, Momentum, Heat and Mass Transfer, Separation Processes, Reactor Design, and Applied Mathematics 

Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison (1989) 
Email:  nelson.cardona@upr.edu  
Research interests 
Heterogeneous Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Kinetics, Surface Thermodynamics and Surface Science 
Teaching interests 
Kinetics and Catalysis, Thermodynamics 

Sc.D. Ch.E. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1979) 
Email:  carlos.ramirez9@upr.edu 
Office:  IQ-206-F 
Phone: (787) 832-4040 ext. 2561