Amparo López - IAHR Vice President

Candidate for:

Vice-President for Europe

Biography

I am pleased to apply as a candidate for the position of IAHR Vice-President for Europe. 

I gained the qualification of Industrial Engineer at the Universitat Politècnica de València, and Bachelor on combined (Mechanical-Electrical) Engineering at Coventry Polytechnic University (UK). I finished my PhD in the Department of Hydraulic and Environment Engineering (UPV, Spain). Currently, I am Full Professor of Hydraulic Engineering at the higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering, and Director of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering Department since 2016. I was elected as Director of my department in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. 

Since 1997, my research has focused on fluid mechanics, hydraulic machinery and dispersion of pollutants. I have worked in more than 50 projects or research contracts and I am author of 130 articles in Journals, editor of 20 books and author of more than 200 congress contributions, among other research activities. My professional goals relate to the integration between sustainability concepts and Fluid Mechanics aspects, combining Hydraulic machinery and urban hydraulics, digitalization and numerical modelling. 

University Management has been an important activity for me. Before being Director of my department, I have been Vice Dean of my Faculty (Industrial Engineering), and always very participative in university teams. In addition, I have been very active in research and interacting with national entities and local water installation companies, such as the promotion of "Global Omnium-Catedra Aguas de Valencia", a patronage activity of great importance for our university at the national level. This insight has allowed me to acquire a vision of water engineering within the framework of digitalization, urban hydraulics and sustainability, which I hope to contribute to my mission at IAHR. 

My involvement with IARH comes from 1996, when I participated in my first Symposium on Hydraulic Machinery and Cavitation in Valencia. Since then, I have been participating in IAHR meetings and organizing workshops and seminars. I am also part of the Spanish Chapter of IAHR and I was part of the organisation of the III Spanish Water Engineering Conference in 2013. I am a member of the IAHR Europe Regional Division Leadership Team since 2018, and member of the IAHR Council since 2019, actively working in task force on Strengthening Diversity and Gender Equity and Task force on Young Professionals Network Development. I am also Associated Editor of Ribagua, the journal of the Latin American Division of IAHR (in Spanish). 

Along these two last years I have been actively involved in actions of Membership Committee, particular in the several task forces: Task force on Strengthening Diversity and Gender Equity, Task force on Young Professionals Development. I have been very active in International and regional congresses, driving actions for increasing the visibility of the Association. In the future, I want to focus also my actions in terms of Digitalization.  

Statement 

Digital transformation must lead future strategies in the water sector, and the metamorphosis of solutions to hydraulic and environmental problems is one of the main concerns of current and future players in this process of digital change. IAHR must be a leading actor in this process towards the digital future. 

I am an enthusiastic person, and I would contribute to IAHR with my professional experience as well as my proactive attitude. In my opinion, the future of hydraulic and environmental engineering involves an integral management of water at any scale, as it is a benefit not only economic in the long term, but also environmental and social, as indicated by the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN, in which hydraulic and environmental engineers we are completely questioned. IAHR must strongly lead this involvement with any action focused on diffusion, networking and research in our field, with a diverse and inclusive vision of all its members. My background and experience will support IAHR efforts and I am keen to see this activity enhanced, particularly from my vision of Sustainability and Digital actions across modelling and Digital Twins implemented in smart cities environments.  

My interest to active participating in IAHR is not just the discovery of new knowledge but also the communication of this information to peers, practitioners, communities and governments. I am very involved with Young Professional, Regional Divisions and Digital Water.  

IAHR's mission and vision must serve as a link between researchers, engineers and society so that advances in the field of hydraulics are transferred to the day-to-day of our environments.  

IAHR as an independent organization, must engage in this process with modern, clear and diverse leaders who are committed to the organization and its common goals. I would be glad to share my experience and enthusiasm in this sense in the continuous development of IAHR.