CIESOL celebrates the award of a Fulbright scholarship to our colleague Patricia Plaza Bolaños
Professor and researcher Patricia Plaza Bolaños, head of the Environmental Analysis Unit, part of the Department of Chemistry and Physics and a member of the FQM-374 research group (Environmental Analysis and Water Treatment), has been selected to receive the prestigious Fulbright scholarship (postdoctoral mobility programme), one of the most renowned international academic exchange programmes.
Created in 1946, the Fulbright Program is present in more than 160 countries and has had more than 400,000 participants throughout its history. Its alumni include dozens of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners and numerous political and scientific leaders worldwide. This high level of excellence makes the Fulbright scholarship a global benchmark in promoting talent and international scientific cooperation. The Fulbright Program, currently driven by the United States Government through the Department of State, promotes international mobility and the exchange of knowledge between countries, selecting candidates with an excellent academic record and high potential for impact in their respective fields. The Program recognises not only the academic excellence of its beneficiaries, but also their potential as agents of change with an impact on society, fostering the exchange of knowledge and understanding between cultures.
This distinction will allow Prof. Plaza to carry out a three-month stay at the University of Colorado Boulder (Colorado, United States), where she will develop a project focused on the analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water, as well as on the development of decontamination treatments based on advanced reduction processes. During her stay, she will analyse samples from urban wastewater treatment plants, groundwater, reservoirs and drinking water treatment plants in the province of Almería. The results are expected to contribute to the knowledge of the current state of different water bodies in Almería regarding the presence of PFAS, while also strengthening international collaborations with the University of Colorado Boulder.
The University of Colorado Boulder is recognised worldwide for its programmes in the areas of space, energy and the environment. Several of its specialised degrees enjoy high prestige among their public-university peers, as in the case of Environmental Engineering, ranked in the Top 10 in the United States. The faculty ranked 18th in the overall classification, tied with Columbia University and the University of Maryland-College Park, when compared with public and private universities. The University of Colorado Boulder has five Nobel laureates, four in Physics (2001 twice, 2005 and 2012) and one in Chemistry (1989).
The award of this scholarship is a recognition of the quality of the research carried out at CIESOL and consolidates its role as an institution committed to scientific excellence and international outreach.