The academic vice-dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences of our university was recognized for his career and his contribution to the development of structural engineering in Chile.
Rodrigo Astroza, structural civil engineer and vice academic dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of the Universidad de los Andeswas awarded the Structural Engineer of the Year Award by the Chilean Association of Structural Engineers. This recognition highlights the professional trajectory, the contribution to the development of structural engineering in the country and the commitment to the training of new generations of engineers.
"In professional terms, it is a recognition for which I feel great satisfaction, since it is awarded by peers, that is, by structural engineers, has great prestige in the country and is awarded annually to a structural civil engineer who contributes to the development of engineering in Chile.
Professionally, the award is a testament to the work done in various areas, from scientific research to the creation of specialized training programs. "Joining the list of engineers who have received this award is a great joy and at the same time a great challenge for the future of my professional career. Among the engineers who have previously received the award are Tomás Guendelman, Elías Arze, Rodrigo Flores, Rodolfo Saragoni, Mauricio Sarrazin, Carl Luders, René Lagos, Pedro Hidalgo, Ramón Montecinos, among others. All of them are outstanding and recognized structural engineers who have contributed for many years to national structural engineering, and have also been academics who have trained many generations of engineers and have participated in large and relevant engineering projects in our country. Personally, it represents a very relevant milestone in my life, since I have dedicated many hours of work and study to develop a professional career to contribute to the development of engineering.. Undoubtedly, this is a shared effort, especially with my family, and in particular, my wife, who has been a fundamental pillar in the development of my academic and professional career. Without her support and motivation, I do not think it would have been possible to reach this milestone".the Academic Vice-Dean of the University of Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Astroza has developed an academic career in the Universidad de los Andes since 2006, where he has participated in the training of many engineers. "I have created and led professional education programs at this university, including three diploma programs and a professional master's degree, all in the field of structural and seismic engineering. These programs have trained almost 200 structural engineers from various Latin American countries and have achieved great recognition," he says.
The research in which the academic has been involved is related to the development of methods for the identification of earthquake damage to structuresdefinition of methodologies to analyze and design structures with a performance-based approach; analysis of the effects of multiple hazards (such as earthquakes, scour and corrosion) on the performance of structuresIncorporation of the effects of material deterioration in the evaluation of the seismic response of structures; methodologies for modeling and analyzing seismic response in wind turbines, among others. These projects have contributed at different levels to the development of structural engineering, contributing in theoretical, conceptual and practical aspects of structural engineering.
