Pepe Capilla

Professor José E. Capilla Romá is Rector at Technical University of Valencia (UPV, Spain), since June 2021. He was graduated as Civil Engineer at UPV in 1986 and obtained a PhD degree in Water Resources Eng. in 1989. Since 1993 he has occupied different positions with both academic and management responsibilities. He was Vice-rector for Research, Innovation and Transfer (2013-2021), and Director of the Research Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering at UPV (2009-13). During 2004-2007 held the position of General Director of Universities and Higher Education in the Valencian Government, being the highest responsible for regulations and public funding of the Valencian Region University system (5 public universities and 2 private universities accounting for more than 120,000 students by then).

Also Visiting Scientist at Stanford University (1995, 1998) and Visiting Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1999-2000). In 1999 he was awarded with Premio de Tecnología de Residuos (Research Award in Waste Technologies) by Generalitat Valenciana. He received a doctoral honorary degree in technology and innovation management at Simon Bolivar University (Colombia) in 2024 and was awarded the title of Honorary Professor at Abay Myrzakhmetov Kokshetau University (Kazakhstan) in 2018.

During his academic career has developed research and innovation for mathematical modelling of flow and mass transport in hydrogeology, simulation of complex water resources systems and risk analysis, assessment of climate change impacts on water resources, and development of response strategies to climate change. He also maintained an important line of activity in management and improvement of university education supported by international projects and cooperations. Since 1986 he has taken part and lead different international and national research activities within more than fifty research and technological projects. He is author/co-author of more than sixty (peer review) scientific publications (not accounting for technical reports), close to two hundred communications in National/International Technical and Scientific Meetings and has dictated tens of invited conferences in Spain and around the world. Besides, he has served as member of Scientific Advisory Committees of several International Conferences and Journals.