Biography
Rector Javier Lafuente's biography
Javier Lafuente is University Professor of Chemical Engineering in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He graduated in Chemical Sciences, specialising in Technical Chemistry, in 1982, and obtained a PhD in Chemical Engineering with cum laude in 1988. He has carried out research stays at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Dr Lafuente is director of the BIO-GLS Technology Centre for the Comprehensive Treatment of Gaseous Emissions, Liquid Effluents and Solid Waste, which forms part of the TECNIO network, and is head of the consolidated research group for the Biological Treatment of Liquid and Gaseous Effluents and the Elimination of Nutrients, Odours and Volatile Organic Compounds (GENOCOV). The research group he heads has specialised in the development of biological treatment systems for liquid, solid and gaseous effluents.
Dr Lafuente is the author of 141 publications in indexed journals with over 3,500 citations and an h- index of 35. He has directed most of the more than 60 national and European research projects with companies in which he has participated. He has supervised 12 doctoral theses and numerous end-of-degree projects. He has also created two environmental spin-off companies for the application of cutting-edge technologies in the treatment of effluents.
Dr Lafuente has been director of the Department of Chemical Engineering (2004-2010) and Vice-Rector of Innovation and Strategic Projects (from 2016 to 2020). He has also been coordinator of the degree in Chemical Engineering and Rector’s Delegate at the Polytechnic University School of the Environment (EUPMA) in Mollet del Vallés. He has also been a member of the Economy and Organisation and International Relations committees on the UAB Governing Council. He is a member of various teaching-staff and research-project assessment committees.
Dr Lafuente is Rector of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona from 13th November, 2020.