Due to the quality and scope of his scientific production, Doctor Ian Vázquez Rowe, professor and researcher of the Department of Engineering, is considered among the world's most influential scientists on climate change according to The Hot List, 2021 Reuters' ranking.
With more than 100 indexed publications and 33 research papers, our professor ranks 923rd in this important list. In total, the Hot List ranks 1,000 scientists whose contributions have the biggest impact on the climate-change and environment debate.
(Appearing the ranking) is an opportunity to take another step towards the internationalization of our work at Pelcan and in the Department of Engineering, as well as having the possibility of generating synergies with peers from other institutions". - Dr. Ian Vázquez Rowe
At age 36, Doctor Vázquez Rowe is the only representative of a Peruvian university in this ranking, in which he is also among the youngest scientists.
“Being part of this ranking took me by surprise. It is always satisfying that your own work is valued. However, this achievement would not be possible without the support of the PUCP Department of Engineering and the Life Cycle and Industrial Ecology Peruvian Network Group (Pelcan)”, said Vázquez Rowe, also director of this group.
Due to his good grades in school, Vázquez Rowe, of Spanish nationality, initially thought about studying medicine. However, due to abilities in sports, he won a scholarship to study at the University of Texas at Arlington (United States), where he decided to study Biology. Later, he completed a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering and a Doctoral Degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, both graduate programs at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain).
In 2014, he came to PUCP to hold a post-doctoral position by a fellowship from the Government of Galicia. Thus, in 2015, he joined the team of professors and researchers as a full member of PUCP and, since then, he has taught in the Civil Engineering Section.
“The PUCP offered me a comfy workspace where my work is valued. In addition, I am part of an interesting research group in which I have the opportunity to develop topics of great impact on environmental public policies, positive circumstances to stay,” said the director of Pelcan, a group that currently focuses on three lines research: agriculture and livestock, aquaculture and fishery, and the environmental impacts associated with expansion of roads in the Peruvian Amazon.
As a researcher, he has always sought to collaborate with international peers. Thus, in 2020, Doctor Vázquez Rowe participated in a research project that analyzes the effects of COVID-19 on food consumptions and waste during the first quarantine in Spain. The result of this work with researchers from Spanish institutions was published by Science of the Total Environment journal.
For the director of Pelcan, appearing in the Reuters ranking will allow him to expand the collaboration networks of the PUCP and access international research funds.
It is an opportunity to take another step towards the internationalization of our work at Pelcan and in the Department of Engineering, as well as having the possibility of generating synergies with peers from other institutions". Such acknoledgment will give us greater visibility both internally and externally. We will be attentive to what is presented in the future," said the PUCP's scientist.
To be considered eligible by The Reuters Hot List, Doctor Vázquez Rowe's work had to meet rigorous criteria. First, the ranking considered data provided through Dimensions, the academic research portal of the British-based technology company Digital Science.
The journalist Maurice Tamman designed the system to identify and classify scholars through the combination of three rankings: number of papers published through December 2020, the frequency of citation of these papers in relation to others in the same field and the frequency of appearance of references in non-specialized media. Thus, to identify the 1,000 most influential scientists, for at least 350,000 papers were examined.
