On January 19, 2026, in classroom C1-002 at the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña (UPC) in Barcelona, Spain, the doctoral thesis defense titled “Development of new multifunctional cementitious materials” took place. The research was conducted by David Enrique Valverde Burneo, a doctoral candidate from the Faculty of Geosciences Engineering (FICT) at ESPOL.
The research was developed under the article compendium modality, achieving the publication of three scientific articles in Q1 indexed journals. Notably, two of these are ranked in the first decile and one in the 1st percentile, demonstrating the high academic impact of the work.
Defense Development
The thesis was supervised by Dr. Ignacio Segura Pérez (UPC) and Dr. Natividad García Troncoso (FICT–ESPOL). The academic tribunal consisted of Dr. Pedro Garcés Terradillos (President), Dr. Juan Murcia Delso (Secretary), and Dr. Amaia Santamaría León (Member).
As a result of the defense, the candidate received a grade of “Excellent” with the Cum Laude honorable mention, highlighting the scientific rigor, originality, and applicability of the research presented.
Academic and Institutional Relevance
This achievement represents a significant milestone in the international academic cooperation between ESPOL and UPC, strengthening ties in the fields of construction engineering and new material development, while also positioning FICT’s research within high-level academic settings.
