Rafael L. Bras
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dr. Rafael L. Bras, P.E. is a Puerto Rican engineer and researcher who is considered one of the world's leading experts in hydro-meteorology and global warming.
Born in 1950, at San Juan, Puerto Rico, he decided to become a civil engineer like his father, and enrolled in MIT, where he received a B.S. in 1972, an M.S., 1974, and an Sc.D., 1975. On completion of his doctorate, he worked for a time as an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico school of engineering, and performed some consulting work on the island., but his desire to work intensely in research led him back to MIT.
At MIT, he has held multiple positions and produced many important papers. At one time, he was the faculty member with most publications in a year. He currently holds an endowed professorship in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is a former department head, and also holds a joint appointment in the Department of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. He has served as Associate Director, Center for Global Change Science.
As an engineering hydrologist, his major areas of interest include land-atmosphere interactions and geomorphology. He is considered one of the world's leading experts in global warming, and has also served as a professional consultant in multiple projects around the world.
He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union and the Boston Society of Civil Engineers, and a member of the International Association for Hydraulic Research and the American Meteorological Society. He is also a registered professional engineer in several states. He is listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by ISI.
Honors include membership in the National Academy of Engineering; Giants in Science Award of the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Mathematics, Science and Engineering Network; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award, MIT; William Mong Distinguished Lecture, University of Hong Kong; Albert Baez, Jr. Award and the Outstanding Hispanic Educator Award, Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award Conference; Horton Lecturer, American Meteorological Society; Clarke Prize Laureate; Walter Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, ASCE; an honorary doctorate (Lauria) from the University of Perugia, Italy; James B. Macelwane Award, AGU; John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship; Horton Award of the American Geophysical Union.
In 2001, he was appointed to the National Academy of Engineering, for innovation in hydrological forecasting and hydro-meteorology through application of new technology, probability, and statistics, and for the advancement of civil engineering education.
Dr. Bras continues to actively teach, research and consult from his base of operations at MIT.
References:
ISIHighlyCited.com
