Biography

In 1974 I got an Engineering degree in Geophysics at Central University of Caracas. My Thesis focused on the Sismotectonics of the Caribbean and sourronding regions.

In 1975 I got a Master of Science degree in Geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. My Thesis was an Spectral Analysis of Accelerograms recorded during a series of Nicaraguan earthquakes and its applications in the earthquake resistant design problem in Managua.

In 1981 I got a Master of Philosophy degree in Geology at Columbia University in New York.

In 1983 I got a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in seismology at Columbia University, New York, working at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory . My PhD Thesis was an Analysis of the Seismic behavior of the focal and adjacent regions of very great earthquakes during the earthquakes cycle, and included the generation of a revised world catalog of strong shocks occurring on the planet since 1900.

1977-1984: Research Scientist, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, N.Y., USA

1994-present: Professor of Earth Sciences at Simon Bolívar University, USB, Caracas

2000 & 2001: Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford, U. K., Dpt. of Earth Sciences

Head of the USB Commission and Founder of the Graduate School of Earth Sciences at Simon Bolivar University, 1997-1998

1998-present: Founder and Head of the GPS Geodesy Lab, Dpt. Earth Sciences, Simon Bolívar University

2007-present: President of the Executive Committee, IPP-USB, Institute for Professorial Social Affairs of Simon Bolivar University

Current Member of the Engineering, Technology and Earth Sciences Committee, Dean of Research Office, Simon Bolivar University

Current member of the USB Academic Vice Rectorate Commission for Sabbaticals awards

Current member of the USB Academic Vice Rectorate Commission for Special Bonus for Research awards

Member of the Board of Directors (2009-2012) of the Professorial Fund for Retirement of Simon Bolivar University (Fonjusibo)

1980-1985 US $3.000.000 from the National Congress of Venezuela to design, implement and operate the first Venezuelan National Seismological Network through the Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research, composed of 25 seismological stations located in the Venezuela Antilles and on land, with all signal telemetered to a central recording station in Caracas. Principal Investigator.

1998-2002 US 400.000 from the Venezuelan National Research Council to design, implement and operate the GPS Geodesy Laboratory at Simon Bolivar University in Caracas, including instrumentation and software, to perform crustal deformations studies in southern Caribbean and northern South-America. Principal Investigator.

2003-2014 Various grants from the Venezuelan Oil Industry and Private Companies to perform GPS-related investigations in Venezuela. These include grants from PDVSA (the mail Venezuelan oil company); INTEVEP (Technological Venezuelan Oil Institute); GLAXOWELCOME (UK); CVP (Venezuelan Oil Corporation, Gas Project Mariscal Sucre); EYP-PDVSA (Project Rafael Urdaneta); Centro Mapa Consultores C.A.; NRRN Gerencia y Cambios C.A.; Tranarg Consultores C.A.; Geophysical Survey C.A.; Mavic C.A.; Japroca C

From 1978 to 1985, I was the Director of Seismology of Venezuelan Fundation for Seismological Research, and Director of the Cagigal National Seismological Observatory in Caracas. It was my duty to get the funds from the National Congres, design and implement the original Venezuelan Seismological Network, and run the Cagigal Observatory.

During the period from 1989 to 1998, I was a member of the Board of Thrustees of the Venezuelan National Research Council, on charge of the design of the national budget for science and technology.

From 1992 to 1994 I designed and administrated the budget of the C.A. Metro de Caracas, dedicated to study the seismic vulnerability of the various installations of the Metro System.

From 2009 to 2012 I was USB member of the Board of Directors of FONJUSIBO at USB, an institution that handles founds for the retire academic personal of USB.

From 2016 to present I have served as President of the Institute for Social Affairs of the Academic Personal of USB, IPP-USB, where I have designed and led a series of health and other programs in benefit of the academic personal of the university.