Professor Michael (Miguel) Ortiz, one of the leading voices in the field of computational science and numerical methods research, will join the International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) next year as the head of the UNESCO Chair of Numerical Methods in Engineering of CIMNE and the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC).

As the head of the chair, Prof. Ortiz will pursue critical research in the field of Quantum Computational Mechanics and data-enhanced simulation, two areas of strategic significance for CIMNE that are poised to advance our understanding and capabilities in engineering and physical sciences.

Prof. Ortiz is currently and emeritus professor at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), and has achieved worldwide recognition in the field of computational mechanics, particularly in the areas of material modelling, finite element analysis and multiscale modelling.

He has made significant contributions to understanding how materials behave under different loading conditions and scales, and studied the integration of continuum mechanics with molecular dynamics.

Prof. Ortiz has received worldwide recognition and multiple laureates for his numerous contributions to computational mechanics. He is an elected member in the US National Academy of Engineering, corresponding member in the Spanish Academy of Engineering and has received the von Neumann, Timoshenko and Hill medals, among other accolades.

Dr. Javier Bonet, General Director of CIMNE, stated:

“I am delighted to welcome Prof. Miguel Ortiz to CIMNE as a Senior Distinguished Research and the new UNESCO Chair in Numerical Methods in Engineering. Prof. Ortiz follows a list of prestigious appointments to this UNESCO chair, which was previously held by Prof. O.C. Zienkiewicz and Prof.  Jacques Periaux.”

 
Dr. Ortiz

The UNESCO Chair at CIMNE and UPC

The aim of the UNESCO chair at CIMNE and the UPC is to promote the development and application of numerical methods to all branches of engineering thorough scientific research and international collaboration.

The Chair in Numerical Methods in Engineering, established in 1989, was the first professorship backed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The mission of UNESCO chairs is to advance research, training, and program development in higher education by building university networks and encouraging inter-university cooperation through the transfer of knowledge across borders.

Professor Ortiz will simultaneously serve at Caltech and CIMNE.