Rafael L. Bras
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Dr. Rafael L. Bras (born 1950) is a Puerto Rican engineer and expert in hydrometeorology and global warming.
Bras was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He studied at 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.
He returned to At MIT, where he has held multiple positions. 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.
On April 24, 2008, Bras was appointed as dean of The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, effective September 1, 2008[1].
[edit] Honors and awards
- 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;
- 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.
Dr. Bras continues to actively teach, research and consult from his base of operations at MIT.
