Juan Carlos
Santamarta Cerezal

Juan Carlos Santamarta holds a PhD in Forestry Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), a PhD in Hydraulic and Energy Engineering from the School of Civil Engineering at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), and a PhD with International Mention in Applied and Environmental Geology from the School of Mining Engineering at the University of León. He also holds degrees in Mining Engineering from UPM, Energy Resources Engineering from the University of Jaén (UJA), and Civil Engineering from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). He is an Associate Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering of Spain. Santamarta is the author and editor of 35 technical books, 104 book chapters, and 154 indexed scientific and technical publications at national and international level. He has supervised seven doctoral theses, trained 17 researchers from Europe and Latin America, and supervised 35 final-year engineering projects. He is the Series Editor responsible for the “Hydrogeology” series published by Springer. In addition, he has delivered 116 presentations at national and international conferences. He has participated in 55 research and knowledge-transfer projects, 23 of which were awarded through competitive calls, and has served as Principal Investigator in 43 European, national, regional, and industry-transfer projects. His major international projects include two Horizon Europe projects, one H2020 project, and one INTERREG Atlantic Area project. He has also coordinated 68 technical reports for companies and public and private organisations in the water and port sectors. In the field of higher education, he has taught more than 30 courses related to water, the environment, civil engineering, and industrial engineering. He has organised and delivered more than 150 seminars and specialised courses and has participated in 29 educational innovation projects, serving as Principal Investigator in 19 of them. He has served as an expert evaluator of research projects on water resources and sustainability for the European Commission and the Government of Canada. Professionally, he has worked for national and international engineering companies and for several public administrations. He has acted as a scientific adviser on hydrological planning in the Canary Islands for both the Island Water Councils and the Government of the Canary Islands, as well as on studies assessing the status of groundwater resources. He has also participated in water-resources planning in Malabo, projects for the Balearic Water Agency, the expansion of the El Hierro power plant for ENDESA, and a range of hydraulic and forestry engineering projects in the Canary Islands. In addition, he has coordinated research work in river-basin districts including the Duero, Balearic Islands, and Ebro. From 2010 to 2022, he served as Dean of the Official Association of Forestry Engineers in the Canary Islands. **Awards and Distinctions** * **ICE Chris Binnie Award for Sustainable Water Management 2026**, presented by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), in recognition of outstanding international achievements in water engineering. * **REGIOSTARS Awards 2025**, winner of both the Jury Award and the Public Choice Award. * **EU Success Story 2025**, recognition awarded by the European Commission to the ARSINOE – University of La Laguna case study. * **EDUCA ABANCA Awards 2024**: selected among the Top 10 University Professors in Spain, ranking 5th nationally. * **Canary Islands Sustainable Economy Award 2024**. * **José Belinchón Award 2024**. * **EDUCA ABANCA Awards 2023**: selected among the Top 10 University Professors in Spain, ranking 4th nationally. * **Medal of Honour in Academia, Research and Publications 2023**. * **University Social Council Award for Best Practice in Internationalisation 20