Dr. Leticia Torres-Martíne

Dr. Leticia Torres-Martínez, is the leader and founder of the Center of Research and Development of Ceramic Materials (CIDEMAC), which is located in the Chemistry Department, in the University Autonomous of Nuevo León. This centre was nominated as a finalist at the 2000 National Technology Awards convened by the Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development and the Mexican Presidency. From 1995 to 2001, she was Head of Research at Chemistry Department. From 2000 to 2002 she was the President of Mexican Academy of Materials.

She has around 120 scientific papers. She has got more than 40 awards from national and international organizations and she has directed more than 45 postgraduate students and currently directs about 12 theses.

She designed, structured and implemented two postgraduate programs (MSc and PhD) in ceramic engineering, which has the recognition of the federal government as an excellent or high level postgraduate program. She has designed a similar postgraduate programs offered to two big industries of cement (CEMEX, S.A. de C.V.) and glass (VITRO S.A. de C.V.)

She has been coordinator in the last four years of homologous research groups (ceramic materials) in order to carry out different technological projects of the National Ceramic Industry.

She has been working in the Synthesis and Characterization of traditional and advanced ceramic materials. She has carried out several studies on phase equilibrium diagrams (solid state reaction). She has experience on structural characterization, electrical properties and solid state batteries. For the last 8 years she has been doing research on environmental photocatalysis to eliminate toxic compounds from wastewaters and soil by using new ceramic semiconductors. Her main interest is to establish structure-property relationships.

e-mail: lettorresg@yahoo.com
letorres@fcq.uanl.com