Puerto Rico to gather international experts to address engineering challenges in the face of climate change

San Juan, Puerto Rico — The Pan American Academy of Engineering (API) will host its 2026 Biennial in Puerto Rico on November 16 and 17. This international gathering will bring together prominent professionals, academics, and researchers to examine the role of engineering in addressing the environmental, technological, and social challenges facing the countries of the Americas.

Under the theme "Engineering: Essential for sustainability, resilience, and adaptability in the face of climate change and natural disasters," the Biennial will feature an extensive program of lectures by more than 20 specialists from academic institutions, professional organizations, research centers, and industry sectors in Peru, the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Spain, and Puerto Rico, among other countries in the hemisphere.

The event, which will be hosted at the Puerto Rico College of Engineers and Surveyors (CIAPR), will provide a space to exchange knowledge and examine international experiences related to sustainable infrastructure development, climate change adaptation, natural resource management, and the integration of new technologies into professional practice.

Participants include engineer Pablo José Bereciartua, Minister of Infrastructure and Mobility for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, who will speak on engineering and the future of cities. From Chile, engineer Sergio Contreras-Arancibia will address the need to develop a regulatory engineering system for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Infrastructure sustainability and resilience will be a major focus of the discussions. Engineer Denise Nelson, from the United States, will examine procurement processes for sustainable and disaster-resilient infrastructure, while engineer Cristina Contreras-Casado, also from the United States, will address the sustainability and resilience challenges of physical infrastructure for large-scale artificial intelligence data centers.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kaushik Rajashekara, a distinguished professor at the University of Houston and member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, will analyze future challenges and strategies for the electrification of transportation. The agenda will also include topics related to artificial intelligence and its technological and regulatory implications.

Dr. Luis Octavio Fernández-Cortés, from Mexico, will present a lecture on mathematical modeling, transparency, regulation, and technological sovereignty in the development and use of artificial intelligence. Additionally, Dr. Jorge Vanegas, dean emeritus and professor at Texas A&M University, will examine engineering knowledge in the context of artificial intelligence.

In the field of water resources, Dr. Shane Allen Snyder, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, will address scientific advances and the possibilities of water reuse. From Puerto Rico, engineer Yamil I. Castillo Crescioni will examine the challenges related to water resource availability and sustainable management. Likewise, Bolivian engineer Adel Gonzalo Cortéz-Maire will present an innovation for measuring the deflection of flexible pipes during installation, while his compatriot, engineer María Teresa Dalénz-Zapata, will speak on engineering for the well-being of humanity.

For his part, engineer Fernán Muñoz Rodríguez, from Peru, will speak on the global impact of the El Niño phenomenon.

Education, research, and innovation will also be part of the deliberations. Dr. Stephanie Glenn Adams, Dean of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas, will examine collaboration between engineering faculty and education researchers. Dr. Michael Georgiopoulos, Dean of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Central Florida, will present results from scholarship programs aimed at strengthening academic success in STEM disciplines.

Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, founding president of the National Academy of Inventors, will address the role of this institution in promoting innovation. The program will also include a presentation by Dr. José Luis Lee-Moreno, from Mexico, on risk biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.

The Biennial Meeting will also feature the participation of specialists from Puerto Rico and other countries in the hemisphere, whose backgrounds span civil, environmental, industrial, geotechnical, and systems engineering, among other disciplines.

For the API, hosting this meeting in Puerto Rico represents an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between professionals and institutions, share scientific and technical knowledge, and contribute to the development of engineering solutions for problems that transcend national borders.

The 2026 Biennial Meeting thus reaffirms the API's commitment to the international exchange of knowledge and to the development of engineering capable of responding to the present and future needs of society.