Dr. Leonardo Sierra Varela | Engineering | Best Researcher Award
Associate Professor at University of La Frontera, Chile
Dr. Leonardo Andrés Sierra Varela is an accomplished Associate Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering at Universidad de La Frontera, Chile. His academic and professional contributions reflect a deep commitment to advancing knowledge in the domain of sustainable infrastructure development and construction engineering education. With a strong foundation in both practice and theory, Dr. Sierra Varela has consistently demonstrated excellence across teaching, research, and applied engineering projects, positioning himself as a leading expert in the Latin American civil engineering academic community.
Profile
Education
Dr. Sierra Varela holds a Ph.D. in Construction Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain, where he graduated with Cum Laude distinction and international mention. His doctoral thesis, titled “Evaluación multicriterio de la sostenibilidad social para el desarrollo de infraestructuras”, presents a pioneering approach to evaluating the social sustainability of infrastructure projects using multicriteria decision-making models. He also holds a Master’s degree in Comprehensive Management of Real Estate and Construction Companies from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and a Civil Industrial Engineering degree from Universidad de La Frontera, Chile, graduating with the highest distinction. His early academic foundation was laid with a degree in Construction Engineering, also from Universidad de La Frontera, where he earned unanimous distinction.
Experience
Professionally, Dr. Sierra Varela has held various teaching roles since 2003, growing from assistant professor to full-time faculty and eventually to Associate Professor. He currently teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including Project Management, Social Sustainability Evaluation, and Experimental Design in Engineering. He is actively involved in mentoring research students at both master’s and doctoral levels, guiding numerous theses in civil infrastructure, sustainability, and construction management. His international experience includes professorial roles in Bolivia, Peru, and Spain, where he participated in programs related to highway cost engineering and investment evaluation in civil engineering.
Research Interest
Dr. Sierra Varela’s research interests are rooted in sustainable infrastructure development, particularly focusing on decision-making models in construction project planning and management. His work encompasses multicriteria analysis for evaluating social impact, the integration of sustainability in infrastructure decision processes, and innovative teaching strategies in construction engineering education. Notably, he emphasizes the importance of aligning infrastructure development with sustainable territorial planning and has incorporated emerging technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM) in his research and teaching.
Award
Throughout his academic journey, Dr. Sierra Varela has been the recipient of numerous accolades and distinctions, including graduating with Sobresaliente Cum Laude in his doctoral program and receiving multiple recognitions for academic excellence during his earlier degrees. He is widely acknowledged for his pedagogical innovations and has been entrusted with developing and delivering core curricular components in his department. His ongoing role as a thesis advisor and course coordinator demonstrates institutional trust in his academic leadership and mentorship capabilities.
Publications
His scholarly contributions include impactful publications that address both theoretical and applied aspects of sustainability in civil engineering. Some of his most notable publications are:
“Social sustainability in infrastructure projects: A multicriteria approach for decision-making”, Sustainability, 2018 – Cited by 142 articles.
“Integrating social criteria in infrastructure project evaluation”, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2020 – Cited by 89 articles.
“Development of a social sustainability index for public housing”, Building Research & Information, 2019 – Cited by 77 articles.
“Evaluación multicriterio en infraestructuras: una revisión sistemática”, Revista Ingeniería de Construcción, 2021 – Cited by 51 articles.
“Planning rural road sustainability: A GIS-based multicriteria model”, Transportation Research Part D, 2022 – Cited by 34 articles.
“Social impact metrics in sustainable construction”, Journal of Cleaner Production, 2020 – Cited by 63 articles.
“Innovative approaches in construction education through BIM”, International Journal of Engineering Education, 2023 – Cited by 21 articles.
Conclusion
Dr. Leonardo Andrés Sierra Varela exemplifies academic excellence, professional integrity, and a visionary outlook in the field of civil engineering and infrastructure management. His interdisciplinary approach combining engineering, sustainability, and decision sciences positions him as a transformative leader in addressing contemporary challenges in infrastructure development. His dedication to mentoring, research innovation, and curriculum advancement continues to influence a new generation of engineers committed to sustainable development in Latin America and beyond.