Xavier Gabarrell, new director of the ICTA-UAB
Professor Xavier Gabarrell was recently appointed director of the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB). Professor Gabarrell takes over from Professor Jordina Belmonte, who was the institute's director since 2012.
The new team is composed of Prof Jordi Garcia Orellana as Secretary; Prof Antoni Rosell Melé, Deputy Director of Postgraduate training and Phd Coordinator; Prof Giorgos Kallis, responsible for the Scientific career. Patrizia Ziveri, director of the María de Maeztu Excellence Unit; Antònia Casellas, coordinator of the master SAES, and Maria Rosa Rovira, coordinator of the master JEMES have also joined the team.
The main objective of the team is to achieve a better quality of life for the development of research at the ICTA-UAB, and among the goals which have been set during its mandate, the team highlights the definition of the scientific career and continuing with the attraction of talent programmes with the aim of retaining and consolidating professional careers. The team is committed to adaptive and co-responsible governance, and to the empowerment through work in committees, transparency in the decision-making process, smooth management of the Institute and increased internal communication. The team aims to take better advantage of the synergies with the other units and departments of the university, as well as with other institutes and the Parc de Recerca.
Xavier Gabarrell holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (Industrial Chemistry) from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and a PhD in Biotechnology (1995). He is professor of Chemical Engineering and former director (2003-2006) of the ICTA-UAB. He is head researcher of the research group on sustainability and environmental protection (SosteniPrA, SGR). His research in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, and in the ICTA over the past 15 years has focused on environmental biotechnology (waste treatment by fungi, etc.), as well as on industrial ecology, urban sustainability indicators, sustainability, material flows of energy crops, environmental protection, waste management and environmental assessment to firms.
Jordina Belmonte will continue developing her scientific work at the ICTA-UAB through the research group "Aerobiology, entomology, atmospheric transport and health" and as professor of the Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (BABVE). The ICTA-UAB community expresses its gratitude for the work she has developed over the years.