People

Dr. Jose Ramon Leiza is Professor of Chemical Engineering at the school of Chemistry of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Director of the Institute of Polymer Materials, POLYMAT from 2011 to 2020. He graduated in Chemistry in 1987 and obtained the Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1991 at the UPV/EHU. He spent sabbatical years at Lehigh University (USA) as Visiting Research Associate (1994-95) and Queen’s University (Canada) as a Visiting Professor (2004-05). His research focuses on the analysis of industrially relevant polymerization processes with especial interest on polymer reaction engineering aspects of polymerization in dispersed media. Thus, he has developed advanced control strategies for tailor making the microstructure and morphology of waterborne polymer dispersions. He is also involved in the research of the incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles into waterborne polymeric dispersions with advanced properties (UV absorption, photocatalysis, corrosion resistance, fluorescence emission) with applications on adhesives, coatings, paints, water treatment and sensors. More recently, his research also focused on reducing carbon foot-print of polymer latexes by incorporating novel biobased monomers, (bio)degradable moieties and using renewable feedstocks in emulsion polymerization formulations.

Marian Iriarte (Professor of Physical Chemistry) graduated from the University of the Basque Country in 1985 and obtained the Ph.D. degree in 1991 from the same university working in the miscibility of polymers under the supervision of Prof. J. J. Iruin. In 1991 she obtained a position as assistant professor in the Department of Basque Filology of the University of the Basque Country. In 1992 she obtained a position as assistant professor in the Department of Polymer's Science and Technology in the same University. In 2001 she was promoted to associated Professor. In 2004 she was appointed Director of External Relations in the Campus of Gipuzkoa in the University of Basque Country. Since 2000, she is a member of the Institute of Polymer Materials, Polymat. She became the dean of the Chemistry Faculty in 2016, and she is also the responsible for the Master in Chemistry and Polymers since 2014.

Maria Paulis earned her BSc, MSc and PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Basque Country in Donostia-San Sebastián, and the BSc in Applied Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK). She is Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering of the University of the Basque Country and Director of the Institute of Polymer Materials, POLYMAT since 2020. Her research is focused on the production of waterborne polymer/polymer and polymer/inorganic nanocomposite dispersions. On the other hand, she has also interest in the film formation process of those waterborne polymeric dispersions. 

Agustin Etxeberria (Professor of Chemical Physics) graduated from the University of the Basque Country in 1987, and obtained the Ph.D. degree in 1993 from the same university focusing on the polymer miscibility and the determination of a reliable polymer-polymer interaction parameter by inverse gas chromatography under the supervision of Prof. J. J. Iruin. In 1992 he obtained a position as assistant professor in the Department of Polymer Science and Technology of the University of the Basque Country. In 2002 he was promoted to associated Professor. Since 2000, he is a member of the Institute of Polymer Materials, Polymat. Since 2004 he is the scientific supervisor of the Polymer Characterization (Transmission Electronic Microscopy) Research Service of the University. In 2017 he became the director of the Department of Science and Technology of Polymers from the Faculty of Chemistry.